Three child deaths in Birmingham to be reviewed

Dec 3 2008 by Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Post

BIRMINGHAM has been ordered to conduct fresh reviews into whether Child Protection Services let down three children who were seriously hurt or killed.

The city council was ordered to look at the cases again by Ed Balls, the Children, Schools and Families Secretary, after inspectors found the original inquiries had been unsatisfactory.

It was one of a number of authorities criticised for failing to review child protection cases properly in a study by Ofsted, the official inspectors.

Ofsted published the findings as a separate report into the death of Baby P in Haringey, London, also warned that a review into the baby’s case had been inadequate.

The study looked at serious case reviews, which are conducted by child protection services when a child has died or been seriously injured or harmed, and abuse is known or believed to have been a factor. By examining what went wrong, officials such as social workers are supposed to learn lessons to help them protect children in the future.

But Ofsted examined four reviews conducted in Birmingham since April 2007 – and found that three had been inadequate.

Inspectors also looked at one case review in Sandwell, which was also inadequate. Reviews conducted by Walsall, Worcestershire and Warwickshire councils were given the seal of approval.

Mr Balls said “further action” was needed, and ordered councils to set up new panels, with independent chairmen, to reconsider the findings of the review.

Ofsted warned that in some cases, reviews had taken up to three years to complete, and they were often carried out by representatives of the agencies responsible for looking after the child in the first place. There was a tendency to avoid assigning blame, with reviews looking at what went wrong but failing to explain why, Ofsted said.

The inspectors warned: “A fundamental shift of approach is required with a greater emphasis on the practice of individual members of staff and managers.”

Birmingham has been involved in high-profile cases in which children have died over the past year.

In May, seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq died after being admitted to hospital. Her