An horrific Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) case in Birkenhead finally hits the headlines. The case involves lengthy jail sentences for two Sri Lankan brothers found guilty of the systematic rape and abuse of girls aged 14 and 15. The full story can be found here :
Now, as we know, the culpability for these vile acts lies with the perpetrators. However we have to ask ,once again, where were the various agencies responsible for safeguarding vulnerable children ?
The fact that Cabinet lead for Children’s Services Cllr Tony Smith has been relieved of his position ( nobody gets ‘sacked’ at Wirral Council) and Julia Hassall – Head of Children’s Services has resigned, suggests that as far as Wirral Council are concerned there are questions to be answered (aren’t there always?)
But do you know what makes us want to bite our knuckles in sheer frustration and anger is the way that rampant reputation management rules all at Wirral Council!
Wirral Council knew (as did we) that there was every likelihood that reporting restrictions would be lifted on this case today. So what is their first priority? – that’s right get the Liverpool Echo to run a story on Sunday afternoon that council leader Cllr Phil ‘Power Boy Pip’ Davies had used his ‘strong leader powers’ to suddenly oust Cllr Tony Smith from his Cabinet. So Cllr Smith takes one for the team and is the fall guy ,the patsy for this latest horrorshow. This was followed today with the long overdue resignation of Head of Children’s Services, Julia Hassall.
Of course this all goes back to the publication of a damning Ofsted report last September which had us apoplectic here at Leaky Towers . With our usual prescience we wrote at the time – ‘And inevitably what we have witnessed today is the first instalment of an exercise in damage limitation and reputation management for which Wirral Council is so well known with a carefully controlled ‘leak’ to the Liverpool Echo.’
You may also recall that Hassall claimed there were ‘no surprises’ in the Ofsted report.
What? – did you think Ofsted wouldn’t notice or if they did you could dupe Wirral councillors that everything was hunky dory – for as we know that’s what council officers have been doing for years.
https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/2016/09/16/the-big-lie/
https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/2016/09/22/the-pain-of-failure/
We have expressed the view that the Council’s No. 1 priority is the protection of vulnerable people (and particularly children). They have failed us and more importantly, the vulnerable, time and time again.
This is, among other failures, a monumental failure of scrutiny (another thing we’ve been banging on about for years) .
https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/told-you-so/
We can recall the denial when opposition councillors tried to ask questions about CSE on Wirral and being soothingly reassured by Wirral Council’s Safeguarding Lead ‘ Simpering’ Simon Garner that they need not worry themselves as they’d got it covered. We can also recall the ‘faux outrage’ from councillors whenever comparisons to CSE in Rochdale or Rotherham were mentioned. Consequently the approach from council officers is not to alarm the councillors as they might get a bit upset that there are sexually exploitative people out there!
We assert that the denial of the problem by agencies responsible for safeguarding is a major contributor to the continuation and prevalence of CSE. Perhaps Wirral’s Safeguarding Board would do well to check out ‘Three Girls’ a 3 part series running this week Tuesday-Thursday on BBC1 at 9pm which covers the Rochdale CSE scandal. They might actually learn something.
Finally we’d like to go back to our original ‘ The Big Lie’ post where we called for the resignation of CEO Eric Robinson , Head of Children’s Services Julia Hassall , Corporate Safeguarding Manager Simon Garner , Council Leader Phil Davies ,Children Services Lead Cllr Tony Smith, People Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chair Cllr Moira McLaughlin
Two out of six ain’t bad (although we should have added Hassall’s manager Clare Fish into the roll call of shame) – but it’s not enough.
The vulnerable people of Wirral deserve better. Indeed, we all do.
Wirralleaks 
G’day Leaky
Where is Stewie today?
Have they got to her/him over a free ale or two over the weekend?
I understand how it all works.
If “Philly Liar” can tell whatever porkies he wants with never anybody at all to answer to and they all no what a lowlife, scum bag, parasite that “Phil the Very Very Very Very Slimy, Elusive, LYING Dill” is they will continue playing
FOLLOW THE LEADER
aka
BE LIKE “PHILLY LIAR” – SIMPLE SIMON.
Ooroo
James
Just think what would happen if this lot had a Federal win.
Luv Yer Leaks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Anna Klonowski investigated CSE in Rochdale and, true to form, turned up with no dual tape recorder and no desire to take down any minutes of her interviews with her public sector colleagues / important senior council officers.
So like Wirral, there was no verbatim record produced, all done quite deliberately, leaving little prospect of pinning down who was responsible for the litany of failures.
Result? As accountability closed in, the case was littered with escape hatches for the guilty parties to clamber out of and get off scot free, either staying in their jobs or picking up others on the local circuit. Nice. It all turned out hunky dory, which was carefully planned for. 16 recommendations from AKA and an “apology” from the council. Any disciplinary action? No.
So every official council person involved got a great result and good old AKA got her six figure pay day (again), case wrapped up and added to her CV, which was later flourished at Bristol to secure her the job of CEO. A safe pair of hands, rewarded.
This abuse game certainly opens doors and creates opportunities where you’d think none exist don’t it?
And that Wirral report that was going to be unredacted very quickly following “due process and Right of Reply”, as promised by Bill Norman? It’s still blacked out now, er……. 5 years later.
Lessons learned? Piss off.
Was the .main reason for this going unnoticed the PC off overs it wishing to be accused of racism. The child that was murdered a few months ago in Birkenhead due to dozy staff,learning their lessons of
G’day Leaks
I would just like to remind the good people of wirral how this clowncil can cover up any crimes.
