This is a newsroom ThinkIn. In-person and digital-only tickets are available.
Everyone makes mistakes, both professional and personal. Everyone is capable of saying something stupid, or making a wrong call. The consequences can be terrible. Today, lives can be ripped apart and reputations ruined forever in a heartbeat, but who governs the rules of redemption and are they equally applied to everyone? How is the severity of the mistake and the accountability for it moderated? How do we understand and respond to public “apologies”? What does this say about the nature of an apology in the modern world? What does it really mean to be held “accountable” by the public today? Do we too often let the facts become incongruent to the narrative of the moment? Are we running the risk of putting anyone off from taking on positions of professional responsibility – or just some people?
editor and invited experts
Liz Moseley
Member’s Editor
Dr Ray Jones
Emeritus Professor of Social Work at Kingston University and St. George’s, University of London, and a registered social worker. He is the author of ‘The Story of Baby P: setting the record straight’
Patrick Butler
Social Policy Editor, The Guardian
Sharon Shoesmith
Former Director of Children’s Services for Haringey Council, and author of Learning from Baby P: The Politics of Blame, Fear and Denial