The poor 17 month old -died of broken back

[skydancer1]

I just find these kind of stories of extreme abuse so very upsetting and wish we had better safeguards in place to stop such hideous harm happening or at least continuing (when it's pretty obvious!) to helpless children. Why on earth did the doctor not examine a child because he was already on an at risk register and was 'cranky and miserable' at an appointment and hence he/she failed to notice broken back and ribs? It beggars belief. I'm not a punitive 'hang them flog them' type (in fact I'm strongly against corporal punishment) but in this instance I think the mother should be forcibly sterilised to prevent her ever hurting or 'allowing' such hurt to any other child.

Sharon Shoesmith, chairman of Haringey's Local Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The very sad fact is that we can't stop people who are determined to kill children. I am satisfied that the action that should have been taken was taken."

How dare that complacent, stupid woman make a statement like that now? What does she think safeguarding children involves? Lots of jollies, committees, and form filling? Unlike many here, I can accept that there are always some evil people out there, I've experienced abuse first hand. But the sheer callousness of the people paid to be responsibile is staggering.

When oh when will they stop employing people with an armfull of qualifications and sod all common sense as social workers and start employing people who won';t just go by what the book says and actually use their instinct? I'm not saying all social workers are like this but it seems that there are too many who are afrsid to go with their gut instinct, too afraid to kick up a fuss.

ladymariner - maybe that will happen when the management is actually held accountable for systemic failures?

Instead, they always seem to look for the most junior person to be a scapegoat. The junior case worker hung out to dry in the Victoria Climbie case could not help being over worked and unsupported - the incompetent management who allowed that situation to occur were actually promoted. With promotion and higher pay should come greater responsibility, instead public sector promotion seems to allow senior people to avoid any accountability. So nothing really changed in the years since Victoria Climbie died, lessons were not learned and now this poor baby has had to suffer the most horrific torture and death.

"When oh when will they stop employing people with an armfull of qualifications and sod all common sense as social workers and start employing people who won';t just go by what the book says and actually use their instinct?"
Totally agree with this

I think most of us would have noticed these injuries in a baby at Toddler group ffs..

Is there anything we can practically do about this? Some sort of lobbying for change of policy in this area?

I have been awake almost the entire night, am completely unable to put this poor, poor little soul out of my mind. It is utterly horrifying that this has been allowed to happen and that the council responsible for the complete failure to stop this appalling, sickening catalogue of sustained abuse this poor child suffered should at the very least be subject to an official scrutiny.

It smacks of a culture of progressive social degradation, where violence (including sexual violence) are normalised and mainstreamed, where nobody wants to take responsibility for the welfare of others. Countless people were aware of this little boy and left him to suffer and die. I feel physically, physically sick that I live in a world with people who are capable of such wicked acts, and even more sick that agencies supposedly in place to protect vulnerable children and adult from exploitation and abuse have allowed this to happen. Something somewhere is intrinsically failing to work if a baby can be killed in this barbaric, horrific, sadistic way.

I really feel an overwhelming urge to actually DO something, have no idea where to start though.

I can't stop thinking about this case. Was awake half the night with the image of his tiny little bloodstained clothes in my mind.

Porrycock - I want to do something about this as well - where to turn? what to do?

I keep thinking that there are other children in similiar circumstances right now that are also being ignored by the system that desn't work.

That's what is so frightening I think - if the upshot of all of this was not to remove the child from this situation, how many other children are in a similar position right now?

It suggests to me that there are far more than any of us would care to think of.

Trying to think what I could do myself to make a difference in future, have just made a donation to NSPCC in memoriam Baby P. Link [http://www.nspcc.org.uk/donate/inmemorium/inmemory_wda33448.htmlhere]

sorry, will do link again here

47 pre school age children are killed every year, most by parents or 'carers'. Facts from NSPCC. Some situations are unavoidable where it is a one off with nothing to suggest something would happen. You can't legislate for this really. However for the complex abuse cases where it is clear there IS abuse and loads of 'professionals' are involved the situation should be avoidable.

Unfortunately you can't get rid of human error and this seems to have been the problem in the case of this poor baby. The social workers seem to have been hoodwinked by the mother. They and the police didn't even know the man was living with her. it appears the SW only made ONE unannounced home visit so they were able to keep him hidden from the authorities. However the SW should have been sufficiently skilled not to have let the wool be pulled over her eyes.

