A problem with punishment

The Guardian interestingly notes a culture of concern, by also bringing up the subject of the Bull report and Greenfields. If my memory serves me correct it was Stuart Syvret who released the entire Bull report to the media, which is something the education committee under Senator Walker appeared reluctant to do - until perhaps a "press release" could have sanitised the details.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/feb/25/childprotection.ukcrime1

The grim discovery of a child's remains at a former Jersey care home – and the search for further bodies – follows concerns about the level of protection afforded to children on the island that date back years.

Police are investigating allegations of sexual and physical abuse at Jersey institutions since the 1960s.

The discovery of the remains came after two – albeit unrelated - inquiries into children's services last year and a police investigation.

In 2002, an Ofsted report, penned by Kathie Bull, highlighted concerns about children's services and called for the closure of some of the island's childcare homes.

In August last year, Jersey's council of ministers announced an inquiry to be led by another expert, Andrew Williamson, after allegations that the Bull report had failed to bring about change.

One of those pointing the finger was Steve Bellwood, who went public with claims of "abusive practice" at the Greenfields youth detention centre where he had taken over as manager in August 2006.

He told Community Care magazine that he was "criticised for having a problem with punishment" when, in January 2007, he raised concerns about holding children in solitary confinement in a policy then in place known as Grand Prix.

A document laying out the policy was seen by Community Care. According to the magazine it stated that "children were placed in their rooms for 24 hours on arriving at the centre. They were also placed in solitary confinement for 24 hours for repeated bad behaviour".

After being put on gardening leave and then sacked in May last year, Bellwood decided to contest his dismissal at a tribunal. He also took up his case with Stuart Syvret, the island's minister for health and social services.

Syvret supported Bellwood and raised other concerns about child protection, describing the "routine and coercive" solitary confinement of 11 to 16 year-olds as "torture".

"Bare cell with concrete table, concrete bed and a lavatory – that was it," said Syvret. "The children confined to these cells were not permitted to have any pencils or writing material and even their bedding and mattress would be taken out of the cell in daylight hours.

"Twenty-four hours was the minimum punishment, but sometimes it could go on for days. It looked like institutionalised child abuse."

The Howard League for Penal Reform said the system would be "unlikely to be lawful" in England and Wales and contravened the European convention on human rights.

Jersey's chief minister, Frank Walker, said there was "no evidence" to support Syvret's allegations but nevertheless an inquiry was set up, to be run by Williamson, a social work consultant.

Syvret also invited the Howard league to Jersey to examine "the whole sphere" of child and youth custody.

In the meantime Syvret found himself in the middle of a political row as he described the response to his allegations as a "whitewash".

He was dismissed from his post in September over criticism of his conduct towards social services staff, ministers and civil servants but he claimed he had been "sacked for whistleblowing".

"Simon [Bellwood] and I sacrificed our jobs but it was worthwhile because now hopefully the system will get fixed," Syvret told Community Care.

Two months later, in November, Jersey police said they were investigating "a number of allegations of historical sexual and physical abuse of children".

They revealed that the main focus was on the Haute de la Garenne care home – where the child's remains were discovered – and the Jersey Sea Cadets.

Police said the investigation was looking at allegations going back to the 1960s but mainly relating to the 1970s and 1980s, predating the concerns raised by Bellwood and Syvret by some years.

Nevertheless, the police investigation and the discovery of the remains will undoubtedly raise new questions about the treatment of the pair.

Jersey's government is aware it urgently needs to address not only possible past problems but concerns that widespread abuse in care homes on the picturesque island is a modern day problem.