Council boss in charge at time of Rochdale child sex grooming scandal 'should pay back £80,000 payoff', MPs say
A council chief executive who
pocketed a large pay-out when he retired early at the height of a child
sex scandal in his patch should pay the money back, a committee of MPs
has demanded.
Former Rochdale Council head Roger Ellis, 58, who was in charge when a grooming gang operated in his area, took early retirement in April last year and received a pay-off of nearly £80,000.
A group of MPs said the council was ‘inexcusably slow’ to realise that ‘widespread and organised’ sexual abuse of children was taking place on its doorstep, and said Mr Ellis should be required to repay his total redundancy payout of £76,798.20.
Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk echoed their condemnation, saying council bosses should 'be held accountable for turning a blind eye to child abuse'.
The calls came with the publication of a Home Affairs Select Committee report saying ministers must stop local authority bosses from being rewarded when there has been a failure to protect vulnerable children.
It argued that council bosses must 'be held accountable for the appalling consequences of their indifference to the suffering of vulnerable children'.
Mr Ellis, who headed Rochdale Council for 12 years, was at the helm when a gang of men were grooming vulnerable young girls for sex in a campaign of abuse that began in 2008.
Nine men were jailed in May last year for exploiting girls as young as 13, some of them in the care of social services. The victims were groomed by a gang of men who routinely plied them with drink and drugs and passed them around for sex.
The Commons report said: 'That it took so long for anybody, at any level from the chief executive downward, to look at reports of young girls with multiple, middle-aged "boyfriends", hanging around takeaways, drinking and taking drugs, and to think that it might be worth investigating further, is shocking.'
The report found ‘catastrophic
failings’ in agencies appointed to protect children - and said the
situation in Rochdale was allowed to develop because of a ‘woeful lack
of professional curiosity or indifference’ on the part of Mr Ellis.
Mr Ellis claimed to have known nothing about the issue during his first decade in the post, despite an independent enquiry, published last month, finding that the council was told the girls were at risk several times by a crisis intervention team.
The report said the senior leadership team at the council ‘failed in their duty of care’ towards the girls involved, and said it was ‘no excuse’ for managers to say they had no knowledge of what was taking place.
It said: 'Early retirement or resignation for other reasons should not
allow them to evade responsibility and they must be held to account.
'In particular, we are deeply shocked by Roger Ellis receiving £76,798.20 in redundancy payout. He should be required to repay it.'
Mr Ellis told the parliamentary committee that he regretted what happened, but said: 'With the benefit of the information that was available to me, I do not think there was anything I could have done.'
The report said that was ‘not surprising’ because he only met senior department directors and gathered performance data on a ‘quarterly basis’.
It added: 'Rules and guidelines existed which were not followed. People employed as public servants appeared to lack human compassion when dealing with victims.
'Children have only one chance at
childhood... There has been a failure among care professionals to
recognise the fact that some children are being exploited.
'Instead many professionals referred to them as being ‘promiscuous’, engaging in ‘risky behaviour’ or having ‘consented’ to sexual activity. Such a situation must never happen again.'
The report said police, social services and the CPS should all ‘bear responsibility’ for the way vulnerable children were left ‘unprotected’ by the system.
A review of council policies in Rochdale surrounding child sex grooming by Ofsted is now likely to take place.
'With the benefit of the information that was available to me, I do not think there was anything I could have done.'
- Former Rochdale Council chief executive Roger Ellis
Labour MP Mr Danczuk said 'I have long
campaigned for council bosses to be held accountable for turning a blind
eye to child abuse and this report comes to the same conclusion.
'The problem is that council officers in Rochdale, who ignored pleas for help by young girls and presided over a system that failed to protect children being abused, have not been held accountable.
'Just look at the case of the former chief executive, Roger Ellis. He was rewarded for failure and left with a bumper pay-off and councillors singing his praises.'
He added that the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles had to stop a culture of council bosses being rewarded for failure and being allowed to quietly retire to avoid disciplinary action.
'The Home Affairs Select Committee report makes it very clear that Rochdale Council officials who let down young children should not be allowed to evade responsibility,' he said.
'At the moment the system allows bosses to leave with pay-offs, escape disciplinary action and take up work with another authority with the same responsibility for children.
'This can’t be right and the
Communities Secretary has to take action to maintain the integrity of
local government. This is an appalling advert for public services. I am
sure the victims of child abuse who were so badly let down would be
disgusted at what’s happening.'
Rochdale Council’s own inquiry found that Mr Ellis did not 'appear to be interested in child social care issues'.
Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz MP, described Mr Ellis’ evidence during its inquiry as 'deeply disappointing'.
Communities Secretary Mr Pickles said: 'There can be no rewards for failure, either in the public or private sector.
