The Baby P case was a genuine tragedy. It needs thorough investigation. It needs proper reflection on what went wrong. It needs us to look for ways of making such cases less likely in the future (I don’t say “never happen again”, because the brutal truth is child murders will always happen as long as there are sick fucks out othere). It needs us to work to strengthen child protection services.
What it doesn’t need, however, is this bunch of people. 300 foam-at-the-mouth Sun readers marching on Downing Street to demand that every professional within a 5 mile radius of Baby P have their head put on a spike outside the Tower of London.
One of its organisers, Stacey Crisp, 21, from Harlow, Essex, said: “We are handing in a petition calling for a public inquiry into the system and for tougher sentences for child abusers.
“We have asked for all professionals involved to be sacked without pay and urgent far reaching changes to the child protection system. We want justice for this baby and for all the children out there that are being let down by these professionals.”
Yes, that’s a good idea, isn’t it? Much better than e.g. letting those who are facing a disciplinary to run their course through the hearings and then appropriate action taken…and those who aren’t facing a disciplinary (because, presumably, they didn’t do anything wrong) to be just left to get on with their jobs?
Fighting Monsters has pointed out an excellent article by Ray Jones, Professor of Social Work at Kingston University. The whole thing is worth reading as it points to what should be done as opposed to public displays of vicarious grief and the lynching of social workers; but here’s just a brief snippet that I particularly agree with.
The prime minister and the leader of the conservative party have not been brave enough to resist the call for the public beating up of social workers who have been subject to personalised abuse and attack by some of the tabloid press.
Brown and Cameron have joined in the undermining of social workers because they have not had the courage to oppose the lynch mobs launched by the venomous and villainous media.
Their weakness has drawn a stark contrast with those social workers who have bravely, and in the face of hostility and threat, each day been confronting abusers of children and of disabled adults.
And the politicians have failed to deliver, or even to promise to deliver, the resources to allow social workers to do their jobs properly.
I was quite surprised that one of the local MPs joined the march too. Not very helpful (and as I may have eluded to at some point although not too explicitly for the purposes of anonymity – I do actually live in Haringey so have an interest in this for many reasons).
As for the article by Ray Jones, it made a lot of sense to me. I don’t always agree with everything he writes but for all that, he has a lot of experience and particularly a lot of front line experience. The line between mob rule which is goaded by tabloid journalism and an interested and engaged representative democracy seem to have become blurred somewhat. That is one of my worries.
Thanks for highlighting the issues, Z. Much appreciated.
Politicians would kill babies if they thought it would get them extra votes.
Maybe a slight overstatement but give a politician a populist vote winning hat rack and they will pin their colours to it.
Right off to mess up some more metaphors.
Spot on, what the people who are shocked and outraged by the death of Baby P should do is train to become Social Workers and work in child protection themselves. Then they would see what a cushy job, easy number, gold-plated pension giving it really is.
So when’s the march and how do I get there?
In my part of Oz child protection has just hit an all time best – it is now law for healthcare professionals to report suspected abuse. It is unlawful to not report.
Dept of Child Services then take over.
Unfortunately the Australian Govt does not have a good track record with interfering in child care issues (wiki: stolen generation)
If I was Haringey Social Services director – (who is that? Strangely quiet whoever they are) – I’d pull the lot and re-deploy them to other districts until the govt gave the resources necessary. No one on the front line is paid to take that kind of responsibility or abuse and social workers owe it to themselves to stand up.
Where is the SW union?
That’s a good question, Mr Ian. BASW have rumbled a little – well, as much as anyone will listen to them but they represent a tiny proportion of social workers in the UK – and they are a professional organisation rather than a union. They have no teeth though. They do make the right noises from time to time – when anyone would listen. Unison, meanwhile, have so many strings to their bow that it’s barely an issue for them. Haven’t heard anything from them though.