Allan Bowman, Strategic Director of Social Care and Health, said: "We have to accept responsibility.

We took a child in to our care to do better for him than his own parents and in all circumstances we let him down."

He went on to say: "We do not deny responsibility and failings and we should never have let a couple like this have the child" (The Argus, October 23).

In view of these comments and that the latest "reorganisation" will yet again put our members under even more pressure with no discernible improvements in the service, when will Mr Bowman resign?

For that matter, when will Councillor Spray admit the part the council has played in the cuts to children's services?

The death of John Smith highlights the crisis endemic throughout the child protection system nationally.

Some cynics might think the latest reorganisation is mainly designed to "save" £350,000 because, yet again, children's services has overspent its budget.

Unison has repeatedly warned the department and the council that the consequences of continual cuts in budgets, constant reorganisations combined with low wages, high living costs and an inability to recruit and retain sufficient staff would be borne by the vulnerable children we are supposed to be protecting.

Unison has never condoned negligence or malpractice and does not believe any evidence exists that would justify an accusation of that nature against John Barrow or David Pamelly.

With all this talk about "responsibility" coming from Mr Bowman, I was struck by the silence from Coun Spray.

Will councillors take responsibility for cutting posts and the effects of those cuts on the service? No.

Will the director take responsibility for the effects of the reorganisations under his leadership and the failures that played a major part in the death of a child? No.

But John and Dave are expected to take responsibility for everything. That's not right and it's not fair and it does not honour the memory of John Smith.

Government, local and national, needs to match its rhetoric with the money.

Social workers will accept being criticised and vilified by many sections of society.

They will not accept councillors and directors evading their share of the responsibility when things go so tragically wrong, as in this case.

-Kevin Byrne, Unison Convenor, Social Care and Health, Brighton and Hove City Council