Staff roles unclear in certain cases

ONE case reviewed by the panel involved a young person who had been in care from the age of two and had attempted suicide.

The review indicated that the young person had been abused and neglected prior to entering care, had serious mental health and behavioural problems, and had moved a number of times while in care.

The review found evidence of significant staff commitment to him, but that his needs were so complex it was difficult to meet them.

It also noted detailed planning in some of his care placements, but a lack of planning in others. Some placements were positive, but others did not meet the young person’s needs. It found that social work intervention had been consistent with a child-centred approach, and that there was frequent contact between the children and family services and the young person.

It also noted that while there was multi-disciplinary intervention in the case, the roles and responsibilities of some mental health staff in the case were unclear.

Another case involved a boy, L, who was in care from a young age. After leaving care, he was involved in an accident that left him with serious disabilities. The review found that neglect during his time in care did not contribute to the accident and that L had a stable upbringing with regular contact with his birth family and social workers. However, criticism was made about the lack of a formal review when he was leaving care.

Another child, W, was involved in a serious incident, in which he fell through a roof days after he had met with social services. His mother had been minding children temporarily and had been found to be neglectful of them.

After meeting with her son, social workers found that the boy had not been neglected and they had “no concerns about his care”.

Baby M’s parents were both methadone users. He was born with brain, heart and kidney problems and lived for five months. His mother’s two eldest children were both in care. Baby M was cared for at home during his short life by his parents, who were given significant support in the home. A review of his death found that he had been well cared for, and that his case was well managed by social services, but there was a need for greater supervision of such complex cases and a need for communication between community and maternity services.

Baby G died from sudden infant death syndrome at four months old. She was born to a 17-year-old who had been brought to the attention of social services because of the domestic violence in her parents’ home and her mental health needs. The review found that no deficiency on the behalf of her mother or social services had led to her death and that G was a well-nourished baby who was moved from house to house due to the chaotic environment in her grandparents’ home.