Culture at Barnardo's Scotland in 80s was inappropriate says former director
Last updated 10th Jan 2019
A former director of Barnardo's Scotland has said the organisation had an inappropriate culture and management who did not care when he joined. Hugh Mackintosh moved north of the border to become assistant director in 1981, before promotion in 1991.
Speaking at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry on Thursday, he said he did not feel welcome when he first arrived but he was not scared to ruffle a few feathers'' in order to tackle key issues.
He said: I wasn't welcomed with open arms. I wasn't particularly popular with the rest of the management team.
Barnardo's Scotland had this kind of 'we're a very caring division, very caring management team' (attitude).
I didn't find it very caring. I found it had a rather inappropriate sense of humour.
There was a culture I didn't find particularly kind or enjoyable.''
The former director said during the 1980s, he found management would not challenge workers in the organisation's residential units.
It was heard there was a lack of openness and teams were reviewing themselves''.
He said: Be supportive, but supportive always agreeing.
Real support is also about challenging - for everybody's sake - pointing out what can be improved.''
The inquiry is currently investigating residential childcare establishments run by non-religious and voluntary organisations.
Mr Mackintosh - who worked as assistant director of Barnardo's in London before his move to Scotland - also claimed emphasis was put on what the children and young people were struggling with, rather than encouraging their interests and skills.
He said: You would see what the child was presenting wrongly, but where are the positives?
What are we doing that may engage children often enough?
If you're not occupying young people and doing creative things, life is pretty dull.''
Meanwhile Hugh Mackintosh also told the inquiry a man killed himself after his allegations of being sexually abused as a child in care were dismissed by police.
He said was approached by the former resident during the mid-1980s with claims against an ex-worker.
The then-assistant director said he believed the man's account to be absolutely accurate'' so he went to police with the information, but their investigation wastotally, totally unacceptable''.
Mr Mackintosh, now aged in his early 70s, said: It went absolutely nowhere - I followed it up. I wasn't overly impressed by the feedback I got from police.
I thought it was totally dismissed. The feedback to me was the boy, young man, was gay himself.
I thought it was totally, totally unacceptable.''
The worker concerned had already been dismissed from the East Lothian Barnardo's home before the allegations surfaced.
His removal came after a similar residential establishment in London had raised concerns about alleged abuse during his time there.
Mr Mackintosh, who was director of Barnardo's Scotland from 1991 until 2007 and was assistant director for 10 years before that, said the former resident killed himself once the police probe was over.
The inquiry is currently investigating residential childcare establishments run by non-religious and voluntary organisations.
Mr Mackintosh also spoke of establishments which had a closed culture'' which could make it easier for abuse to take place.
The inquiry heard many of the workers were unqualified and did not have proper training for difficult situations such as restraining a child.
Another of Barnardo's premises, Thorntoun in Kilmarnock, was said to have an initiation ceremony'' for new boys which involved pupils putting them into a cold bath.
Mr Mackintosh said he faced resistance from the home when he ordered it to stop, as it prevented worse things'' from happening.
He told how he did not feel welcome by the management team when he first took up his assistant director post, but he was not scared to ruffle a few feathers'' in order to tackle key issues.
He said: Barnardo's Scotland had this kind of 'we're a very caring division, very caring management team' (attitude).
I didn't find it very caring. I found it had a rather inappropriate sense of humour.
There was a culture I didn't find particularly kind or enjoyable.''
The former director said during the 1980s, he found management would not challenge workers in the organisation's residential units.
It was heard there was a lack of openness and teams were reviewing themselves''
The inquiry, before Lady Smith in Edinburgh, continues.