Report finds abuse was "prevalent" at Kerelaw

Published on Monday 11 May 2009 12:22

A damning report today revealed years of "significant failures" in management at a controversial school for troubled youngsters.

Physical abuse was "prevalent" at Kerelaw Residential School in Stevenson, Ayrshire, the inquiry report said.

But no proper study was carried out for years of what lay behind the complaints.

And there were major failings in Glasgow City Council's stewardship of the school, said the report by former civil servant Eddie Frizzell.

His report said: "Overall there was a significant failure in leadership and management that led to the relative neglect of Kerelaw and, as a consequence, the dual abandonment of those who lived and worked there.

"That failure did not occur only in Kerelaw's final years. It grew over many years under changing circumstances and different management regimes."

Mr Frizzell was asked by the Scottish Government in November 2007 to carry out an independent inquiry into long-standing abuse at Kerelaw, which closed in late 2004.

"The inquiry concluded that over a period of years, although a range of allegations, complaints and concerns emerged and were investigated, there was no systematic overview taken of what lay behind them and such findings as emerged produced no lasting effect," said today's findings.

"It was not until the summer of 2004 that this pattern was broken when Glasgow City Council established a joint social work/education investigation team to look into current and historic allegations of abuse at Kerelaw."

Kerelaw opened as a residential school in 1970 and a secure unit was added in 1983.

It was run by Strathclyde Regional Council until local government reorganisation in 1996 when Glasgow City Council took it over.

It closed in late 2004 after poor inspection reports, allegations of child abuse, bullying and harassment.

A former teacher and a unit manager were convicted of abuse and jailed in 2006, and the secure unit was closed that year.

Glasgow City Council reported in 2007 that there were between 350 and 400 allegations from 159 people complaining of emotional, physical or sexual abuse, said today's report.

Some youngsters told the inquiry they had been hurt as a result of being poorly restrained, and others said they has been assaulted without any pretence of being restrained.

Some staff admitted undertaking restraints that were poorly-executed but none admitted intentionally assaulting youngsters in their care.

One method of restraint, known as "therapeutic crisis intervention" (TCI) was adopted in 1996 by Strathclyde council and was meant to calm down critical situations.

But some staff used physical intervention as a first rather than a last resort – and there was also emotional abuse.

"The language of failure and 'dumping', ridicule about family backgrounds and teasing and bullying seem all to have played a part in the emotional abuse of residents," said the report.

There were complaints over the years of abuse or bullying, but these were not followed up consistently.

The report said staff who felt poorly equipped, unsupported by managers and undervalued by their employers, could feel "isolated and vulnerable, and may be resentful and angry".

Among the staff there were "animosities, allegiances, factions and cliques".

For much of its existence recruitment practices did not comply with either Strathclyde region or Glasgow City Council practices.

Various different organisations were responsible for inspecting Kerelaw from 1996 onwards and "numerous" concerns were raised, but there was little evidence of sustained action by Kerelaw or Glasgow City Council to address these.

"Staffing levels, supervision, training, the fabric of the buildings, privacy and dignity of young people, and the complaints procedure, were all the subject of criticism."

And Glasgow City council did not give Kerelaw the attention it needed or deserved, said the report.

"The inquiry concludes that abuse of young people did take place at Kerelaw after 1996 and that physical abuse was prevalent, although it did not involve all staff," said the report.

"Weaknesses in TCI training contributed to poor practice that was often abusive."

It continued: "The circumstances that allowed abuse to happen comprised a complex mix of cultural factors, including an over-emphasis on control.

"There were cliques and factionalism and inappropriate relationships which inhibited challenge and attempts at change, for which there was limited capacity."

There was a lack of strategic direction at Kerelaw and at social work headquarters, no robust performance management system, and poor staff supervision.

Glasgow council's stewardship of Kerelaw was lacking, while local government reorganisation created serious financial problems for the council and distracted senior managers.

The council had carried out "robust" investigations from 2004 onwards but these could have been better handled.

The report makes a range of recommendations, mostly aimed at management.

But they also include calls for better training, better complains procedures for children, more rigorous follow-ups to inspections, better record keeping and more effective investigation and discipline processes.

Children's Minister Adam Ingram welcomed the findings.

"While the recommendations in this report primarily concern Glasgow, the Scottish Government has fully taken on board all those with implications at a national level and it's clear that this report must also be considered carefully by all providers of residential care and local authorities who place children," he said.

"Other agencies, such as the inspectorates, must also consider these findings carefully.

"I am determined to ensure that residential child care provides the best possible support for those children whose needs it serves best."