“Crapapple” the ex-Thicker than the Chair, Chair of the Fudge -It and Risk-It Mis-Management Committee now shamed, disgraced and his position taken by another of their I will do anything for the party boyo with an audit trail “The Pretend Friend” have said “Go to the police if you have a problem.
I believe “Philly Liar” said the same.
Also Burgerwithelotplus27mistakesin7seconds.
All knowing as AdderleyDadderleyDooLally told me they had mates everywhere, police, HMRC et al.
“Highbrow” did go to the police and was given a crime number.
When he had heard nothing he went back and they said they couldn’t talk to him because the clowncil was now the complainant.
Shit.. that was handy for them.
The police came to see “Highbrow” and wouldn’t see me.
Shit.. that was handy for them.
No case to answer.
Shit.. that was handy for them.
“Highbrow” went to the rubbish paper from over Kev and Stella’s Stinking Stagnant wirral Waters and that ridiculous man with his dirty rollies and leather elbows was to busy meeting “The Dunny Chain Wearer” on the stairs in the middle of meetings and running off to see “Ugh Boots”.
The only way you can get them to be open, honest and transparent is to get them in a court to swear on the bible and not give them the out of
I CAN’T RECALL.
“Highbrow” on 8 October 2014 at Burgess’s farce of a public meeting into Big, ISUS and Working Neighbourhoods took his bible with him and not one of the lying barstards, AdderleyDadderleyDooLally or Burgess backed up by “Humpty Dumpty” would swear on it in fear.
“Crapapple” said “thanks for coming go to the police if you have a problem
ha ha ha ha ha ha ah
we went in circles and the police came to “Crapapple”.
Ooroo
James
Leaks and the rest of The Leaks Posse they have the press and police under their spell and even had a wirral judge taxpayer, I presume, sit on a whistleblowing case.
In Australia we say “fair dinkum” it is ever more obvious on wirral every day the saying is
“SQARE DINKUM”.
Luv yer L XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
I can see me trying to out these cheating lying scum bags till me or they leave this mortal coil after their mortal sins.
For their benefit Leaks
A mortal sin (Latin: peccata mortalia), in Catholic theology, is a gravely wrongful act, which can lead to eternal damnation if a person is not absolved of the sin before death. A sin is considered to be “mortal” when its quality is such that it leads to a separation of that person from God’s saving grace.
Wirralleaks.
A powerful piece which should be compulsory reading for all Wirral voters who are the only ones empowered to get rid of the totally inept bunch at Wallasey Town Hall but, sadly, not until next year.
Councillor Smith has belatedly been thrown to the wolves – it should have happened nine months ago- and Julia Hassall has resigned ” to take up further challenges”
This probably means jumping on the public servants` gravy train and ending up at another council in a similar or promoted position.
Even worse. she could well set herself up as a Children`s Service consultant and move seamlessly from council to council imparting her wisdom and good practises
Impossible one might think, but we are paying the disgraced Stewart Halliday £15,000 EACH MONTH.
Meanwhile the rest of the sad bunch in Wallasey sit back having achieved, with their allies in the Liverpool Echo, yet another load of male bovine excrement to cover up their own inadequacies.
Herr Goebbels would have been proud.
I can only hope that our own Wirral Globe will now take up the challenge rather than merely reporting Council handouts without much comment.
Ohh Chasser
They make me rage.
66 of them and these behaviours go on and on and ignored while they are off on their gravy trains watching non league football, not in wirral, fucking London.
What is the use of 66 if they are only looking after their own egos?
They don’t care.
Ooroo
James
“Sir Git” and that “Horrible Angry Little Legweak” probably profess to be good men…….
They are just in bed with this shit, crud and dross.
Who do these people think they are above the law?
Not a decent bone amongst them bring in ADMINISTRATION.
Keep at it Chas.
I could not agree with you more, the whole of Wirral council are complicit in this tragic episode & no doubt the people who oversaw this will walk away with wads of ratepayers cash and join another council on the local government gravy train. Don’t tell me the leader of the council did not know what was going on & if he did not he should be ashamed of himself and do the decent thing and resign. But he has no shame so we are stuck with this labour shower for the foreseeable future until the electors of Wirral see sense and vote them out. would Phil Davies who we all know is an avid follower of leaks care to admit or deny the charges against him.
G’day Jonathan
You say “Philly Liar” follows The Great Leaks.
Can he read?
Or, does he just look at his guilty pink mamby pamby mummy’s boy face in the pictures?
Or, is that faces?
Sure as eggs are eggs he can’t tell the truth.
The man is a snivelling cowardly Caldy posh moron.
Ooroo
James
He must know people are laughing at him whenever they speak to him.
Good work Jon X
G’day Leaks
Why aren’t people screaming for action to be taken against wirral BC?
Particularly the clowncillors that have been there for this century.
They have aided and abetted Wirralgate, Wirral “Funny” Bizz, Big ISUS and Working Neighbourhoods, Colas, Martin Morton, Child Abuse, Brawling at the Charity Ball.
They are only the things that have become public there must be so much more.
They only don’t sack the likes of adderley because he has so much dirt on them.
All those clowncillors from this century still there should be forced to stand down.
Ooroo
James
You would hear them squeal then L if they considered it was an injustice.
Suck shit I say.
Urban Dictionary: suck shit
Basically, a rather frank way of saying that you are very angry at someone and wish them to have the misfortune of having to suck faeces through a straw.
Luv ya Leaks XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ha ha ha … the Aussie is right again…!