COUNCIL BULLYING: Whistleblower Martin Morton offered his job back by town hall chief (From Wirral Globe)
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COUNCIL BULLYING: Whistleblower Martin Morton offered his job back by town hall chief
5:00pm Friday 15th April 2011 in News By Leigh Marles
COUNCIL BULLYING: Whistleblower Martin Morton offered his job back by town hall chief
THE leader of Wirral Council has made an unprecedented apology on behalf of the authority for "ripping off" vulnerable people in its care.
He also promised swift disciplinary action against those responsible for bullying a social worker out of his job - and has even offered him his position back.
A clearly furious Cllr Jeff Green writes on his blog: "I want the people responsible for this shameful, disgraceful episode in Wirral’s history to be disciplined."
The astonishing turn of events took place at last night's meeting of the council cabinet, when a confidential report finally revealed the disgraceful treatment of whistleblower Martin Morton.
Mr Morton said: “I’m a bit shocked. I think that from a very negative position, something very positive can come.
“I’ve had my issues with investigations in the past, because I think we’ve been ill-served by them in terms of getting to the bottom of just what happened.
“Everything that’s being investigated now is what should have been investigated and checked through the proper internal processes at the beginning.”
He added: “For me, it’s the start of a new beginning. I don’t know what it’s going to look like. But what we’ve been looking for is justice.
"I didn’t know what justice felt like, but I’m beginning to see it now on the horizon.”
The "overcharging policy" Mr Morton exposed of elderly and vulnerable people living in homes at Bermuda Road, Curlew Way and Edgehill Road, all in Moreton, went on for seven years.
He had raised his concerns several times with his managers, but he was ignored, bullied and driven out of his job.
He was paid £45,000 to leave the service and keep quiet.
Instead, in November 2008, he approached the Globe and we helped him tell his story.
Days after our exclusive report, two senior officers were suspended but, after disciplinary hearings, were reinstated.
The Globe never let the overcharging policy nor the scandal that surrounds it disappear, and eventually the council was forced to admit its errors and repaid 16 care home residents £250,000.
Last night, council leader Cllr Jeff Green was clearly shocked and angry that a public servant could have been so poorly treated.
Writing that Mr Morton was "treated disgracefully", he says: "On behalf of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, I apologise for the mistakes of the previous administration to both Martin Morton and the people we ripped off.
"Martin Morton worked for the council since 1990 in a department that exists to protect people who cannot always look after and protect themselves.
"He tried his best to fulfil that duty but was prevented from doing so.
"The report into the allegations Martin Morton made was considered by cabinet, albeit ‘in secret’ due to the impending disciplinary action we will be bringing against those responsible.
"I want the people responsible for this shameful, disgraceful episode in Wirral’s history to be disciplined."
He continues: "I can say that for as long as I am leader, there will be no whitewash in Wirral and no more cover ups.
"The future Martin Morton’s of Wirral Council should have the confidence to use the Whistleblower Legislation to full effect.
"However, we did agree to lift the secrecy on the covering report.
"I was delighted that Martin had the courage to attend tonight’s meeting and, when I invited him to speak, he was clearly moved and possibly relieved that a traumatic part of his life is almost over. But not quite.
"Cabinet tonight agreed to offer to re employ Martin Morton. Why?
"Because we should stick by the people who do the right thing for our residents."
Comments(37)
bigfoot
says...
10:40am Fri 15 Apr 11
ArdalMcFardle
says...
10:41am Fri 15 Apr 11
A man who in the face of a quite obscene smear campaign stood firm. Whilst others complicity went along with managers disgraceful tactics , he refused to be silenced . The word hero is bandied about all to often these days, but Mr Morton truly deserves that accolade .
Yes the timing of the report would appear to be politically motivated, but Mr Morton has been vindicated on every level possible. The people of Wirral should be rightly proud of a man who stood up to wrong, who spoke out on behalf of the vulnerable and who NEVER gave up.
I do hope the former director of DASS is reading this.
Natasha Eubank
says...
10:42am Fri 15 Apr 11
Foulkes,McLaughlin,R
oberts,Williams & Bridson - This happened on your watch. You turned a blind eye to this despicable sequence of events, and, in doing so, also turned your back on the most vulnerable people on Wirral and on the man who tried to put a stop to it. You have all lost any semblance of credibility that you may once have had, and now, unlike your behaviour to date, you need to do the honourable thing and resign. Wirral is ashamed of you.
