Report: Arthur Labinjo-Hughes council makes ‘optimistic’ calls on child safety

Six-year-old Arthur was murdered by his stepmother Emma Tustin at their home in Solihull

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes (Handout/PA)

A council inspected after the murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes makes “over-optimistic” decisions on safeguarding in a significant minority of cases that lack professional curiosity, a report has found.

A joint targeted area inspection of child protection services in Solihull called for by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi in December 2021 found that children in need of help and protection in the West Midlands area “wait too long for their initial need and risk to be assessed”.