Wirral whistleblower tells the Globe why he did it (From Wirral Globe)
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Wirral whistleblower tells the Globe why he did it
2:19pm Wednesday 30th September 2009 in News Exclusive By Justin Dunn
WHISTLEBLOWER: Martin Morton acted out of frustration
The whistleblower who claims Wirral Council systematically overcharged vulnerable adults in its care for years agreed to be named to explain why he has spent eight years trying to force the authority to “take responsibility” and admit its mistakes.
Martin Morton, the former supported living development officer for the borough’s social services department, says he is “disgusted” that the council only last week conceded that it did owe more than £100,000 to care residents - despite previously insisting it did not.
“We were constantly being told by senior officers that we needed ‘to be the voice of the otherwise excluded’ - but when I tried to be just that they ignored me,” said Martin. “It is just rhetoric.
“The problem is they don’t like an oik like me pointing out a problem because they always have to know best. But they didn’t know best. And the longer this is dragged out, the more damage they do to the local authority.”
He insisted: “This is not about me - it’s about doing the right thing by the very people the council is there to care for.”
In a speech to council last week, Martin explained that his treatment by bosses led such great stress that he had to be hospitalised.
The council has said it will send a letter of apology to Martin. It has also launched a separate investigation into alleged bullying.
Comments(76)
messengerpigeon
says...
10:06pm Wed 30 Sep 09
Stephen Hesford’s resignation as PPS to the Law Officers is either a brave and principled decision or a cynical attempt to improve his chances of being MP for West Wirral after the next general election.
It is a sad reflection of the state of British politics that I would even think anyone could be that devious. However I would like to give Mr Hesford the benefit of the doubt and applaud his decision. If only our Wirral Council’s management team would take the same course of action! Not because of another’s lack of principles but in response to their own! Martin Moreton’s tragic circumstances reflect the appalling non-accountability and complete lack of open government that pervades Wirral Council. They have wasted £millions on ‘hair brained ‘schemes, then cut essential services and personnel to balance the dubious books!
I for one would like a complete and INDEPENDENT PUBLIC audit of this Wirral Council’s finances since they have been in power. If they want our trust, then they now need to come clean about their management of our community’s affairs and finances. If they are found to be less than diligent or have questionable financial practices, then they should resign. If they are shown to be a lot better than we so far believe; then I will be happy to apologise for doubting them; but somehow I don’t think that will be necessary!
Clive McLaren Hoylake.
MX
says...
10:34pm Wed 30 Sep 09
the report didn't include all the services it should have (and we need to ask ourselves why ) so potentially this could add up to millions.
I really can't understand why someone who wanted to save the Council money and protect vulnerable people from financial abuse would be hounded out of their job (and so viciously by the sounds of it).I understand this will be subject to yet another investigation (and yet more waste of money- a waste in the sense it shouldn't have come to that).Who will be undertaking this investigation? (please not another internal cover-up).Will Mr.Morton be interviewed, if so he needs to name and shame everyone involved ( or failing that tell the Globe ?)
slumdog
says...
1:09am Thu 1 Oct 09
hugo2008
says...
8:25am Thu 1 Oct 09
hugo2008
says...
8:49am Thu 1 Oct 09
One thing is certain some sort of censorship seems to lurk in the background, I don't think its sinister, maybe just precautionary for legal reasons. I do hope so.
Leigh Marles
says...
12:07pm Thu 1 Oct 09
We've had a bit of a techno problem with the website in recent days. Unfortunately, a batch of comments on various stories disappeared into the ether.
Hopefully, it's back to normal now.
I have not deleted or censored any of your comments.
Cheers.
hugo2008
says...
12:30pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Roll on the elections, when we have a chance to eradicate the parasites that infest our community life.
Maura Reynolds
says...
1:20pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Glad to hear that the censorship is just paranoia. I thought for a minute that your contract to produce the Wirral Council Newspaper was under threat..
