Errors blamed for baby’s death - Social Services
Alisha Allen was considered at risk by officials in Sunderland, but when her parents moved to neighbouring County Durham, the family were downgraded to “in need”.
Alisha was killed by her bullying father, Gary Allen, 26, in January last year, and he was sentenced to five years in prison after admitting manslaughter at Newcastle Crown Court, on the grounds that he momentarily lost his temper.
Alisha’s mother, Claire Morton, 31, received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, for causing or allowing the death of a child.
A Serious Case Review was launched which found there was poor assessment, planning and information-sharing by the agencies which was made worse by gaps in supervision and case management.
The review concluded: “There was no one failing in this case that can conclusively be said to have been the major factor that failed to protect Alisha, rather a series of cumulative errors that were either not picked up or not pro-actively addressed.”
The independent review looked at the children’s services departments at Durham County Council and Sunderland City Council, and health services provided by the City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust and Sunderland Primary Care Trust.
The report followed a similar top-level review into the mishandling of the Baby P case in Haringey, north London, and questions over social services dealings with Shannon Matthews’ family in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
Gail Hopper, chairwoman of Durham Local Safeguarding Children Board, said recommendations will be acted on to improve how cases are managed and also transferred between authorities.
Since Alisha’s death, the couple have had another child, which has been taken into care, and Morton is due to give birth at any time to a child by another man.
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On 5th Dec 2008 at 02:40 PM michaelmac said...
Five years no one cares