Justice At A Price
Friends and readers. We recently received a post from a City employee thanking us for highlighting the real problem of what our friend called institionilised bullying. She became aware of the problem that existed at the Muirhouse Social Work Centre,after talking to a colleague that had previously worked there.
What started as a ripple has grown to engulf all who have played a part in this dreadful situation. What should have been dealt with immediatly was badly mis-handled with the perpetrators to date going un-punished and the victims still awaiting justice.
This whole mess goes up the food chain to chief Social Worker Michelle Miller who we are told regarded abuse of staff as a CULTURAL THING. What chance justice if that is the attitude of the person who should have taken decisive action to deal with a problem many others were all to aware of.
What we uncovered was to say the least disgraceful compounded by the fact that some senior members of staff already knew that there was -quote- staff issues within the Muirhouse Centre and serious problems within the Community Service team.
It soon became clear that damage limitation would be needed as the problem may become public knowledge with the number of people involved. According to our inside source, at no time was there an attempt to deal with what was fast becoming an out of control problem.
What has been leaked to us over the period is mind numbing at best with a total dis-regard for human dignity allowing behaviour designed to cause maximum damage to the intended victims.
What has suprised us was the amount of information which came from various sources,all saying the same thing bullying was a daily activity hidden by a fear of worse to come if it was reported. Reports had reached the ears of senior staff of unrest and discontent all related to bullying,yet it was quitely swept aside.
The reason for this we can only speculate but one reason that came up a couple of times in various exchanges was that Muirhouse would be set up as an example of good practice thereby deflecting any adverse publicity.
This was doomed to failure from the start as the cover up that ensued started to show cracks. To many people were involved for this tactic to hold firm as one report after another consistently told of sustained bullying over a long period of time. The media started to pick up on stories and the Justice Minister has now started to question some of the working practices related to Community Service.
Now the politicians have got on board how long will it be before some or all of the people involved in this hideous cover up jump ship to save their own skins. Time is not on their side as these and more questions will have to be answered ,and not what has gone before just swept under the carpet.
We can speculate again,and suggest that something akin to a high profile legal debate may need to take place if the truth is to come out,and we feel this would be no bad thing in fact it maybe what is required to sort this mess out. Again we can only speculate,but it would not take a genius to realise that a number of careers could be on the line and those involved will only be to aware of that possibility.
Widely known about and nothing done to prevent or stop it,quite the opposite do nothing harass the victims further try and wear them down and all will be forgotton. This tactic as with all one dimention thinking is doomed to fail.
The fallout from this serial bullying will be widespread and could well force a major change in Criminal Justice working practices,something we feel is long overdue. The dinosaurs that manage this service have only themselves at heart and themselves to blame for allowing this can of worms to burst open.
What started as a workplace bullying problem which should and could have been dealt with under the City’s own flawed policy’s and proceedures has been allowed to escalate into what may yet become a nation wide debate on the running and managing of Scotlands Community Service scheme.
Iain Taylor-Pilton Sucks .com