Goodm
Spiffy
says...
2:51pm Thu 1 Oct 09
hugo2008 wrote:I have my thoughts on why another of my posts was deleted but its of no concern. However, its a bit baffling that this one went although I have noticed some technical glitches with the website in the last 24 hours so perhaps thats it. A glitch and no more.
Hey "Spiffy" I have noticed some discrepancies with posts that seem to evaporate.
One thing is certain some sort of censorship seems to lurk in the background, I don't think its sinister, maybe just precautionary for legal reasons. I do hope so.
...................
The post here was congratulatory to Mr Morton. I believe the man deserves a medal for what he has done for the vulnerable people of wirral.
The entire scandal should be blown wide open with those neck deep in it publicly named shamed and sacked immediately.
Spiffy
says...
2:52pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Leigh Marles wrote:So can we post them again then ?
Dear all...
We've had a bit of a techno problem with the website in recent days. Unfortunately, a batch of comments on various stories disappeared into the ether.
Hopefully, it's back to normal now.
I have not deleted or censored any of your comments.
Cheers.
..............
Just kidding...
Veridici
says...
7:19pm Thu 1 Oct 09
http://areallyrotten
borough.blogspot.com
/2009/09/wirrals-cha
mpion-2009.html
Spiffy
says...
7:51pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Veridici
says...
7:57pm Thu 1 Oct 09
piggymalone
says...
9:29pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Its a FOI question posed to MBW asking for the cost of investigating employee A and B at the heart of this affair. Would you believe it cost us £14,700 to employ an employment consultant. And according to Veridici they lied about who did the consultation as well
http://www.whatdothe
yknow.com/request/co
st_of_investigation_
and_discip#outgoing-
35583
Hope you dont mind me mentioning that fact Veridici. Bye the way, couldnt agree more about people power
Jayo
says...
9:30pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Whistle blowers are not snitches they are doing a public service and we can only hope more public servants can find the courage to expose wrong doing and corruption.
*****
Well done Mr Morton you are the type of public servant this borough needs.
MX
says...
9:55pm Thu 1 Oct 09
This guy was trying to protect vulnerable people and the public purse.He should get his job back (what is he doing now - does anybody know?)
Veridici
says...
10:21pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Spiffy
says...
11:12pm Thu 1 Oct 09
Not like they actually work for free is it.
piggymalone
says...
11:55pm Thu 1 Oct 09
To answer Veridici, yes some people have to keep hounding the authorities to get the answer they require.
Whilst we are on the subject if anyone wants to pose an FOI question to any authotity the best and simplest way to do it is on line at www.whatdotheyknow.c
om as the site automatically follows up late answers and reminds posters of incomming answers etc. Dead easy to follow up and keep track of your questions. Have a go, and keep the authorities on their toes by asking pertinent questions
Goodm
says...
7:53pm Fri 2 Oct 09
TO....The Department of Inhuman Resources, The two reinstated persons, The Director of SS, The Drector of Law, The Auditors and all the other sad people..............
.have a nice weekend.
By the way Martin did you get lots of help from the union, UNISON?
whitlow rebels
says...
8:46pm Fri 2 Oct 09
I totally support your views.
UNISON are just an earpiece of this corrupt council. This is borne out by the recent job evaluation WBC had to undertake. Lo and behold these so called representatives have had upgrades on their salaries to suppress Mr Mortons allegations of harassment and bullying.
We must all fight on to get justice for Martin Morton and also for these vulnerable people who have been swindled by the council.
MX
says...
8:56pm Fri 2 Oct 09
ity,protecting the vulnerable,fighting for peoples rights).or am I being hopelessly naive?.
However they don't seem to be involved as there hasn't been any statements in support of this mans plight.Perhaps Mr.Morton wasn't in a Union.He doesn't appear to have had any support until Cllr.Mountney came along and this became publicly exposed.It would appear he has plenty of support now though!.My view is that this support is the only way we will get the full story.What I've read so far is mind-boggling and I'm lead to believe from various postings there's a lot more to come.
