Extreme prejudice

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An inquiry report into the case of a gay male foster couple who abused young boys in their care reveals that social workers failed to act partly out of fear of being labelled homophobic. David Brindle reports
"You don't want to reflect negatively on gay couples, especially in the social services. I'd be thinking: 'Am I being prejudiced? Is it my own prejudice that is making me doubt the skills of these carers, these two gay men? Is it because I'm homophobic?', rather than just asking yourself the simple question: 'Are they abusing kids?'"Staff member, Wakefield council
Craig Faunch and Ian Wathey were the first openly gay couple approved as foster carers by Wakefield council, West Yorkshire. Within two years, their approval had been rescinded amid inquiries that led ultimately to their imprisonment for the sexual abuse of boys placed in their care.
An inquiry report to be considered by the council today points to weaknesses in process and practice and the failure of Wakefield, at the time, to create and sustain a culture of questioning and challenge. Beyond this, though, it suggests that Faunch and Wathey's special status led to a particular lack of professional rigour in the council's dealings with them and a reluctance to "think the unthinkable".
The case has already been seized upon gleefully by those who think social work is bedevilled by political correctness. In their simplistic interpretation, professionals feared speaking out lest they were accused of prejudice. But the report's conclusions are more complex than this. As indicated by the comments of a staff member to the inquiry, quoted at the head of this article, social workers felt uncertain of their own attitudes, and very often felt out of their depth in dealing with a same-sex couple who were, additionally, overbearing and bullying.
Lessons
The report's authors are clear on the lesson to be drawn: "Discrimination based on prejudice is not acceptable, especially not in social work or any public service." But they add: "Discrimination founded on a professional judgment on a presenting issue, based on knowledge, assessed evidence and interpretation, is at the heart of good social work practice.
"These anxieties about discrimination have deep roots, we argue - in social work training, professional identity and organisational cultures - and the remedies for these go beyond the remit of any single council or inquiry report."