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| Professionals failed to prevent toddler Keanu Williams' death, report finds | Professionals failed to prevent toddler Keanu Williams' death, report finds |
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| Doctors, social workers, police and nursery staff collectively failed to prevent the death of a two-year-old boy who was beaten to death by his mother after months of horrific cruelty, a serious case review has found. | Doctors, social workers, police and nursery staff collectively failed to prevent the death of a two-year-old boy who was beaten to death by his mother after months of horrific cruelty, a serious case review has found. |
| A "significant" number of chances were missed to intervene and stop Rebecca Shuttleworth, 25, from abusing Keanu Williams, who died days after he was seen with burns, bruises and marks. | A "significant" number of chances were missed to intervene and stop Rebecca Shuttleworth, 25, from abusing Keanu Williams, who died days after he was seen with burns, bruises and marks. |
| Published in Birmingham on Thursday, the independent review said the failings were familiar to those found in other reviews in the UK. Agencies had failed to communicate internally and with each other; staff had been too willing to believe a parent's explanations; there had been a lack of professional curiosity. Once again, the focus on the child had been lost, it said. | Published in Birmingham on Thursday, the independent review said the failings were familiar to those found in other reviews in the UK. Agencies had failed to communicate internally and with each other; staff had been too willing to believe a parent's explanations; there had been a lack of professional curiosity. Once again, the focus on the child had been lost, it said. |
| Jane Held, the independent chair of the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board, said the agencies involved in the case were guilty of "totally unacceptable and unnecessary failures". | Jane Held, the independent chair of the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board, said the agencies involved in the case were guilty of "totally unacceptable and unnecessary failures". |
| "Keanu died because there was a failure across every agency to see, hear and respond to him. Staff were distracted by his mother's needs. Keanu died because people missed opportunity after opportunity to intervene." | "Keanu died because there was a failure across every agency to see, hear and respond to him. Staff were distracted by his mother's needs. Keanu died because people missed opportunity after opportunity to intervene." |
| Held said council and health staff had resigned or been sacked. She would not say how many, but confirmed it was more than single figures. | Held said council and health staff had resigned or been sacked. She would not say how many, but confirmed it was more than single figures. |
| Work had been undertaken to improve practices but Held acknowledged that much more needed to be done: "We know many children are still not safe enough in Birmingham. We need to achieve radical change." | Work had been undertaken to improve practices but Held acknowledged that much more needed to be done: "We know many children are still not safe enough in Birmingham. We need to achieve radical change." |
| Peter Hay, strategic director, children, young people and families at the city council, said the report was a "further blight upon this city's reputation … Keanu's death is another tragic reminder of the consequences of failing children's services." He said there were not enough "great" social workers in Birmingham doing "great work". | Peter Hay, strategic director, children, young people and families at the city council, said the report was a "further blight upon this city's reputation … Keanu's death is another tragic reminder of the consequences of failing children's services." He said there were not enough "great" social workers in Birmingham doing "great work". |
| The review comes just two weeks after a similar one on Daniel Pelka, the four-year-old boy tortured to death by his mother and stepfather in Coventry. That review concluded Daniel became invisible to teachers, health professionals, social workers and police. | The review comes just two weeks after a similar one on Daniel Pelka, the four-year-old boy tortured to death by his mother and stepfather in Coventry. That review concluded Daniel became invisible to teachers, health professionals, social workers and police. |
| Findings in the Keanu Williams report will lead to further calls for a change of culture within agencies responsible for the care of children to ensure their focus is always on protecting young people. | Findings in the Keanu Williams report will lead to further calls for a change of culture within agencies responsible for the care of children to ensure their focus is always on protecting young people. |
| The government said action would be taken if improvements were not seen soon in Birmingham. | |
| Edward Timpson, the minister for children and families, said: "This is an awful case and the serious case review shows that improvements are urgently needed. Birmingham's problems are complex and we're taking action to secure properly embedded and sustained improvement to children's social care. | |
| "Special performance measures are in place and I have issued the council with a final warning – Ofsted will return to Birmingham this autumn to determine what progress has been made. | |
| "There is no quick fix, however I have been very clear with Birmingham that unless I see rapid improvement further action will follow." | |
| The city's children's services department was served with an improvement notice by the government in September 2010 after a serious of high-profile child deaths, including the starvation of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq in 2008. | |
| Shuttleworth was jailed for life in June and was told she will serve at least 18 years before being considered for parole. | Shuttleworth was jailed for life in June and was told she will serve at least 18 years before being considered for parole. |
| During her six-month trial at Birmingham crown court, a jury heard that 37 external marks were found on Keanu's body after his death in January 2011. He had bruising to his lower chest, abdomen and back and had suffered a fractured skull. | During her six-month trial at Birmingham crown court, a jury heard that 37 external marks were found on Keanu's body after his death in January 2011. He had bruising to his lower chest, abdomen and back and had suffered a fractured skull. |
| A postmortem examination identified "tramline" bruising consistent with the boy having been struck with an object such as a stick or rod with some force. A fist-sized tear was discovered in part of the child's abdomen, which had caused substantial bleeding. | A postmortem examination identified "tramline" bruising consistent with the boy having been struck with an object such as a stick or rod with some force. A fist-sized tear was discovered in part of the child's abdomen, which had caused substantial bleeding. |
| Shuttleworth's partner, Luke Southerton, 32, was convicted of one count of child cruelty – an assault on Keanu – but cleared of murder. He was given a nine-month suspended sentence. | Shuttleworth's partner, Luke Southerton, 32, was convicted of one count of child cruelty – an assault on Keanu – but cleared of murder. He was given a nine-month suspended sentence. |