Veridici
says...
10:41am Sat 3 Oct 09
POLITICIANS WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE. There are huge problems right on your doorstep. Show you care about the most vulnerable of your constituents.
Veridici
says...
10:47am Sat 3 Oct 09
I would have thought Mr Morton would have been a member of UNISON, and that seems to be borne out by whitlow rebel's statement that the representatives concerned have benefitted financially from suppressing his allegations.
They probably don't realise that they are deemed 'public officers' under the law, and can therefore be prosecuted for 'Misconduct in Public Office' - a crime that carries a maximum of LIFE IMPRISONMENT.
Marleys Ghost
says...
11:58am Sat 3 Oct 09
MX
says...
3:20pm Sat 3 Oct 09
How do we get the evidence of this? .Can we request under FOI details of upgrades.This seems to be getting sleazier by the minute.What the hell is going on?.
Veridici
says...
3:27pm Sat 3 Oct 09
MX
says...
4:04pm Sat 3 Oct 09
The most senior Council officers,Councillors
, unions are implicated in this.I remember Cllr.Mountney saying the other week about "closing ranks".Is something Masonic going on?
bigfoot
says...
8:34pm Sat 3 Oct 09
whitlow rebels wrote:In the past there have been cases of 'poachers becoming gamekeepers'.
To Goodm,West I totally support your views. UNISON are just an earpiece of this corrupt council. This is borne out by the recent job evaluation WBC had to undertake. Lo and behold these so called representatives have had upgrades on their salaries to suppress Mr Mortons allegations of harassment and bullying. We must all fight on to get justice for Martin Morton and also for these vulnerable people who have been swindled by the council.
Union members subs have paid for the training of reps in personnel issues and then they go over to the other side!!!
Goodm
says...
10:29am Sun 4 Oct 09
I'm getting so cross at all these bad people that I'm loosing sight of the main issue, which is, the abuse of power and the protection of vulnerable people. The abuse is not limited to the residents in Moreton but also to the betrayal of the trust families place in SS to look after their son, daughter, sister, brother. Do you think this 'Situation' has gone unnoticed by those families and other families in the borough? I can assure you it has not. A lot of work will need to be done to limit the damage or many elderly parents will live their remaining days full of fear for the wellbeing of their loved one.
I'm not much good on banking, mind you, who is these days? I digress, sorry. If an account was opened called 'Whistleblower' and the account number published could we all just send deposits? Any bankers out there? If a name is needed you can use mine.
We can do this Martin.
Veridici
says...
2:03pm Sun 4 Oct 09
FatherTed
says...
5:13pm Sun 4 Oct 09
MX
says...
6:15pm Sun 4 Oct 09
It seems to me that the message of this case is perfectly clear.If you speak up you will be hounded out of your job.This is a terrible situation for the people of Wirral,especially vulnerable people because this basically amounts to "An Abusers Charter".What hope is there if staff know about abuse but don't do anything about it in case they lose their job?.
And what is really scary is Social Services where so determined to shut this man up thhe ended up in hospital.
This is a Social Services Department!,if they don't give a **** about their staff they sure as hell don't give a **** about the people they are there to serve.Despicable.Is no-one going to be held responsible for this scandal?
FatherTed
says...
7:14pm Sun 4 Oct 09
piggymalone
says...
7:14pm Sun 4 Oct 09
Natasha Eubank
says...
8:06pm Sun 4 Oct 09
MX
says...
8:18pm Sun 4 Oct 09
A couple of other things - I have it on good authority that Mr.Webb had the opportunity to brief Councillors about the whistleblower and described him as " a troublemaker".Cllr.H
olbrook euphemistically stated that he had been advised that the "whistleblower" was not a "good witness" so I presume he was one of the Councillors who were privileged enough to have Mr.Webb's insight into the situation.
