|
|
 |
| |
Janet Mokades compiled a lengthy report on how schools carry out checks on new staff |
A criminal shortage of checks
Inspector slams schools for failing to investigate safety of staff
A SCATHING report released last night (Thursday) highlights failures at Canonbury School – where London Mayor Boris Johnson sends his child – and possibly other schools in the borough to carry out criminal checks on staff.
The 33-page document follows an inquiry by independent assessor Janet Mokades and points in particular to a disturbing catalogue of errors and bad practice over Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks at Canonbury School.
The private firm behind the borough’s education services, Cambridge Education (CE), comes in for heavy criticism over “mutual hostility” with Islington Council.
Ms Mokades maintained that Canonbury was not typical of other schools in the borough.
But Labour leader Councillor Catherine West told the Tribune that it is “alarming” that there are no guarantees that those who work with children in the borough are properly checked.
She said: “I asked Ms Mokades if she was confident that teachers and volunteers in all our schools are currently all CRB tested. She could not give me that assurance.”
The inquiry comes after the sacking of Canonbury’s previous headteacher for alleged gross misconduct. He has since lodged an appeal.
One other staff member was also dismissed from the school last year.
In April this year all 12 governors from the school resigned en masse after complaining that they had been made scapegoats.
Ms Mokades paints an extremely worrying picture of the school’s failings.
She writes: ”In September 2008, an after a member of staff was recruited to Canonbury school.
“The recruitment arrangements did not comply with safe practice , nor did they comply with national and local guidance.
“There was no advertisement, no application form, no interview, no checks instigated by the school and no written references sought from either a past or present employer.”
The school also showed a similar lack of rigour in implementing safer recruitment practice with teaching appointments.
Ms Mokades added: “For example a teacher was recruited from overseas, interviewed by telephone and taken on without references being taken up from his previous employer.”
The whole thing, said Ms Mokades, was symptomatic of a “general failure to put safeguarding children at the core of the school’s concerns.”
But she doesn’t blame the governors who are all volunteers working at evenings and weekends. “It is not easy for governing bodies to know what questions to ask in order to ensure that they have the full picture.
“They relied upon the assurances of the head teacher that matters were in hand to ensure full operational compliance.”
Ms Mokades said that rules and responsibility fr safer recruitment were not spelt out, lines of accountability were not clear, operational procedures were not set down and no one took responsibility for ensuring compliance with police.
The council’s privatised education service Cambridge Education is also criticised.
Ms Mokades said:”Communication between LBI and CE was not good and there was a degree of mutual suspicion and territoriality.
“Key aspects of what was to be done , recorded and reported on were not agreed between the partners or with the schools.”
She added: “The lessons to be learned are clear and in some respects hard. Where safe recruitment is concerned there needs continuing vigilance.” Opposition Labour leader Cllr Catherine West said that Islington’s ruling Lib Dems were made aware of problems with the school two years ago and did nothing.
She added: ” Parents expect that when their children go to school in the morning they will be looked after by people who have been properly checked.
Speaking about the report Ms Mokades said that schools have to avoid panicking . “But we also have to accept that the most unexpected people in the unexpected ways can intend and do harm to children. We can’t take anything on trust.”
Lib Dem council leader Cllr Terry Stacy welcomed the report and promised its recommendations to tighten up procedures would be acted on.
He added: “It highlights a number of flaws in national legislation, and gaps in guidance. It also highlights the confusion between role of the governors and that of the educational authority.”
Mistakes, but who’s guarding the guards?
ALL evidence points to a most extraordinary slipshod practice at Canonbury School – and perhaps other schools in the borough – which allowed the recruitment of staff without a proper check of their CVs and references.
It led to the mass resignation of the school governors who felt they had been scapegoated. Janet Mokades, employed by Islington Council, exonerates them in her report published last night (Thursday).
But she casts sharp criticism at both the council and Cambridge Education – the body appointed to oversee schools – for what appears to be a rather chaotic relationship that allowed unchecked references to slip through the net.
Here she touches on the nub of the problem.
Labour leader Catherine West appears to be on solid ground when she said the system linking the Town Hall and CE was “haphazard”.
Is the majority party blameless here?
Without knowing the exact brief given to Ms Mokades, another problem arises. Was her investigation thorough enough? Yes, faults certainly – according to her report – lay with Canonbury School. Moreover, faults may lie with other schools as well.
But if so, it should be known which administrative sections at the Town Hall and CE were particularly at fault. Narrowed down further, it should also be known which section chiefs bear responsibility.
We do not wish heads to roll. But if individuals have made mistakes the public are entitled to be reassured that, at least, they have been informed of these errors, perhaps even disciplined, and that they are most unlikely to reoccur.
Yes, Canonbury failed to carry out the right checks, but people were also employed to check Canonbury.
We ask, as Juvenal, the Roman philosopher asked: Who will guard the guards?
THE EDITOR
‘Alarming’... Calls for a system rethink
IN an interview with the Tribune, Cllr Catherine West said that in the case of Canonbury there were two contractors meant to be doing CRB checks.
One is called Strictly Education and the other Cambridge Education.
“However, what seems to be clear from the inspector’s report is the fact that there wasn’t a proper system in place,” said Cllr West. “It was all very haphazard.
“What you needed and don’t have was a silver thread throughout the system of checks so that the Executive member can pull that thread and find information.
“It appears that no one was responsible or no one was checking the checkers.
“I want the Executive Member for Children, Lib Dem Cllr Woolley, to apologise to Islington families for allowing them to put their trust in these schools when there was no basis.
“We do not have a proper system in place, and the fact that we cannot guarantee all those who work with children in our schools are properly checked, then that is very alarming.”
Janet Mokades’ recommendations include:
* Annual unannounced spot-checks to look at recruitment procedures by independent figures in consultation with schools.
* Islington Council must issue a short public statement stating respective roles and responsibilities of all concerned in recruitment.
* Agree minimum levels of recruitment training.
* Establish electronic register covering all schools detailing
recruitment information.
A report on Ms Mokades’ recommendations will be presented to the council Executive next month.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Your comments:
|
| |
|
|
|
