By Gabriel Princewill-
Mistakes of 2016 must be left behind and not repeated.
The essence of a new year is a new beginning. A recurrence of past mistakes spells stupidity and evidences no sign of progress.
Wise people learn from their past mistakes and aim to correct them. Foolish people learn nothing, repeating the same alarming flaws without change.
The saying ‘everyone makes mistakes’ includes the presumption that the sensible and smart way forward is to overcome the failings that led to the undesirable errors. The capability of the human mind is so vast that almost anything within reason is attainable by those who persevere towards success.
2016, like most years before that, was ravaged with numerous shortcomings of individuals and organisations. The] appointed football coach of England was shamefully caught courting corruption by the Uk Daily Telegraph. The disgraceful and embarrassing revelation forced his resignation, though he still had the cheek too refer to it as entrapment. His exhibition of greed at the highest level, despite being on a very handsome contractual package, stripped him completely of any honour or integrity vested in him.
Barely a few months had passed when the British football sex abuse scandal of the 70’s was exposed. Revelations by adults players who were sexually abused by their coaches as youths. The expanded scale of the allegations of abuse revealed the grotesque and inhumane state of some people’s hearts and minds. One is compelled to ask if these are human beings or animals disguising as people.
The MP sex abuse investigation, also dating back to the 70’s, was shocking and disheartening. Many of the allegations were subsequently ditched by police for lack of evidence. Its is in our collective interest as a society to hope they were dropped legitimately. If Mp’s are morally depraved , how can we trust them to lead us at all?
Blunders And Failings Of Social Services
The blunders and failings of social workers in social services were disturbing in 2016. Social workers made several mistakes when handling the cases of vulnerable individuals under their care. Many of those failings were reported on this site and we will continue to keep an eye on how this industry develops in changing the failings of their past. The H.C.P.C which regulates Social Services were creditably transparent in their handling of known complaints,choosing only to protect the identities of social workers who were punished or reprimanded.
Social services play an important role in society that cannot be understated, but this does not change the fact that efficiency must be uppermost in the execution of their duties. The profession was replete with examples of deeply worrying shortcomings that questioned the competence and adequate training levels of social workers. Although disciplinary measures often accompanied reckless or careless service, the profession needs more attention.
The eye of media.com has the benefit of a few insiders and former social workers who have moved on to something else. Ever since our article insisting on drug testing for social workers, we have received a number of complaints from readers about social workers, many of which are still being investigated.
Social workers are overburdened with case load, something we are already probing closely. This still cannot excuse the taking of class A drugs by a number of social workers in the profession, who indulge in hard drugs with impunity. Ironically, some who no doubt fall under this bracket handle complex cases requiring top judgement and discretion, in addition to plenty of paper work and sometimes preparation of court cases. We will be on their back this year, for the purposes of addressing the root causes of their many failings, and exerting as much pressure as is reasonable on their regulators to implement drug testing in order to ensure an impeccable state of mind of social workers.
Vodaphones Disappointing mistake Of 2016
Vodaphone were very disappointing when they overcharged several customers and ignored their complaints. It led to ofcom fining the telecommunication company £4.6m. This was embarrassing, the degree of failure demonstrated an insult to the notion of a mistake and all it entails. Itv was abysmal negligence beyond description-one that is inexcusable. The eye of media.com still have on our files a couple of alarming cases of similar failings by Vodaphone, still unresolved. We will be closely scrutinising the company this year.
Police Misconduct In 2016
The police have also had their fair share of betrayals from unsavoury characters who joined their force only to disgrace it.
Sexual misconducts, embarrassing cover ups, drug dealing by ex cops, have all contributed to highlighting some of the wolves amongst them. Thankfully, the police has applied the full force of the law on many of its transgressing members, salvaging some dignity in the process. Notwithstanding, more needs to be done in 2017 to instil higher codes of conduct in their psyche so that the sort of shameful misdemeanours exhibited by the police which have come to light in 2016 will not be repeated this year.
The incompetent handling by police of the Mark Duggan case in 2011 was laid bare in BBC documentary in 2016. Scotland yard insisted that the killing was legitimate and the the streets of Tottenham are safer without Duggan. The latter may arguably be true, but that cannot justify the alarming contradictions and failings of the police in handling the case. The police force should be above board in its conduct at all times.