| UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch |
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10 October 2003 UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch initial statement on the Inquiry into the death of Caleb NessOur members share in the shock, sadness and extreme regret expressed by everyone at the tragic death of baby Caleb Ness. This is particularly true of our Social Work members who have chosen to commit themselves to working for the protection of children despite the enormous and widely recognised pressures they face. Social Workers, more than anyone, want lessons to be learned - and mistakes to be addressed. That requires a calm reflection and constructive discussion with the Council. Knee-jerk reactions which seek to scapegoat individual staff members will not help that process, nor will the resignation or removal of an extremely experienced and committed Director of Social Work and a highly respected Executive Member for Social Work. It is fair and proper that the public and politicians comment on this crucial issue. However, all of those with responsibility must avoid making unnecessary political capital out of these tragic circumstances. Resources are an issue, but even in a perfect world with all the resources available, the Council and the public must recognise that our members daily work with risk. They also daily work with blame whether that is justified or not. UNISON notes that while the Inquiry Report points to serious shortcomings in all of the agencies dealing with child protection, it also categorically states that "No single individual should be held responsible." While criticising their perspective, the report also notes that "Many concerned professionals did their best for this family". UNISON wishes to ensure that child protection practice and procedures are robust and are addressed to minimise the risk of anything like this happening again. UNISON welcomes statements from the Council that recognise the need to support its staff through this. But we must all accept that, even with the best of all practice and procedures, tragedies will never be totally avoided. If we are to resolve the huge problems in recruiting and retaining social workers, we must recognise the thousands of unheard children they daily protect and save from harm, alongside rightly criticising when things go wrong. The pressures and resource issues facing Children & Families Social Workers were graphically brought to the attention of councillors from all parties in a collective grievance taken by UNISON last year. The Council at that time accepted a collective responsibility and should approach this issue in the same positive way to ensure that constructive lessons are learned. ENDS |
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