Ben Gleeson joined a group in Hertfordshire in 2015, but was later told he could not go to camps or take part in athletics without supervision.
His family sued the group – saying it amounted to a ban – and the dispute was settled out of court last year.
That this case ever got to a legal dispute is a massive over reaction in the first place. That it amounted to this eye-watering sum is a disgrace. For what, exactly? Because feelings were hurt? because that’s what it amounts to.
In March 2016, Ben had a short episode at a cub scout camp in which he became distressed. He tried to run a short distance from the rest of the group at an indoor venue after he was asked to change into a pair of shoes he could not find.
Later, he said he did not want to join an egg-and-spoon race because of a phobia of spoons.
Soon afterwards, the pack leaders said Ben could not travel with the rest of the group on a bus to events or participate in athletics. They also said he had to have one-to-one supervision at other events.
Okay – maybe the wrong call. Without being party to the events, it’s impossible to say, but bear in mind that scout leaders are volunteers doing their best here. A quiet conversation would have been the best approach, not a fucking legal action.
The scout group said the decision had been made for the health and safety of the whole pack.
Okay, when I hear that, my sympathy starts to dissipate. I suspect, however, the real reason was they couldn’t cope with him and this is a euphemism. Why not tell it as it is?
However, Ben’s parents – who are both lawyers – argued the decision effectively amounted to a ban.
Bollocks. And, being lawyers, they decided to go full on legal action. Is it any wonder lawyers are viewed by the rest of society as a bunch of greedy self-serving charlatans?
She said the decision would “single Ben out” and that she feared it would make him “feel different”.
He clearly is different.
“I felt he didn’t need it. He didn’t have this level of supervision at school. He’d made one mistake and then that was it, they wanted to make the rules and regulations. It was supposed to be a dialogue,” she added.
And they made a mistake and you went full on legal action. And you are complaining about an over reaction? Really?
Insurers for the Scout Association settled the case out of court, paying the Gleeson family £42,000 plus costs.
And that is fucking outrageous. The compo culture is alive and well. It is also a disgrace as it is not proportionate to the alleged offence and that stands even if the Gleesons were 100% in the right.
Baden Powell would be so proud.
Spinning in his grave…
All scout groups operate on shoe-string budgets, that they survive at all is down to volunteers putting in time and money.
The Scout Association itself has very limited oversight of what the local groups do or how they do it. What they do do though is collect a ‘capitation fee’ from each scout. So essentially every child’s parent has been taxed to pay off this couple of leeches.
Dear Mr Longrider
Essentially this child’s loving parents outsourced the special care he needed to a group of other people who plainly did not have the requisite skills for dealing with an autistic child, but were quite happy to give it a go. When they found they could not cope, they were sued.
I have a feeling that if something had happened to their child that could have been averted by the one-to-one supervision the group required, the parents would have lovingly sued.
DP
This! I volunteer at another youth organisation. If a child has special needs they frequently need 121 supervision. This takes away the support the other kids need and with some activities, without enough adults, could be dangerous. If a scout group does not have enough adults to provide the level of supervision required they are absolutely right, for the safety of the all the children to not let him go. These parents have essentially demanded free specialist child care and thrown a wobbly. Bunch of shits.
Disgraceful. The Scouts are a voluntary organization in the main and it cannot run without the input of thousands of parents. This nasty pair were clearly not able to give what was needed to supervise their son who has special needs.
As for the H&S argument; that is a fair one. A volunteer – and there are usually two on duty – have to have regard to the safety of the entire groups, which is very difficult if both adults are trying to supervise one child while supervising each other so that the child cannot later make damaging accusations with no basis in reality
Basically, supervision of children on the autistic spectrum can never be done by people acting in a voluntary capacity. It always must be done on a trained, paid, insured and exclusive basis.
I’m amazed anyone would be prepared to volunteer for such organisations these days. I wouldn’t. Not worth the risk and scum like these two are part of the reason why.
Indeed – and that is why they are struggling to find volunteers with the time and willingness to take on the role. The people – like yourself – who might be very good at it take one look at the legal risks and the dreadful levels of responsibility, and decide they’d rather do anything else, thank you.