Of course we can’t forget that, but the legal framework is actually incredibly complex and individual social workers don’t make decisions. They can be powerless to undertake meaningful, valuable work if they don’t have the evidence to warrant statutory intervention. Abusive parents can and do refuse access, they can and do disguise compliance. The levels of manipulation some will go to in order to avoid scrutiny are quite extreme, like trying to medicate or deal with serious injuries in the home.
In Logan’s case, there absolutely needs to be accountability for the shambles made of the of the youth being placed there and what appears to be failure to take the experienced FC’s views and observations into account. there is no denying that whatsoever. There was an over emphasis on his vulnerability with seemingly no regard for the risk he presented to others. Blanket statements demonising social services aren’t helpful, though.
It’s everyone’s job to make sure children are alright, including neighbours/family/friends who witness abuse. I do wonder if societal attitudes towards social work weren’t so negative, whether it’s possible that concerns would be reported so that social workers can gather enough evidence in their assessment to actually make a difference. Instead, they’re viewed with disdain, considered child stealers who fail children and told to ‘eff off’ by the very children they’re trying to support.