'This Government has given councillors new powers under the Localism Act to veto excessive payouts to senior town hall officials and stop unwarranted golden goodbyes.
'It is exactly in situations like this that these powers should be used.
'Mr Danczuk should now turn his fire to Rochdale’s councillors and ask them whether they are going to use their powers or whether they are just going put their head in the sand.'
Mr Ellis refused to comment on the story.
Former Rochdale Council head Roger Ellis, 58, who was in charge when a grooming gang operated in his area, took early retirement in April last year and received a pay-off of nearly £80,000.
A group of MPs said the council was ‘inexcusably slow’ to realise that ‘widespread and organised’ sexual abuse of children was taking place on its doorstep, and said Mr Ellis should be required to repay his total redundancy payout of £76,798.20.
Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk echoed their condemnation, saying council bosses should 'be held accountable for turning a blind eye to child abuse'.
The calls came with the publication of a Home Affairs Select Committee report saying ministers must stop local authority bosses from being rewarded when there has been a failure to protect vulnerable children.
It argued that council bosses must 'be held accountable for the appalling consequences of their indifference to the suffering of vulnerable children'.
Mr Ellis, who headed Rochdale Council for 12 years, was at the helm when a gang of men were grooming vulnerable young girls for sex in a campaign of abuse that began in 2008.
Nine men were jailed in May last year for exploiting girls as young as 13, some of them in the care of social services. The victims were groomed by a gang of men who routinely plied them with drink and drugs and passed them around for sex.
The Commons report said: 'That it took so long for anybody, at any level from the chief executive downward, to look at reports of young girls with multiple, middle-aged "boyfriends", hanging around takeaways, drinking and taking drugs, and to think that it might be worth investigating further, is shocking.'
Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, left, and committee chairman Keith Vaz, right, both condemned Mr Ellis
Mr Ellis claimed to have known nothing about the issue during his first decade in the post, despite an independent enquiry, published last month, finding that the council was told the girls were at risk several times by a crisis intervention team.
The report said the senior leadership team at the council ‘failed in their duty of care’ towards the girls involved, and said it was ‘no excuse’ for managers to say they had no knowledge of what was taking place.
'Early retirement or resignation for other reasons should not allow [council leaders] to evade responsibility'
- Home Affairs Select Committee report'In particular, we are deeply shocked by Roger Ellis receiving £76,798.20 in redundancy payout. He should be required to repay it.'
Mr Ellis told the parliamentary committee that he regretted what happened, but said: 'With the benefit of the information that was available to me, I do not think there was anything I could have done.'
The report said that was ‘not surprising’ because he only met senior department directors and gathered performance data on a ‘quarterly basis’.
It added: 'Rules and guidelines existed which were not followed. People employed as public servants appeared to lack human compassion when dealing with victims.
Mr Ellis, who headed Rochdale Council (pictured)
for 12 years, was at the helm when a gang of men groomed vulnerable
young girls for sex
'Instead many professionals referred to them as being ‘promiscuous’, engaging in ‘risky behaviour’ or having ‘consented’ to sexual activity. Such a situation must never happen again.'
The report said police, social services and the CPS should all ‘bear responsibility’ for the way vulnerable children were left ‘unprotected’ by the system.
A review of council policies in Rochdale surrounding child sex grooming by Ofsted is now likely to take place.
'With the benefit of the information that was available to me, I do not think there was anything I could have done.'
- Former Rochdale Council chief executive Roger Ellis
'The problem is that council officers in Rochdale, who ignored pleas for help by young girls and presided over a system that failed to protect children being abused, have not been held accountable.
'Just look at the case of the former chief executive, Roger Ellis. He was rewarded for failure and left with a bumper pay-off and councillors singing his praises.'
He added that the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles had to stop a culture of council bosses being rewarded for failure and being allowed to quietly retire to avoid disciplinary action.
'The Home Affairs Select Committee report makes it very clear that Rochdale Council officials who let down young children should not be allowed to evade responsibility,' he said.
'At the moment the system allows bosses to leave with pay-offs, escape disciplinary action and take up work with another authority with the same responsibility for children.
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the Rochdale MP should ask his local councillors about vetoing Mr Ellis' payout
Rochdale Council’s own inquiry found that Mr Ellis did not 'appear to be interested in child social care issues'.
Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz MP, described Mr Ellis’ evidence during its inquiry as 'deeply disappointing'.
Communities Secretary Mr Pickles said: 'There can be no rewards for failure, either in the public or private sector.
'This Government has given councillors new powers under the Localism Act to veto excessive payouts to senior town hall officials and stop unwarranted golden goodbyes.
'It is exactly in situations like this that these powers should be used.
'Mr Danczuk should now turn his fire to Rochdale’s councillors and ask them whether they are going to use their powers or whether they are just going put their head in the sand.'
Mr Ellis refused to comment on the story.
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