Scotland’s social services watchdog has admitted it did not properly investigate a boy's claims 30 years ago that he was badly beaten in a foster home and later sexually abused.
But the two-year Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) review into claims said there would be no action taken against the social worker who was in charge of Richard Tracey in the 1980s.
The SSSC has told Mr Tracey, now 49, that it did not think the fitness to practice of the worker, Hugh Quinn was currently impaired. Mr Quinn retired in September 2016.
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The SSSC said that as there had been no issue raised about the worker’s practice in 30 years since he handled the case, it would be hard to bring action against him.
However, in a letter to Mr Tracey it accepted many of his complaints about how he was treated in foster care in Ayrshire in the 1980s.
“We have concluded that we have evidence to establish that Mr Quinn should have investigated some situations and serious allegations more thoroughly; that he displayed a judgemental attitude towards you, and therefore his practice, in some instances, fell below the standards expected at the time,” it said.
The regulator said it had balanced this with occasions when Mr Quinn did take action and involved medical professionals or senior workers.
The SSSC had initially closed the case in 2017, claiming it could not establish what standards were expected of social workers in the 1980s, when Richard was in care. But it was forced to reopen it in May, after The Herald revealed that historic documents setting out such standards were readily available in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library.
In the letter, Maree Allison, director of fitness to practise at the SSSC apologised to Mr Tracey for the time taken to look at his case. “We did not originally investigate as fully as we could have. I am sorry for that failing and conscious that it has taken us some time to conclude the review. The time period reflects the seriousness with which we have treated your complaint,” she said.
Mr Tracey claims that after being taken into care at an early age after the death of his mother, he was placed in a large family where he suffered a catalogue of abusive behaviour. Unusually, social work records of his case have been preserved, and confirm almost every element of his claims, in notes mostly in Mr Quinn’s own hand.
These show that he knew Richard was being beaten and that Richard’s foster mother feared her husband would “go over the score” with the assaults. On another occasion it is recorded that Richard got a “leathering” and on another he needed medical treatment after a beating.
These notes show Mr Quinn downplaying and dismissing Richard’s injuries as “not serious”, and accusing him of exaggerating or attention-seeking. In a subsequent children’s home, Richard was assaulted by a staff member, who confirmed his account, but no action was taken. His claim of sexual abuse by a friend of his foster parents was never investigated.
Mr Tracey, who says he has suffered lifelong depression and problems with alcohol as a result of his traumatic upbringing, said he was disappointed by the outcome but pleased the SSSC had acknowledged the truth of his claims.
“I welcome the fact the SSSC recognises Hugh Quinn was judgemental towards me and this affected his capacity to do his job properly. They are admitting that for the first time,” he said. “I can’t agree that there is any evidence he did promote my progress or express care and concern.
“I accept that they have to apply a legal test, but a part of the responsibilities involved in Mr Quinn’s role as a social worker were to protect me from significant harm which he fundamentally failed to do. They have dealt with this case appallingly. At the end of the day, he let me down.”