Further investigation called into senior officer resignations

A further independent investigation will be carried out into the events which culminated with the resignation of two of Bury Council’s most senior officers.

It will examine the role that elected councillors and officers may have played during a historic child safeguarding matter.

The investigation will be carried out by Charles Bourne QC, who wrote the second of two reports into the safeguarding issue that culminated in the resignations of Mike Owen, the council’s chief executive, and Mark Carriline, its executive director for children, young people and culture.

The move was agreed unanimously by councillors at an emergency council meeting last night (Thursday 20 July).

Councillor Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said: “Since I became leader in 2016, I have been determined to get at the truth surrounding this matter, and to get the facts out into the open so that the public knew what had gone on and who was responsible.

“This is why I ordered an independent investigation by childcare expert Malcolm Newsam CBE, which subsequently led to the second independent review, carried out by Charles Bourne QC. Neither of their reports pull their punches, and we have now made both their reports public.

“Following these inquiries, two senior council officers have left the council and my predecessor has referred himself to the council’s standards committee. There will also be a further investigation into the role that councillors may have played in this sorry episode.

“I am determined that the mistakes of the past are not repeated and that the council gets back to providing first class services to local people and local businesses. Bury is a great place to live, work and visit and it is the job of me and my colleagues to provide the leadership that this council and this town needs to support our local economy, build new homes, invest in our schools and protect our environment.”

Cllr Shori said the council had had ongoingdialogue with the Department of Communities and Local Government, Ofsted, and the council’s external auditors KPMG throughout the investigations. Ofsted has rated Bury’s safeguarding procedures as ‘good’, and both the Newsam and Bourne reports make the same conclusion, only that certain senior managers did not follow those procedures.

“Ensuring that our children are safe is the highest priority that any council can have,” added Cllr Shori. “While this case has revolved around procedures not being followed, and no child was harmed, it is vital that lessons are learned and that the failures of the past are not repeated.

“I welcome the fact that all the political parties on Bury Council are agreed on this, and will play a full part in the investigation to come.”

At last night’s meeting, the council resolved to:

• Invite Charles Bourne QC, as an independent investigator, to consider the conduct of members of this council in relation to the issues identified in the Newsam report and in particular their compliance with the council's code of conduct for members, the Nolan Principles and the general law, including relevant statutory codes; and to report back to the standards committee within three calendar months with the findings of such investigations and any relevant recommendations.
• Invite Charles Bourne QC to consider the evidence relating to the conduct of any other officers of the council and employees of local schools, identified in the Newsam report, and make any relevant recommendations as to any potential disciplinary action which ought to be considered by the council or the relevant governing bodies.
• Invite Charles Bourne QC to propose any appropriate changes to the Member's Code of Conduct arising from his investigations.
• Implement the remaining recommendations detailed in the Newsam report as identified in the action plan, with progress of implementation to be reported to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee as a standing agenda item for its meetings until the completion of all actions.
• Refer the content of the Newsam report to the chair of Bury Safeguarding Children’s Board for review.
• Refer the published Newsam and Bourne reports to CIPFA in relation to the conduct of their member, the former chief executive of Bury Council.
• Undertake an all-party piece of work, involving officers and members, with outside support as appropriate, to ensure that the council has an appropriate culture of working at senior levels in the authority, which reflects the highest standards for public office and public service.

In the interests of transparency, the council also agreed to publish the Newsam and Bourne reports, which have been redacted for child safeguarding and data protection reasons. These can be read on the council’s website at: http://councildecisions.bury.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=148&MId=2173&Ver=4

ENDS

Press release issued: 21 July 2017.