Today, the [Scottish Parliament’s] Public Petitions Committee supported PE1979 by keeping it open and agreeing actions to progress our petition’s calls.
Neil McLennan
Neil McLennan is a former teacher, experienced educator and education leader who has worked across teaching, curriculum development and educational leadership. He was a director of the Scottish Colleges for Educational Leadership and has supported leaders across public services.
In early 2021, he wrote about difficulties faced by people raising concerns about education, including curriculum and national guidance; responses to that article drew his attention to wider concerns about the safeguarding of vulnerable children and gaps in public-sector safeguarding arrangements. He subsequently wrote and spoke about those safeguarding gaps and the need for stronger independent mechanisms for raising concerns.
In 2022, McLennan helped lead calls for a wider public inquiry into child protection and safeguarding in Edinburgh as one of the PE1979 petitioners to the Scottish Parliament calling for an independent inquiry and an independent national whistleblowing officer for education and children’s services.
Update from the petitioners of PE1979 (to establish an inquiry and independent national whistleblowing office to investigate alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries)
PE1979/QQ: Establish an independent inquiry and an independent national whistleblowing office to investigate concerns about the alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries by public bodies This submission provides background for new committee members and responds to the Scottish Government submission of 19 August 26.
Sign the petition! PE1979: Establish an independent inquiry and an independent national whistleblowing officer to investigate concerns about the alleged mishandling of child safeguarding enquiries by public bodies
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to launch an independent inquiry to examine: concerns that allegations about child protection, child abuse, safeguarding, and children’s rights have been mishandled by public bodies, including local authorities and the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS); gaps in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry; and establish an independent national whistleblowing officer for Education and Children’s Services in Scotland to handle these enquiries in the future.
Former Edinburgh councillor Alison Dickie and whistleblower Christine Scott petition MSPs over child abuse
Former Edinburgh SNP councillor Alison Dickie, together with ex-Labour councillor Bill Cook, whistleblower Christine Scott and former teacher Neil McLennan have lodged a petition at the Scottish Parliament, pressing for a public investigation into the alleged mishandling of unresolved child abuse and child protection concerns; a national whistleblowing officer for education and children’s services; and closure of “serious gaps” in the current Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.
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