“IT was only luck” that stopped a paedophile council worker being approved to be a foster carer after his line manager failed to flag up growing concerns, the Western Telegraph can exclusively reveal.

An independent social worker was tasked to investigate Pembrokeshire County Council’s conduct when dealing with former senior youth worker Michael ‘Mik’ Smith who was convicted of sexual offences against children and jailed in 2014.

He had very nearly been approved to be a foster carer - despite disciplinary action and serious safeguarding concerns being raised against him - after his line manager, the head of youth service, did not include vital information on request.

The information is laid out in a confidential report exclusively obtained by the Western Telegraph and which Pembrokeshire County Council again refused to make public last week (see below).

The report, written in October 2015, states that Smith “displayed many grooming behaviours during the years he was employed by PCC but there were no direct allegations of abuse during this time”.

Concerns were first raised about Smith’s behaviour in 2001 and following further complaints in 2005 a multi-agency meeting was held and co-workers interviewed, plus children Smith worked with, resulting in a formal warning at his first disciplinary hearing.

Further issues were raised with the head of youth service in 2005, then in 2006, when a second disciplinary hearing was held and another written warning issued.

In 2010 the Fostering Team wrote to the head of youth service to “seek his views on Mik Smith's (MS) application to become a respite carer”.

The report states that he replied in “very positive terms”.

In response to a formal request for a reference the head of youth service - who is not named in the report - left the section relating to highlighting concerns, disciplinary proceedings and outcomes blank.

He also told a social worker reporting to the panel there were “no outstanding issues arising from investigations in 2005 and 2006 and he knew of no reason why MS should not be approved as a foster carer”.

The report makes clear that if it was not for a panel member recalling the previous investigations into inappropriate behaviour with children, the concerns would never have been brought to the panel’s attention.

It was this chance recollection that resulted in Smith being unsuitable for approval as a foster carer, the report states.

Smith was dismissed in 2012 for gross misconduct following a third and final disciplinary hearing.

That concerned allegations about allowing a child to sit on his lap while he drove, allowing a young person to travel in his car unrestrained and a missing child turning up at his house.

“Whilst there were no specific allegations of sexual abuse made against MS whilst he was employed by PCC, the council never addressed, head on, the crucial issue of whether MS might present a sexual risk to children,” the report states.

It goes on to strongly criticise the then head of youth service’s actions and the lack of disciplinary action against him by the council.

“From the outset of staff complaints, the head of youth service closed his mind to the possibility that MS’s behaviour might be motivated by desire for sexual gratification. He had an overarching obligation, as a senior manager in PCC, to safeguard children and yet he failed to provide relevant information to the FT (Fostering Team) and failed to comply with national guidance on safeguarding.

“Such performance should, in my opinion, have resulted in a disciplinary investigation,” it states.

The actions were dealt with under capability procedures and the head of youth service was required to go on a safeguarding training course as well as undergo a period of assessment and mentoring.

He resigned from his post in January 2014.

Asked about the report and its content with reference to foster care procedures, a spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said" "It is unfortunate that a Member of the Authority has seen fit to disclose the report, contrary to advice."

The spokesman stated that the report contains personal information, including names of children, parents and professionals involved but in the version seen by the Western Telegraph these are not present.

Only Smith and youth worker Sue Thomas, who raised a number of concerns about Smith, and has previously gone public with her concerns, are referred to by their initials.

Other professionals are anonymised and the author's name is included.

No victims are identified in any way.

"On making the report available, all Members were made aware that there are families in the area who remain affected by the actions of Mr Smith, and were reminded of their corporate obligation to safeguard everyone in the community," added the spokesman.

Council again refused to make report public

AT full council last week a vote to publish the investigation report was narrowly defeated.

Councillor Mike Stoddart has been calling for the publication of the report by an independent social worker into events connected with the council’s employment of Michael ‘Mik’ Smith.

At the March 2 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, it was recommended that the matter be referred back to the overview and scrutiny committee.

Cllr Stoddart called for it to be published during the life of this council, but was defeated by just one vote.

In his Notice of Motion, Cllr Stoddart highlights a response from council leader Cllr Jamie Adams on July 27, 2014 which stated: “Overall, the full system of vetting prospective foster parents worked and Mr Smith was prevented from becoming a foster carer.”

This is “at variance with the findings of the independent social worker,” states Cllr Stoddart.

Smith was jailed for six years by Swansea Crown Court in July 2014 after admitting child sex offences, and ordered to register as a sex offender.

He added: “What went on over this foster parent business is a disgrace; I’m determined to get this out in the open. It’s an even bigger disgrace that the youth worker who first exposed the matter was unceremoniously sacked while the person who had handed out references which made no mention of Mr Smith’s previous disciplinary record is sitting at home with a fat pension.

“That is an injustice I’m not prepared to tolerate.”

Whistleblower Sue Thomas’ complaints against Smith were treated as a grievance against another staff member by the head of youth service and then chief executive Bryn Parry-Jones. She was forced from her job following the incidents.

A call for an independent investigation in 2014 was deemed unnecessary by council leader Cllr Jamie Adams and cabinet member for safeguarding Cllr Sue Perkins because investigations had been carried out by CSSIW and Estyn.

At a meeting in July 2014 Cllr Adams claimed the correspondence between Ms Thomas and Mr Parry-Jones, which he had also seen, related to a breakdown in Ms Thomas’ professional relationship with her line manager, Smith, but did not raise concerns about his behaviour.

Following Smith’s conviction a council statement said: “The significant failings in the Council’s disciplinary processes was brought to the Authority’s attention by the national inspectorates in 2011, leading to formal intervention – intervention the Authority has accepted and acted on.

“Since that time the Council has completely changed its procedures and management of the Education department and is confident that the failings of nine years ago would not be repeated now. No manager from the former Education directorate involved in the decision-making in 2005 is currently employed by the Authority.”

The recommendation at last Thursday’s meeting saw 26 vote for, 26 against, with one abstention.

Chairman Tony Brinsden, as the casting vote, went with the recommendation.