Director of Education had 'to be told what to do' over child safeguarding issue

2:10pm Tuesday 12th June 2012 in News

Pembrokeshire County Council's Director of Education failed to act on a serious child safeguarding issue until he was told what to do by Welsh Government troubleshooters, it has been revealed.

The written statement 'further actions to improve child safeguarding arrangements in Pembrokeshire' reveals that Director of Education Graham Longster failed to intervene over a child's allegation that his hands were tied behind his back by a teacher at a Milford Haven School.

The written statement by Welsh Government Minister Leighton Andrews (Education) and Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services Gwenda Thomas says: "Even after the media had printed a story of a teacher tying a primary school child's hands behind his back, the Director of Education failed to intervene when the school took inappropriate action and the Pembrokeshire Ministerial Board had to tell him what he should do."

The Western Telegraph reported at the time that the teacher involved was not suspended until several days after the allegation was made.

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Comments(9)

Hyper-injunctions says...
6:42pm Tue 12 Jun 12

The WT web editor will be busy deleting comments for a while I think.

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Welshman23 says...
10:13pm Tue 12 Jun 12

The director of education should resign and be prosecuted, if this act was carried out by individuals they would be prosecuted and be locked up. This person is not fit for the job, discipline him not let him resign with a pay off. I urge Cllr Adams to call for a vote of confidence in this person and the head of the council.

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Welshman23 says...
10:14pm Tue 12 Jun 12

The director of education should resign and be prosecuted, if this act was carried out by individuals they would be prosecuted and be locked up. This person is not fit for the job, discipline him not let him resign with a pay off. I urge Cllr Adams to call for a vote of confidence in this person and the head of the council.

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ScoobyDooby says...
11:54pm Tue 12 Jun 12

The circumstances of the original incident are unreported, but are irrelevant to the issue regarding Graham Longster. To describe his lack of action as lamentable is to miss the opportunity to call them disgraceful. Another publication highlighted the shameful record of Pembrokeshire County Council's Education Department and the willingness of councillors to turn a blind eye in exchange for an easy life. The policy of the officers in the Education Department seems to be to treat councillors like mushrooms. Best kept in the dark and fed @!#*

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Tttoommy says...
9:45am Thu 14 Jun 12

scooby Do - regarding your mushroom management theory - can one blame them as the councillors do have an IQ of a field mushroom whilst overpaid managers/officials within the council just milk the system for every penny (or £100k)

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Tttoommy says...
2:20pm Thu 14 Jun 12

Welshman23 wrote:
The director of education should resign and be prosecuted, if this act was carried out by individuals they would be prosecuted and be locked up. This person is not fit for the job, discipline him not let him resign with a pay off. I urge Cllr Adams to call for a vote of confidence in this person and the head of the council.
We all know that these people think they are above the Law - Do you think that if you were caught fiddling your expenses for example you'd be given a chance to pay it back and keep your job - no one mention Baroness ***** ;-)

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Tttoommy says...
2:22pm Thu 14 Jun 12

PS Maybe someone should actually complain to Dyfed Powys Police - they are then legally bound to investigate - maybe they wont until you make that official complaint Welshman?

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Welshman23 says...
5:34pm Thu 14 Jun 12

Tttoommy great thought but surely Cllr Jamie Adams should have b??ls and put his name in lights do the right thing call the police we are a laughing stock in Wales perhaps the welsh office should take control of the council sure there are a few spare bods looking for work. And we would save a fortune.

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Bushwacker2011 says...
9:00pm Thu 14 Jun 12

That's the way, they couldn't get what they wanted through our recent democratic elections so they impose a Labour run Welsh Government on us. Wake up people!

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