William Vahey, a prolific sex offender, was able to obtain employment at a school in London. The Serious Case Review following the discovery of the abuse that he had perpetrated at the school found that whilst there were aspects of his behaviour that should have alerted senior staff these were never looked into. The review found that Vahey was in effect ‘hiding in plain sight’. Immediately from the point of his employment he started to undertake certain actions (e.g. having children alone in his room), in effect normalising the behaviour.
The review found that Vahey not only groomed children but groomed the staff as well, assuming a great deal of power and influence in the school. Therefore whilst individuals had concerns, these were never taken further – this being despite the review finding some pupils referred to him as ‘paedo Vahey’.
If you have concerns about the actions of a colleague, speak to your line manager or designated safeguarding lead. If you work in a school speak to either the headteacher or, if the concerns relate to the headteacher, the Chair of Governors (in sole proprietor schools, approach the LADO directly).
Be prepared to think the unthinkable.