Jersey: UK Social Worker Bellwood 'Bullied' by Line Manager

Communitycare.co.uk 12 March 2008 by Maria Ahmed from Jersey

[ Social worker Simon Bellwood was dismissed from his job at the Greenfield secure unit on Jersey (NOT the now infamous Haut de la Garenne) following clashes with his manager Joe Kennedy. Senator Stuart Syvret was dismissed from his post as Health and Social Services Minister because he alienated most of his colleagues in the Jersey legislature. The combination of the two dismissals helps to explain a great deal of the Jersey controversy. ]

A UK social worker who ran a secure unit in Jersey has alleged he was "bullied and harassed" by his line manager.

Simon Bellwood, who is claiming unfair dismissal from his job at the Greenfields secure unit on the island, told an employment tribunal yesterday how his relationship with his line manager Joe Kennedy "deteriorated".

Giving evidence yesterday, Bellwood said he found Kennedy "overpowering" and claimed he had not been given the supervision he requested.

The social worker, who was previously manager of a local authority secure children's home in Essex, told the tribunal he "felt like an elastic band being pulled in every direction".

Bellwood began work as centre manager of Greenfields in August 2006, after which he criticised a system of putting children in solitary confinement, known as grand prix.

He also put in a formal complaint against Kennedy, but neither complaint was upheld. Bellwood was dismissed in May last year on the grounds of incapability.

The social worker told the tribunal that he was working "in excess of a 70-hour week" and felt "absolutely exhausted" in the job at Greenfields.

"I was in a position of feeling constantly criticised for anything and everything - on the one hand I was being told to develop policies, and on the other to be on the shop floor with young people," he said.

Bellwood changed the grand prix system but said Kennedy "failed to understand" his behaviour management policy.

Bellwood said the system of solitary confinement put in place at Greenfields by Kennedy was "unlawful" and conflicted with his training.

He told the tribunal on Monday that he had introduced another policy that was about "recognising and rewarding positive behaviour".
Bellwood yesterday disputed Kennedy's criticism of him as "argumentative and disrespectful."

He admitted he had "challenged" Kennedy but said he had been "at a loss how to remedy the situation".

Bellwood alleged Kennedy had compiled a list of evidence against him to "to use to my detriment and to his advantage".

Over the next fortnight, the Jersey employment tribunal will hear evidence from witnesses and Bellwood's former employer the States of Jersey.

Mike Pollard, chief executive of health and social services for the States of Jersey, told the tribunal he wanted to "make sure the truth is known".

The tribunal continues.

Related articles
Jersey: Bellwood 'sacked for rocking the boat'
Community Care's exclusive story on the Bellwood case
All articles on Haut de la Garenne abuse scandal
Join the debate on Jersey at CareSpace

Jersey: Inquiry promised as Simon Bellwood case settles

12 March 2008 by Maria Ahmed
UK social worker Simon Bellwood reached a settlement in his Jersey employment tribunal today, but a full independent inquiry will be launched into his case.

Bellwood was claiming unfair dismissal from his job as centre manager at the Greenfields secure unit on the island.

Today, a joint statement was issued on behalf of the States of Jersey Employment Board and Bellwood , saying proceedings had been "resolved to the parties' mutual satisfaction" at the tribunal, which began on Monday.

Full independent inquiry
It said there would be a full independent inquiry into all of the circumstances surrounding the termination of Bellwood's employment.

"Mr Bellwood looks forward to contributing to that inquiry and the States of Jersey welcome his involvement," the statement issued by Bellwood's advocates said. "The States Employment Board does accept that employment procedures were not followed as closely as they should have been in Mr Bellwood's case; accordingly the Board has today agreed to compensate Mr Bellwood in a sum equal to his full statutory and contractual entitlement."

Not sacked for whistleblowing
It also said: "The States Employment Board wishes to make it clear that Mr Bellwood was not dismissed for so-called whistleblowing. Mr Bellwood also wishes to clarify that he personally has never alleged, and does not now claim, that he was dismissed because of any so-called whistleblowing on his part."

Bellwood began work at Greenfields in August 2006 and was dismissed in May the following year.

He had criticised policies including a system that involved putting children in solitary confinement at the unit. Bellwood also complained that Joe Kennedy, his line manager at Greenfields, had bullied and harassed him but neither complaint was upheld, the tribunal heard earlier this week.

Order to hand over interview notes
Yesterday David Le Quesne, the chairman of the tribunal, had to order Madeleine Davies, a senior human resources partner at the States of Jersey, to hand over notes of interviews she held with Greenfields staff in connection with Bellwood's complaint.

Davies had refused to give the documents to the tribunal without an order, saying to do so would have compromised her "integrity".

Today Le Quesne expressed concerns about the new evidence, saying it sat "uneasily" with Ms Davies' witness statement. But he turned down a request from the media to have the documents released to the public. It is believed the documents will now form part of the inquiry into Bellwood's dismissal.

There were no questions allowed today following the statement.

Related articles
Jersey: Bellwood 'bullied by line manager'
Jersey: Bellwood 'sacked for rocking the boat'
Community Care's original exclusive story on the Bellwood case
Full coverage of the Haut de la Garenne abuse scandal on Jersey