An inquiry into Bristol City Council “spying” on the social media of parents with disabled children has been delayed by months. Three months after the council promised to set up an independent inquiry into the scandal, it’s still unclear when, or if, one will finally begin.
Last year leaked emails emerged showing that council staff had monitored the social media of two mothers of children with special educational needs and disability (SEND). An internal report found there was “no systematic monitoring”, but was slammed as a whitewash.
City Hall chiefs now say they are waiting on the result of an Ofsted inspection before an independent inquiry will go ahead, with new details promised next month. The mayor criticised an opposition councillor, asking when the inquiry will begin, as “hyperbolic”.
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Last October, a majority of councillors voted to call on the mayor to set up an independent inquiry into council staff collecting a dossier of critical social media posts, cross-referencing anonymous Twitter accounts with private Facebook wedding photos. Three months later, no inquiry has begun and parents are still waiting to find out exactly why they were monitored.
During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, January 24, councillors heard an update on an Ofsted inspection last year that found the council was making sufficient progress on four out of five crucial areas of providing SEND education in Bristol. Inspectors also said there was “not sufficient progress” on the fractured relationship between the council, parents and carers.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Tim Kent, chair of the people scrutiny commission, said: “Nowhere does the report mention the SEND social media monitoring, nor the external investigation. Please could you provide us with an update on the investigation called for by the people scrutiny commission and the full council?”
Nothing will happen until Ofsted inspectors complete a separate ongoing inspection, according to Labour Cllr Asher Craig, cabinet member for education. Ofsted is currently inspecting the council’s children services department, which works in areas like children’s care homes and fostering. She also promised a new update on the SEND inquiry early next month.
Cllr Craig said: “The mayor had already agreed that he would consider an external investigation on the social media monitoring. However, we’ve decided to take no further action until we’ve seen the outcome of our Ofsted inspection [into children’s services]. We’re delighted that the inspection [into SEND provision] shows significant progress.
“The inspectors were made aware of and considered evidence regarding the fractured relationships during the inspection, and were content that we will go forward with the parent carer arrangements already announced and which continue to progress well. The inspectors were also made aware of the social media concerns, and they did not comment on it.”
It’s unclear exactly why City Hall chiefs are waiting for this second, ongoing Ofsted inspection, before setting up an inquiry into the social media monitoring. Cllr Kent pressed for further details, but was criticised by the mayor Marvin Rees for the wording he used.
Cllr Kent said: “We have here the results of the SEND inspection. I’m very confused about which inspection you’re waiting for to begin the investigation. We have now waited several months for this. Can you confirm exactly when an investigation into the behaviour by the council is brought forward? Clearly that’s a major impact on the fractured relationship between parents and this local authority.”
Mr Rees replied: “One of the things that has struck me since coming here is how you have to throw around hyperbolic descriptions as a matter of course, to try and buff up the conversation in this area with ‘subterfuge’ and ‘confusion’ — when often what we’re doing is working out complex situations. I think it helps the quality of debate when we don’t do the kind of full council bingo here with whatever kind of words we can.”
The mayor also previously criticised another councillor, Geoff Gollop, who called for the independent inquiry in October, as "one of the most disappointing councillors I’ve got to know".