But we are proud to count Martin Morton as one of us.
West Wirral Reader
says...
11:01am Fri 15 Apr 11
Well done to the Globe also for keeping on at this.
Toryman
says...
11:39am Fri 15 Apr 11
Who would ever want to employ and trust such a person? "Whistleblower" is just the politically correct term for a nasty, malicious, vindictive person that wants to undermine someone else for their own gains. Such a person will never find true employment or peace of mind as there will not be anyone who will ever trust them completely again. They will always be remembered as someone who is untrustworthy, and one in-whom you could never say anything to in confidence.
Natasha Eubank
says...
11:40am Fri 15 Apr 11
Toryman
says...
11:44am Fri 15 Apr 11
Natasha Eubank
says...
11:48am Fri 15 Apr 11
West Wirral Reader
says...
11:50am Fri 15 Apr 11
ArdalMcFardle
says...
11:52am Fri 15 Apr 11
Let's turn that around the correct way...
"The Manager who covers up abuse of vulnerable people are nasty, malicious, vindictive people that want to undermine someone else for their own gain. Such people will never find true employment or peace of mind as there will not be anyone who will ever trust them completely again. They will always be remembered as someone who is untrustworthy, and one in whom you could never say anything to in confidence."
bigfoot
says...
1:03pm Fri 15 Apr 11
I think he has special needs!!
West Wirral Reader
says...
1:14pm Fri 15 Apr 11
craftyfran
says...
1:30pm Fri 15 Apr 11
As regards to the comment left by Toryman, Heswall. You obviously don't have any idea about what whistle-blowing is about. In this case it was done to protect people who can't speak or stand up for themselves. People that were being taken advantage of. I really hope that if you ever found yourself depending on others to support and protect you, there would be someone like Martin standing up for your rights.
Fran Coles
spenser
says...
3:11pm Fri 15 Apr 11
piggymalone
says...
3:24pm Fri 15 Apr 11
However if Jeff is true to his word, there may be a few more yet to join them.
Martin, please consider seriously taking up the job offer, social services needs people of your calibre. Toryman is on his own. He obviously does not kinow the details of the case in question so should keep his big mouth shut.
Spiffy
says...
3:33pm Fri 15 Apr 11
Natasha Eubank wrote:Seconded. Well said Natasha.
We, as Wirral residents should count our stars that we have a man like Martin Morton to speak up for vulnerable people. Without his sacrifices, both professional and personal, the pervasive air of arrogance and contempt within the Department of Adult Social Services would continue unchecked, as it has done for many years.
Foulkes,McLaughlin,R
oberts,Williams & Bridson - This happened on your watch. You turned a blind eye to this despicable sequence of events, and, in doing so, also turned your back on the most vulnerable people on Wirral and on the man who tried to put a stop to it. You have all lost any semblance of credibility that you may once have had, and now, unlike your behaviour to date, you need to do the honourable thing and resign. Wirral is ashamed of you.
But we are proud to count Martin Morton as one of us.
...
Name Shame & Discipline...nothing less. Give us back some faith in Accountability and Justice.
...
Very well done Mr Morton. You've paved the way for others to tread so I do hope we see more wrongs righted. Almost a decade of your life bringing justice to those who couldn't fight for themselves. We're all very proud of you...be very proud of yourself.
kingqueen
says...
4:24pm Fri 15 Apr 11
I do hope that where it is determined that officers who have now left the Council are culpable in this abuse or in the failure to act on it that an appropriate referral is made to the Independent Safeguarding Authority, so that these individuals don't make the same "mistakes" elsewhere.
http://www.isa.homeo
ffice.gov.uk/default
.aspx?page=397
hugo2008
says...
1:37pm Sat 16 Apr 11
I also think that Martin might want to take on another very worthwhile task and that is as a liaison officer between, potential whistle blowers and the Council Senior Executive Management.
He has after all demonstrated a very exceptional level of professional integrity and a degree of working to a high level of honesty both with those above him and those below in status terms.
Certainly one to trust implicitly, and a bonus is he knows who the back stabbing low life characters who totally lack any credibility in any form of management position or for that matter employment in public service.
