Thurrock council scrutiny chair quits over 'whitewash'

Thurrock Council's children's services overview and scrutiny committee chair John Kent has quit

A council committee chief has quit over the handling of investigations into a one-year-old's death - branding them a "whitewash".

John Kent, chairman of Thurrock Council's children's services scrutiny committee, said his pleas for information had been met with "contempt".

Whistleblowers who claimed senior staff had "buried" details of the death in Grays had been "let down", he said.

The council has refused to comment.

The child, who died in January, was known to social care, Mr Kent said, and whistleblowers wrote to the council's chief executive saying opportunities had been missed to prevent the death.

Children 'let down'

Mr Kent said he had received two further whistleblower letters since the last meeting but had not received information requested from officers about an investigation into the allegations.

He said: "We just wanted some comfort that there had been a proper investigation and unfortunately that report didn't come forward this evening."

Members of the committee "were ignored", he continued, and expressed fears a culture of treating members with "contempt" was taking hold at the council.

"It is a bit like banging your head against a brick wall - you can only do it for so long," he added.

In his resignation letter Mr Kent wrote: "The members of staff who were brave enough to come forward as whistleblowers have been let down, we've been let down and the children of Thurrock have been let down."

At its last full inspection Ofsted rated the service as requiring improvement and found during a visit in September there were still areas which needed work.

In response to whistleblower concerns the council had said it took its commitments to children "very seriously" and would investigate.