A former employee of Baaf Adoption and Fostering, who claimed that she was bullied and harassed by the organisation’s chief executive Felicity Collier, has had her case for constructive dismissal rejected, writes Derren Hayes.

Following five days of hearings, Croydon employment tribunal ruled that there were no grounds for the constructive dismissal claim made by Baaf’s former development officer Sylvia Barker.

Tribunal chairman Brian Murphy also ordered Barker to pay £2,000 towards Baaf’s legal fees, after what he called a "misconceived" case.

The verdict is a particular vindication for Collier, who had been criticised by Barker and other former Baaf employees during the tribunal as having a bullying management style and creating a "Kafka-esque" organisational culture.

In the final two days of hearings, Collier described the accusations as "hurtful", and said Barker’s criticisms had been driven by her opposition to organisational changes.

Collier paid tribute to Barker’s 15-years of service for Baaf, but said she was "totally averse to any criticism, and had a tendency to interpret advice as a personal attack".

The tribunal is due to issue details of its finding by mid-January.