This scumbag thinks he can resign and fade away resigns, to keep his pension and likely pay off.

Head of Rochdale Social Services resigns and avoids disciplinary action over child grooming gang scandal

The head of children's services at a Greater Manchester council at the centre of a child abuse scandal has resigned - one week after a damning review into the case.

Steve Garner, director of Targeted Services at Rochdale Borough Council, has handed his notice in, the council announced.

In his resignation letter, Garner wrote of his 'many fond memories' of Rochdale.
Having left the council, it appears he will not face any disciplinary charges for any issues that happened under his watch.

Mr Garner, who has been in position for three years and worked as a manager in children's social care before his promotion to director, was in charge at the time of the scandal, which saw at least 47 children used by an Asian gang for sexual gratification.

Nine Asian men were jailed this year for between four and 19 years for grooming young white girls in and around the town - picking them up from the school gates and taking them to houses and flats to be plied with alcohol and drugs before being passed around for sex.

Forty-seven children were identified as victims of the exploitation that left many of their lives in tatters.

A report into the investigation found that the local council and police force received 127 warnings from NHS staff in the years up to and including 2010, about children as young as 10 at risk of abuse.

Rochdale social services, police and the Crown Prosecution Service failed to shut down the sex ring - turning a blind eye and dismissing victims as prostitutes, the damning report into the scandal found last week.

But the council said Garner had not stepped down as a result of last week's report but that he felt the time was right for a 'new challenge' - and talked of his 'fond memories' of the job.

Resignation letter: This email was sent around Rochdale Council on Thursday morning

Last week the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) said 'deficiencies' in the way children's social care responded to the victims' needs in Rochdale were caused by 'patchy' training of frontline staff.

The 29-page report into child sexual exploitation (CSE) also said social workers, police and prosecutors 'missed opportunities' to stop the child exploitation ring abusing young girls.

The review came four months after nine Asian men were convicted of the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of white girls in Heywood and Rochdale.

Jim Taylor, chief executive at the council, said: 'The council is undertaking a review of senior management and the service director of Targeted Services has decided that the time is now right for him to move on to a new challenge.

'The last few years have been challenging and demanding for Children's Social Care Services.


'The service director has been considering his options for some time, and following the safeguarding board's thematic review of multi-agency responses to sexual exploitation of children, he believes the time is right to allow someone else to continue to take forward the recommendations.'

The gang of nine men received jail sentences of between four and 19 years in May from a judge who said they treated their victims 'as though they were worthless and beyond any respect'.

Girls were given alcohol, food and money in return for sex but there were times when violence was used.

Police said the victims were from 'chaotic', 'council estate' backgrounds and as many as 50 girls could have been victims of the gang.

Labour MP for Rochdale Simon Danczuk said the council should not be allowing senior managers to 'sneak off without being held to account for their failings'.

He said: 'Steve Garner has worked for 11 years with Rochdale Children's Social Care Services with the last three as service director.#

'Obviously, questions hang over his role in the culture of neglect within social services, which let down so many young girls.

'The council has to explain his part in this and I will also be calling for him to be brought before the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee for questioning.

'While he talks of pursuing new opportunities and going with fond memories of Rochdale the reality is he leaves behind young girls who are still coming to terms with the terrible abuse that his department deliberately turned a blind eye to.'

link