One word of warning to Wirral Council in general both elected and employed, if this is political sneak move because of the election looming on the doorstop, the public of Wirral will be on your back to the death.
hugo2008
says...
1:42pm Sat 16 Apr 11
Do not under any circumstances re-act to "Toryman of Heswall" the poor demented
soul has neither wit or wisdom, and only make feeble utterances for effect.
Just smile and move on.
TheLooseCannon
says...
2:35pm Sat 16 Apr 11
.
Congratulations to Simon Mountney, the only Wirral Councillor to take up Martin’s fight following the publication of the PIDA report.
.
Congratulations to Jeff Green for keeping his promise of a proper investigation once Labour lost its control over the Council. It would have been easy for him to have given it a much lower priority than it deserved.
.
Congratulations to everyone who has stood by Martin – his family, those who were already his friends, his former colleagues, and those still being victimised by the remaining ‘bad apples’ within the Council. The latter deserve special praise for having the courage to speak out when the investigation required them to.
.
Congratulations to the Investigator who tried to make his interviews with Martin (which I was asked to attend) as searching, but relaxed and friendly as circumstances permitted.
.
It is now imperative that those who were involved in the enormous cover-up that has gone on for so many years within the Council be removed, not just from their current posts, but from the Council, and as quickly as possible. There should be no ‘easy option’ of quietly retiring, only to continue such appalling practices against others.
.
There also have to be penalties against those who ‘bailed out’ once they saw the writing on the wall, often with healthy bonuses.
.
And let’s not forget where this started – with a small number of vulnerable people being unlawfully charged by Wirral Council for seven years. The finances of those same vulnerable people are STILL in the hands of those who abused them. That cannot be allowed to continue and MUST be put right as soon as alternatives can be arranged with the office of the Public Guardian.
.
The Conservative-led cooalition has made a great start on this, and the momentum should not be lost.
statictom
says...
4:53pm Sat 16 Apr 11
ArdalMcFardle
says...
9:10pm Sat 16 Apr 11
And yes there are STILL people being bullied in WBC. It must stop. Enough is enough
bickyboy
says...
10:41pm Sat 16 Apr 11
PaulCa
says...
10:53am Sun 17 Apr 11
That said, Martin was magnificent and won a massive victory not just for himself but for disabled / vulnerable people and vulnerable employees everywhere.
The next scandal to envelop this council will be that of the "special charging policy" - that some would call more simply "theft" and the associated disability discrimination, found by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. It's currently being looked at, but I doubt that the investigator could trump the ruling by the above commission, so it will almost certainly be the next big moment for the Leader of the Council, whoever that may be at the end of May 2011.
Wirral_leaks
says...
5:13pm Sun 17 Apr 11
GRISTAL
says...
7:36pm Sun 17 Apr 11
lagoncego
says...
11:37am Mon 18 Apr 11
PaulCa
says...
11:42am Mon 18 Apr 11
PaulCa
says...
11:50am Mon 18 Apr 11
spenser
says...
2:15pm Mon 18 Apr 11
ArdalMcFardle
says...
3:48pm Mon 18 Apr 11
West Wirral Reader
says...
5:54pm Mon 18 Apr 11
There are the keen opposition: Always noisy, mostly ineffective.
The bolshy power-holders (at least when Labour were in charge): Do what we say, or we'll sack you.
And the worst of the lot, the supine safe-seats (of all parties) who do bugger all, snigger at their leaders' jokes and then sit with their arms folders waiting to go home.
Go and watch a full council meeting. They're unintentionally hilarious and very, very, worrying.
unbeleivable
says...
9:03pm Tue 19 Apr 11
statictom
says...
11:19am Wed 20 Apr 11
To try and sort out the respite fiasco wirral were forced to hire in social workers from other parts of the country. What a waste of money. Social services needs sorting out from the top to the bottom. We will soon be looking for a new director of social services as this one is currently only a stop gap position. Instead of wasting money lets see it spent on the premises that are used for caring for the vulnerable and disabled. Some of these are in a disgraceful condition.
Positive thinker
says...
9:41pm Wed 20 Apr 11
not wrong in doing what you did but I
Don't think there's going to be many
Job offers.
piggymalone
says...
8:27pm Fri 22 Apr 11
statictom says...
10:32am Fri 15 Apr 11
I wait to see what action is taken against those responsible, that is if they have not already gone on EVR.