These extracts from Irene Whelan's Quarriers Homes confidential children's file are in PDF format. You need Adobe Reader on your computer to read this file.

Notes

These notes/records of the children were written at the time entirely by the houseparents in Quarriers Homes who had complete control over what was or was not written about any individual child.

You will note that the child or any independent person had no input whatsoever into the process.

How we all behaved as children and interacted with others while in-care in Quarriers Homes was all down to the environment and those supposedly caring for us, as we were deemed vulnerable children.

Page 5:
Why have Quarriers not retained School reports given to them in 1969 by Glasgow Social work department? Why have these not been returned to the Whelan siblings when they applied for their files?

Page 7:
It just goes to show that children in Quarriers did report abuse commited by houseparents at the time and that Senior Quarriers Management knew about it. They even employed psycologists. Perhaps they were hoping the psycologist would find the child lying!

Page 8:
It seems the shed was a favourite form of punishment and being struck over the face with a belt was acceptable behavior by housemothers. Well at least the other girl was given a mattress. Being threatened with remand home another favourite. And they say no abuse happened in Quarriers Homes!

Page 11:
Irene absconded for three weeks and the police were informed. Again Quarriers Homes Senior management knew and had been informed, yet what did Senior Quarriers management do? They failed to take any action whatsoever against John Porteous who had smashed Irene Whelan's head against a sink (note there is no record of it). Maybe the Porteous's memory failed them!

Page 14:
Irene wrote to Pam Barr again about the delay in receiving her file. Ms Pam Barr was informed by Whelan family members that Irene had a terminal illness. Irene never received her file. The family only got it after her death.