| The serious case review report on Keanu said that Shuttleworth's chaotic lifestyle – she moved addresses frequently, was sometimes homeless and changed partners regularly – made helping the family challenging. There was no time when Keanu had a permanent home with his own cot, belongings and toys. | The serious case review report on Keanu said that Shuttleworth's chaotic lifestyle – she moved addresses frequently, was sometimes homeless and changed partners regularly – made helping the family challenging. There was no time when Keanu had a permanent home with his own cot, belongings and toys. |
| But the review, presented to the Birmingham safeguarding children board, concluded that it could have been predicted that Keanu was likely to suffer significant harm and should have been subject to a child protection plan on at least two occasions to address concerns that he was being physically harmed or neglected. | But the review, presented to the Birmingham safeguarding children board, concluded that it could have been predicted that Keanu was likely to suffer significant harm and should have been subject to a child protection plan on at least two occasions to address concerns that he was being physically harmed or neglected. |
| It said: "Professionals in the various agencies involved collectively failed to prevent Keanu's death as they missed a significant number of opportunities to intervene and take action. They did not meet the standards of basic good practice when they should have reported their concerns, shared and analysed information and followed established procedures for child protection investigations and a range of assessments including medical assessments and child protection conferences." | It said: "Professionals in the various agencies involved collectively failed to prevent Keanu's death as they missed a significant number of opportunities to intervene and take action. They did not meet the standards of basic good practice when they should have reported their concerns, shared and analysed information and followed established procedures for child protection investigations and a range of assessments including medical assessments and child protection conferences." |
| The review revealed that in November 2009 Keanu was the subject of a core assessment. A conference on his case concluded that he did not need a child protection plan but was a "child in need" requiring support, such as a nursery place. | The review revealed that in November 2009 Keanu was the subject of a core assessment. A conference on his case concluded that he did not need a child protection plan but was a "child in need" requiring support, such as a nursery place. |
| According to the review: "The outcome of the child protection conference led to a loss of focus on Keanu because the child in need services moved the attention towards practical matters, such as the provision of a nursery place." | According to the review: "The outcome of the child protection conference led to a loss of focus on Keanu because the child in need services moved the attention towards practical matters, such as the provision of a nursery place." |
| Keanu was taken to hospital and a GP on a number of occasions but Shuttleworth explained away his injuries as "bumps and falls due to unsteadiness". She once claimed: "Keanu falls over nothing". On the last occasion, just before Christmas 2010, Keanu was taken to the accident and emergency department of a hospital with bruises to his eyes, forehead, back and feet, and burns to his right foot. Shuttleworth claimed he had burned his foot on a radiator while sleeping. | Keanu was taken to hospital and a GP on a number of occasions but Shuttleworth explained away his injuries as "bumps and falls due to unsteadiness". She once claimed: "Keanu falls over nothing". On the last occasion, just before Christmas 2010, Keanu was taken to the accident and emergency department of a hospital with bruises to his eyes, forehead, back and feet, and burns to his right foot. Shuttleworth claimed he had burned his foot on a radiator while sleeping. |
| A police officer and social worker went to examine the flat but the injuries were put down as neglect rather than wilful neglect, and no effective action was taken. "This was not only a missed opportunity but a significant failure by all the agencies involved to act to protect Keanu," the report concluded. | |
| The boy was seen by nursery staff early in 2011 with a number of marks and bruises on his chest, stomach and back, and was described as distressed. But he was not referred on to other services and clear guidelines and procedures were not followed as staff again believed Shuttleworth's explanations. Keanu died four days later of multiple injuries sustained over months. | The boy was seen by nursery staff early in 2011 with a number of marks and bruises on his chest, stomach and back, and was described as distressed. But he was not referred on to other services and clear guidelines and procedures were not followed as staff again believed Shuttleworth's explanations. Keanu died four days later of multiple injuries sustained over months. |
| The review concluded there was a lack of focus on Keanu. "A number of the issues which have arisen in this review are also familiar themes in serious case reviews nationally, such as: poor communication between and within agencies, a lack of analysis of information, a lack of professional curiosity in questioning information, a lack of confidence among professionals in challenging parents and other professionals, shortcomings in recording systems and practice, professional over-optimism rather than to 'respectfully disbelieve', dealing with events as one-off episodes." | The review concluded there was a lack of focus on Keanu. "A number of the issues which have arisen in this review are also familiar themes in serious case reviews nationally, such as: poor communication between and within agencies, a lack of analysis of information, a lack of professional curiosity in questioning information, a lack of confidence among professionals in challenging parents and other professionals, shortcomings in recording systems and practice, professional over-optimism rather than to 'respectfully disbelieve', dealing with events as one-off episodes." |
| It makes a series of recommendations to 13 organisations named in the report, saying the case "illustrates the dangers of becoming side-tracked into dealing only with the practical day-to-day matters of the adult family members and responding to events without analysing the available information and without seeking clarification". | It makes a series of recommendations to 13 organisations named in the report, saying the case "illustrates the dangers of becoming side-tracked into dealing only with the practical day-to-day matters of the adult family members and responding to events without analysing the available information and without seeking clarification". |
| "When the impact on the child of the nature of care provided is not considered by professionals, and the accumulation of events over a period of time are not taken into account and reviewed, the child focus is lost." | "When the impact on the child of the nature of care provided is not considered by professionals, and the accumulation of events over a period of time are not taken into account and reviewed, the child focus is lost." |
| Shuttleworth herself spoke to the review team. She spent her childhood in care and expressed "some surprise" that Keanu was not taken from her when he was born. She said she was appealing against her sentence so could not talk in detail about the case. | Shuttleworth herself spoke to the review team. She spent her childhood in care and expressed "some surprise" that Keanu was not taken from her when he was born. She said she was appealing against her sentence so could not talk in detail about the case. |
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