I'm sorry but Mr.Morton quite clearly isn't any such thing .If he was why would the Council issue an apology?.
The other thing which I find puzzling is the issue of Balls Rd which is referred to in various minutes by Mr.Webb and on which he admits to being "mistaken"."Mistaken
" about what? .This is another can of worms by the sound of it. Somebody pass me the tin-opener this is going to end up being much more than the
£ 400,000 liability they've admitted so far (£100,000 -unlawful charge and £300,000 they failed to collect).
No wonder they wanted to shut Mr.Morton up!.
Veridici
says...
8:39pm Sun 4 Oct 09
Veridici
says...
8:46pm Sun 4 Oct 09
Also sorry Mx I had mine all ready to send before you posted and got distracted.
MX
says...
9:26pm Sun 4 Oct 09
The SAR?,buildings on fire?,please don't tell me it was The X Factor!.
Veridici
says...
9:52pm Sun 4 Oct 09
"Our approach must be one of working transparently"
"I have high expectations of myself and all people who work in the public sector"
"Our support of people must respect their individual circumstances and must ensure people stay in control of their lives."
Guess who said those things in 2007.
MX
says...
10:00pm Sun 4 Oct 09
By the way just to reassure thse of a delicate disposition the four-letter word that was censored in a previous posting began with d and ended in n and rhymed with ham.I am reassured that the Globe is concerned with standards and decorum.If only the Council would do the same!
piggymalone
says...
12:13am Mon 5 Oct 09
Veridici
says...
9:12am Mon 5 Oct 09
http://www.wirral.go
v.uk/News/Archive/20
0710/news_0000401.ht
ml
Veridici
says...
9:12am Mon 5 Oct 09
http://www.wirral.go
v.uk/News/Archive/20
0710/news_0000401.ht
ml
Veridici
says...
9:13am Mon 5 Oct 09
Veridici
says...
9:16am Mon 5 Oct 09
Goodm
says...
4:56pm Mon 5 Oct 09
So much wrong has been done here, none of it by Martin, he is the only one who has been made to suffer. The previous director Kevin Miller slithered off into the dark without a thought of the harm done to Martin and his family, seemingly, leaving behind a culture willing to continue his work.
Employment law must come into play here. Constructive Dismissal? Come on UNISON have the bottle to answer that one.
MX
says...
6:04pm Mon 5 Oct 09
Honesty,integrity,co
mmitment will be punished.
Dishonesty,duplicity and incompetence will be rewarded.
Is it any wonder that Wirral is dying a slow and painful death?.Talking of which ,I had the unfortunate experience of finding myself in Grange Rd on Saturday. Dereliction and decay was all around.Depressing like 1970's Eastern Bloc with added litter.
glenn, moreton
says...
7:43pm Mon 5 Oct 09
TheLooseCannon
says...
7:59pm Mon 5 Oct 09
MX
says...
8:27pm Mon 5 Oct 09
"Forget it Martin,it's Wirral Council" .
Indeed the whole film resonates with this case: corruption,cover-ups
,injustice,self-inte
rest,greed and abuse .
Thoroughly recommended but not if you've had a bad day at the office!.
Goodm
says...
9:26pm Mon 5 Oct 09
TheLooseCannon
says...
8:19am Tue 6 Oct 09
According to the investigating officer - a detective constable (!) - relevant DASS documentation was 'missing'.
The private care provider claimed when questioned under oath that he was "only doing the same as the Council" - an enigmatic statement, the meaning of which has become clear in the last month.
Is doing something because someone else does it a reasonable defence in law? Not in my book.
It seems senior police officer/s did not even allow the case to go to the CPS, so an individual calling in the police doesn't seem to be an option.
heather cuffe
says...
8:43am Tue 6 Oct 09
Goodm
says...