SWs are not allowed to examine a child BUT on one of the home visits the sw saw the child sat in his buggy with the choclate on the injuries. I know that I would have said 'lets take you out of that buggy' and sat him on my knee as a way to guage how he was, and probably said 'come on lets wipe that chocolate off your face'. Just sensible stuff. There is no reason she couldn't have done this.

Of course that isn't the only failing. There seems to have been sound medical evidence not to return him home but it was ignored and not helped by the fact the doctor wasn't at the last conference to fight her corner. And of course the paed failing to diagnose a broken back.

I could go on. The social workers should be sacked for incompetence for failing to save this child. It wasn't a one off event that noone could have predicted, the child was at serious risk of harm and they failed to take adequate action and he died.

Poor little boy. I look at my DS and just wander how anyone would want to hurt a baby. And why was he returned to his 'mother'? poor little boy.

The Sun has named and published the photo of the perpetrator: here he is

fifitot, this case beggars belief. From your background in social work, if I wanted to write a letter to the authorities to express my concern about this case and Haringey social services, where should I send it? Beverley Hughes, Children's Minister?

Yes send it to her. She was a social worker herself and was actually one of my tutors when I did my training before she went into politics. She was pretty good as a tutor and knew her stuff.

The thing is there have been so many child death reviews that have led to changes in the system but still major mistakes are made. I think there needs to be changes in the system. Less onus on keeping children with the parents when there is serious concerns. In modern social work there is always stress on taking a child as a last resort but where there is risk of harm I think a more circumspect approach may be needed. using family and friends more to look after a child when there are concerns at this level. Additionall though the big problem here appears to have been human error. Without knowing the full facts of the case I can only speculate but it appears there there weren't enough unannounced home visits or proaction by the social worker and as Lord Laming has already said, the situatin looks like it was allowed to 'drift'.

I hope you get a response from Bev Hughes.

I suspect the other two can't be named because there are other children involved.
If those kids are being fostered I'm pretty sure the foster carers wouldn't want the children to be identified. Can you imagine how horrendous that would be?

Why aren't SW's not allowed to examine a child?

That seems stupid for a start . . .

Why aren't SW's not allowed to examine a child?

That seems stupid for a start . . .

fifitot what you say is really interesting - on the radio this morning they were saying that it was lots of small injuries therefore the small things could have been missed but surely some of the things (missing finger nails, end of finger chopped off , tooth missing etc) are NOT small things and are the sort of things that you are likely to pick up if you took your approach of going on home visit , sitting child on your knee etc.

or am i being hopelessly naive?

off to donate to nspcc - I really hope if nothing else that it boosts their funds even in these difficult times

and agree vulgar - that just seems baffling

Believe me, this news story makes me sick to the core of my stomach. However you will only hear in the news of cases that go terribly and tragically wrong - where the system has failed. That this is flagged up in the media is absolutely correct.

You rarely get to hear about excellent cases of social work where inter-agency communication saves lives. It does happen...everyday by very dedicated and caring professionals.

That's the key phrase izyboy - inter-agency communication - and co-operation - is what was lacking in this case.

The lawyers and the paediatrician are just as responsible (if not more so) for what happened imo.

I have been following the story for some weeks in my local paper.

I know it's not her fault but the child's childminder appeared on the news last night. She was talking about the last time she saw him when he sat very quietly in the hall and blood was coming from his ears.

I was speechless. Why didn't she phone for an ambulance? How could she sit all composed with even a bit of a smile on her face and say this on THE NEWS! Has she no shame? Wouldn't you be embarrassed in her situation? As a childminder surely she must have had some maternal instinct??

I don't really think that communication and cooperation WAS the problem in this case. It looks like poor judgement by the social workers and doctors. The communication was evident in as much as the child was in the system and on the register and work was ongoing but the judgements appear to be severely flawed. I guess we will know more when they publish their review.

izyboy - I agree you don't get to hear about the good work.

SWs not medically qualifed to start examining a child but you are right there are ways to do this as I have suggested. I know that if I saw a child with guaze on his finger I would want that looking at by a doctor and would ensure that I picked the child up on the visit to guage his well being.

I can tell you now - much as I care about children - I would NEVER want to work as a child and family social worker. The stress and harrowing nature of the work would send me over the edge very quickly. Is used to be the case that burn out in this field was 2 years.

I had the misfortune to read this story in the Sun this morning. I don't think the details of what I read will ever leave me. I had to stop reading it and have put the paper in the bin. This is the most distressing story I have ever heard. I won't say which part in particular distressed me the most as I want to wipe it from my mind. That poor, poor baby. What evil fucking bastards those people were. I hope they get tortured in prison.