THE senior management of Thurrock Council's adult social care department has been criticised with allegations of bullying and victimisation of staff.

Accusations have been made by 'whistleblowers' to Thurrock Nub News, with an alleged victim stepping up and going public about abuse she says she has come up against.

An initial indicator that there were ructions behind the scenes came to Nub News' attention in June, when we received the following message from a whistle blower, 'alerting us to serious concerns about how staff are being treated'

The informant added: "Staff in various departments are reporting a climate of fear, control, and exclusion.

"Many feel unable to raise issues about management behaviour or mental health discrimination without career consequences. The internal leadership response has focused more on reputational control than on actual duty of care."

And we were told of a senior member of staff who had submitted a formal grievance after experiencing psychological intimidation, including being physically grabbed on a stairwell and labelled "crazy" by a senior colleague.

We were told both allegations were either fully or partially upheld. Despite this, the staff member was told she would be expected to return to work under the same management structure.

The informant added: "The message internally is clear: even those in senior posts with responsibility for protecting others are not protected themselves. There is a wider cultural concern."

Closed doors and deaf ears within Thurock Council following questions.

The aggrieved officer turns out to be Thurrock's current Mental Health and Dementia Commissioner, Charna Howard, who subsequently stepped forward and told her story to Nub News.

Ms Howard, who has worked for the council for 14 years, with the exception of a year when she worked for neighbouring Havering Council, says: "I've built a strong career in public service, but I genuinely believe I've been targeted because of my vulnerabilities, and for not fitting the middle-class mould often expected of senior commissioners.

"I have a clinically diagnosed mental health condition (OCD and trauma), and I've been under the care of mental health services with ongoing clinical support — which the council is fully aware of.

"My condition is such that when I'm under sustained or excessive stress, I'm at high risk of relapse into intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviours, which can be debilitating. This was formally recognised by the council when I was assessed by housing and granted Band 3 medical priority.

"Essex Police have formally recorded me as the victim of a disability hate crime and common assault in the workplace.

"While it can't be criminally prosecuted due to time limits, the offence has been confirmed, and I've been referred to Victim Support for both hate crime and employment-related harm. I had every faith in the council's grievance process, and intimidation was fully upheld in their own internal investigation.

"But the outcome was devastating: the "resolution" was that my line manager would remain in place, and I was expected to attend mediation with her and the wider team — because they now "felt awkward."

"All I had asked was to no longer report to the person who caused me serious harm. Instead, the council failed to protect me, and the pattern of mistreatment has continued throughout.

"I've now submitted formal complaints to ACAS, the ICO, and Essex Police, and I remain off sick with medically confirmed psychiatric injury."

She summed up her situation – and the situation faced by colleagues by saying: "I believe this is a matter of serious public interest — involving safeguarding failure, confirmed hate crime, discrimination, and harm to a public officer with a recognised disability."

Ms Howard also furnished Nub News with documentation and grievance procedure correspondence that back up her statements.

The dramatic allegations coincide with a delay in delivery on the directorate's performance by the Care Quality Commission, which visited the authority for three days in May.

The department delivered an optimistic briefing ahead of the inspection and was confident of at least a 'good' inspection report - with hopes of outstanding, but recent events have may clouded the picture.

The verdict of CQC inspectors, expected with days or just weeks, has not yet been delivered.

Thurrock Nub News contacted Thurrock Council, including its director of service Rob Persey, and adult social care portfolio holder Cllr Mark Hooper on Monday, 14 July, giving full details of all the allegations made.

Nub News editor Neil Speight says: "I recognise the very, very serious nature of these allegations and appreciate the complex issues and pressures within the directorate and the very difficult workload all staff, from top to bottom, have to face.

"It is an environment in which capability is always going to be tested, emotional pressures are going to run high and there are going to be many very, very difficult decisions to make.

"Everyone who works in adult social care has my admiration and respect, but equally I recognise there are boundaries, rules, standards and pressures that may cause conflict.

"The damning implications of these allegations are profound but, having met and spoken with Charna, I felt there were legitimate questions to be asked - and answered.

"I posed them to the council and gave eight full days for an investigation pending a response.

"This was a story I genuinely hoped I might not have to write. But it is an issue I could not ignore.

"Having copied in all the relevant people, the only response I got was from Cllr Hooper, who, within 24 hours of receipt of my email, said he would be speaking to directors.

"Sadly, since then, the council has not responded - even though I gave them an extra day of leeway in coming back before I published.

"It may well be the council has every base covered and indeed is not guilty of any of the accusations - though having seen the grievance procedure records, it cannot be denied something is amiss.

"Turning a blind eye and deaf ear to this issue cannot help in any way shape or form but I hope that the oxygen of publicity now prompts some response internally, even if the council feels it cannot speak publicly."

Further allegations of impropriety within the council's adult social care sector, including promotion of an officer with an instance of committing domestic abuse and violence against women on his record, have also been received by Nub News.

It is alleged he has been put in an influential position dealing with vulnerable women, despite a senior officer knowing of his record.

The allegations have been put to Thurrock Council, with names and detail, but again there has been no response.