9:19am Tue 6 Oct 09
Write the book Martin, it will become essential reading for Social Workers, Politicians, Commissioners, and so on.
glenn, moreton
says...
9:26am Tue 6 Oct 09
nce.org and we will do all we can to help)
TheLooseCannon
says...
10:53am Tue 6 Oct 09
Is fraud a crime? Reported to Merseyside Police complete with evidence.
Is creating a bank account in a third party's name without their knowledge a crime? No.
Is using such a bank account a crime? Yes. Reported to Merseyside Police complete with evidence.
Is obtaining a vulnerable person's signature under false pretences, duress, or under threat of eviction a crime? Reported to Merseyside Pllice complete with evidence.
Is not providing a rent book a crime? Reported to Merseyside Police complete with evidence.
Is taking 'rent' solely in cash without providing a receipt a crime? Reported to Merseyside Police complete with evidence.
Is claiming that a person is far more disabled than they are in order to extort more money from them via Council benefits a crime? Reported to Merseyside Police complete with evidence.
Is making a false claim for Disability Living Allowance a crime? Reported to Merseyside Police complete with evidence.
This is the reality of what the public, and presumably Mr Morton, are up against.
glenn, moreton
says...
11:33am Tue 6 Oct 09
hugo2008
says...
11:41am Tue 6 Oct 09
If all the proceedings are carried out in open court and public presence this would be the most valuable contribution any person can make to a fair and just society in any life time.
Lets have the truth the whole truth.
Goodm
says...
11:44am Tue 6 Oct 09
PaulCa
says...
2:12pm Tue 6 Oct 09
Goodm
says...
3:21pm Tue 6 Oct 09
You know, on one level this is really simple. The special meeting agreed that Mr. Moreton was right the bullies wrong. Why are they still in post? And why is the person in human resources not sorting this out. Ah! yes,...... now that is a whole other story. Talk about protecting your career.
Goodm
says...
3:21pm Tue 6 Oct 09
You know, on one level this is really simple. The special meeting agreed that Mr. Moreton was right the bullies wrong. Why are they still in post? And why is the person in human resources not sorting this out. Ah! yes,...... now that is a whole other story. Talk about protecting your career.
Goodm
says...
3:27pm Tue 6 Oct 09
MX
says...
7:49pm Tue 6 Oct 09
If this is the standard of conduct that we expect from ,lest we forget, public servants then there really is no hope.They should be as Caesar's wife and "above suspicion" ,that's why we need ,no, should demand a full public enquiry into what exactly has gone on.The numerous investigations that have taken place have been clearly deficient because as the postings on this site (and elsewhere) testify there are serious issues which remain unanswered.
Veridici
says...
8:17pm Tue 6 Oct 09
http://tinylink.com/
?tNQD8JuPiQ
.
This paragraph is particularly relevant to this case:-
"In the light of this legislation, the
Council has a policy that informs staff that it is their responsibility to report genuine concerns about:
the mistreatment of people;
financial malpractice;
miscarriage of justice;
abuse in care;
dangers to health and safety;
risks to the environment and
cover-ups."
.
It's particularly interesting that cover-ups are included in view of the massive cover-up that is still going on here.
Natasha Eubank
says...
10:47pm Tue 6 Oct 09
Veridici
says...
11:27pm Tue 6 Oct 09
FatherTed
says...
7:02am Wed 7 Oct 09
FatherTed
says...
7:07am Wed 7 Oct 09
piggymalone
says...
9:53am Wed 7 Oct 09
Goodm
says...
5:25pm Wed 7 Oct 09
group then the case would be a high priority, and rightly so. No one should be treated like that. Human Rights Act, not if you have learning difficulties or mental health issues.
Goodm
says...
9:59pm Wed 7 Oct 09
***
piggymalone
says...
12:10am Thu 8 Oct 09
Spiffy says...
6:08pm Wed 30 Sep 09
It definitely did not contain an insult.........woss goin on ?