Alisha Allen died after protection removed
Dec 6 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal
A BABY girl who was killed by her father was removed from the at-risk register despite a social worker’s pleas, a damning report revealed.
Inspectors criticised a catalogue of failings in the treatment of little Alisha Allen. They found:
- Senior social workers failed to attend a vital conference into her protection
- A doctor failed to report a bruise on the baby’s forehead
- The abusive past of Alisha’s father was ignored
- Sunderland Royal Hospital discharged her after treatment for weight loss despite concerns about her welfare.
MP Kevan Jones last night compared the case to the death of Baby P in Haringey and demanded heads should roll.
But while admitting failures and apologising for them, Durham Local Safeguarding Children Board said there would be no resignations.
Alisha’s life ended on January 24, 2007 at the age of just five months, despite being identified as vulnerable while still in her mother’s womb.
Three days earlier, her 26-year-old father Gary Allen picked the crying baby out of her cot and shook her with such force that she never recovered from her brain injuries.
At a case conference just four months earlier, Alisha was removed from the “at risk” register.
Yet on October 9, a GP examined bruising on the baby’s head, but failed to report it.
Then on November 17 she was admitted to Sunderland Royal Hospital amid concerns over her weight. Alisha was released back to the care of Allen and mother Claire Morton six days later after gaining weight, with no definitive diagnosis.
The family had moved from the Sunderland Social Services area to Durham, yet the family went just two miles from Avondale Avenue, Penshaw, to Marigold Crescent, Bournmoor.
And the report criticised managers in both authorities for not following procedures on cross boundary case transfers of children and poor information sharing and decision making.
Durham Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) carried out the review following her death. Its report yesterday revealed a damning catalogue of failures.
And yesterday, Mr Jones, in whose North Durham constituency the Allen family were living when Alisha was killed, said those responsible should be sacked.
The review found senior County Durham social work officers ignored the views of the Sunderland-based carer who knew the family best, despite her pleas for Alisha to be kept on the child protection register.
It said: “The review found that the early years worker’s knowledge of the family was not given appropriate weighting at the transfer child protection conference in Durham on September 18.”
The report said members of The Serious Case Review panel, which was led by an independent chairman commissioned through children’s charity Barnardo’s, had “serious concerns” about the transfer conference.
It said: “No managers attended, the chair was relatively inexperienced, reports were distributed late and of the five professionals present only the early years worker had ongoing active knowledge of the family.”
It also found GP records disclosed Allen was banned from seeing a previous girlfriend and her children because of social service fears that he had been hitting them.
Mr Jones said: “This is a typical example of officers not listening to the views of the worker on the ground, with tragic consequences.”
The report also raised concerns about City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and Sunderland Primary Care Trust.
Trial judge criticised failings in care
THE JUDGE who sentenced Allen and Morton in September also criticised Alisha’s care. Judge David Hodson said: “This case, sadly, is yet another example of the tragic death of a baby in circumstances where there have been undoubted failings within two social services departments.”
The court heard Allen, who has an IQ of just 70, had a history of abuse and Morton, who was described as “severely retarded”, was unable to stand up to him.
Paul Sloan QC, prosecuting, said neither defendant understood parenting.
During Alisha’s short life, Allen refused to change her nappies or bathe her, because he believed it was inappropriate for a man.
He shouted at the baby to ‘shut up’ if she cried and once laughed as he sounded a horn in her ear.
Allen believed the baby was ‘aggressive’ because on occasion she had pulled her mother’s hair and ‘bitten’ her, the court heard.
Fury at lack of sackings
No one will resign over the failings which led to the baby being removed from the at-risk register following her move between neighbouring local authorities.
Medical staff failed to spot or act on warning signs that Alisha was suffering at the hands of bullying father Gary Allen and not being protected by educationally sub-normal mother Claire Morton.
A Serious Case Review, like one into the Baby P case, exposed failings by Sunderland and County Durham councils and City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust and Sunderland Primary Care Trust.
But despite a catalogue of errors, it concluded no individual was to blame for the death
MP Kevan Jones was furious nobody was disciplined and said workers would have been sacked in any other industry.
Michelle Elliott, founder of the children’s charity Kidscape, said: “How many more dead babies do we have to see before we put the proper resources into one person being in charge of one ‘at risk’ child? We have too many agencies and too little liaison between them. The systems have failed.”
Heads roll after report on Baby P
THE BABY P case saw three people sacked, two quit and three more disciplined.
A flurry of sackings and resignations came as Education Secretary Ed Balls said the findings of an independent report into the North London borough were “devastating”.
Baby P was seen 60 times by health professionals, police and social workers and was on Haringey’s “at risk” register.
Yet despite this, he died a violent and tortuous death at the hands of his 27-year-old mother, her 32-year-old boyfriend and their 36-year-old lodger in August 2007.
Council leader George Meehan and head of children’s services Liz Santry both quit, while Sharon Shoesmith, director of children’s services, was sacked.
Cecilia Hitchen, deputy director of children and families, and Clive Preece, head of children in need, were also suspended. Three social workers – Maria Ward, Sylvia Henry and Gillie Christou – were made “subject to review”.
Agencies apologise and promise improvements
He said: “I would like to offer our sincere apologies for the errors that were made in protecting Alisha, and extend our sympathy to all those who knew and loved her.
“It is clear that errors were made by a range of organisations and by professionals responsible for supporting Alisha and delivering services to her and her family.
“We fully accept and regret that the action of some social care staff at Durham County Council, along with some workers in other agencies, was not enough to prevent Alisha’s death at the hands of those who should have cared for her the most.”
Mr Williams said improvements had been introduced since Alisha’s death and that an action plan had been drawn up in the light of the review. He said: “We fully understand that any case where a child dies in such tragic circumstances will cause upset and concern for everyone.
“We also understand that this can result in a lack of confidence in the services and workers whose job it is to protect children.
“I want to stress that we are doing everything possible to ensure our
practices are thorough and effective.” Coun Claire Vasey, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services said: “The word sorry in these circumstances seems inadequate – but we are truly sorry that Alisha was not provided with the protection she needed and deserved.
“I would like the people of County Durham to be reassured that everything possible has been done, and will continue to be done, to ensure that no other child is let down in this way.”
Jan van Wagtendonk, independent chairman of the Sunderland Safeguarding Children Board, said: “All of the Sunderland agencies who were involved with this case before the family transferred to Durham co-operated fully with Durham’s Serious Case Review and accept all of its recommendations.”
A Sunderland City Council spokesman said: “We deeply regret the death of baby Alisha Allen in such tragic circumstances and apologise for any aspects of poor practice attributed to Sunderland Children’s Services in the independent review commissioned by Durham.”
December 2005 – Sunderland Social Services involved with Morton and Allen.
June 2006 – While still in her mother’s womb, Alisha placed on the child protection register.
August 8, 2006 – Alisha born.
September 18, 2006. Child protection conference in Chester-le-Street, decides not to place Alisha on the County Durham child protection register.
October 2006. A GP sees Alisha but fails to report bruised forehead.
November 17 2006. Alisha admitted to Sunderland Royal Hospital for failing to gain weight. Discharged six days later.
November 23 2006. Family ignore hospital appointments.
January 21, 2007. Alisha admitted to hospital with head injury.
January 24, 2007. Alisha dies in hospital.
September 12, 2008. Allen and Morton sentenced.
To read the full report on this case, please click here and follow the links
Share
