Unity Is Needed To Stop Child Deaths
By Jo Tynan on Thursday, 10th March 2005.
Neighbouring social services need to work together to prevent a repeat of the tragic death of Emily Wilkinson, councillors have said.
A lack of communication between authorities in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk contributed to the death of the 22 month old who drowned in her grandmother's pond in Great Bradley, near Haverhill, on February 15 2003.
Emily had been placed on the Child Protection Register in May 2002 and was briefly placed in care while her parents were living in Cambridgeshire.
She was taken off the register in July 2002, two months before the family moved to Suffolk. Workers in Cambridgeshire alerted social services in Suffolk but Emily was not put on that county's register.
After Emily's death, an independent report by the Suffolk Area Child Protection Committee made recommendations to the council and since then 16 additional social workers have been recruited to assist over worked staff.
Suffolk County Council's scrutiny committee met at Endeavour House, Ipswich last Thursday to examine events leading up to Emily's death.
The committee heard anecdotal evidence from a councillor saying how the toddler had been spotted alone at a Christmas carol service two months before she died, but the information came to light after the youngsters death.
Councillor Bob Tostevin said: "Social services need to work together with the police, nurses, parents, teachers, schools and neighbours to create a web of support for every child. In Emily's case the jigsaw fell apart and it is terrifying to think that this happened just because she moved over a county border."
Councillor Mary Crane raised concerns about the personal judgement of the social workers involved in Emily's case.
John Gregg, head of childrens services, responded: "It's very easy to see with hindsight all of the information because it's available in a comprhensive report. In terms of the actual investigation we were left in no doubt these people involved were acting in good faith."
Cliff James, Suffolk council's head of safeguarding and quality assurance for children, said that since Emily's death improvements have been made, including the recruitment of highly qualified staff.
A shocking catalogue of failures meant that Emily continued to live in a home where her parents abused drugs and alcohol and she was allowed to wander around hungry, dirty and unsupervised. On the day she died, Emily wandered to her grandparents' house where she fell into the garden pond and drowned. Her parents, Richard and Karen Wilkinson began 30-month jail terms for her manslaughter in January.
The committee instructed that social services should place more emphasis on the safety of the child and less on considering the feelings of the parents.
A lack of communication between authorities in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk contributed to the death of the 22 month old who drowned in her grandmother's pond in Great Bradley, near Haverhill, on February 15 2003.
Emily had been placed on the Child Protection Register in May 2002 and was briefly placed in care while her parents were living in Cambridgeshire.
She was taken off the register in July 2002, two months before the family moved to Suffolk. Workers in Cambridgeshire alerted social services in Suffolk but Emily was not put on that county's register.
After Emily's death, an independent report by the Suffolk Area Child Protection Committee made recommendations to the council and since then 16 additional social workers have been recruited to assist over worked staff.
Suffolk County Council's scrutiny committee met at Endeavour House, Ipswich last Thursday to examine events leading up to Emily's death.
The committee heard anecdotal evidence from a councillor saying how the toddler had been spotted alone at a Christmas carol service two months before she died, but the information came to light after the youngsters death.
Councillor Bob Tostevin said: "Social services need to work together with the police, nurses, parents, teachers, schools and neighbours to create a web of support for every child. In Emily's case the jigsaw fell apart and it is terrifying to think that this happened just because she moved over a county border."
Councillor Mary Crane raised concerns about the personal judgement of the social workers involved in Emily's case.
John Gregg, head of childrens services, responded: "It's very easy to see with hindsight all of the information because it's available in a comprhensive report. In terms of the actual investigation we were left in no doubt these people involved were acting in good faith."
Cliff James, Suffolk council's head of safeguarding and quality assurance for children, said that since Emily's death improvements have been made, including the recruitment of highly qualified staff.
A shocking catalogue of failures meant that Emily continued to live in a home where her parents abused drugs and alcohol and she was allowed to wander around hungry, dirty and unsupervised. On the day she died, Emily wandered to her grandparents' house where she fell into the garden pond and drowned. Her parents, Richard and Karen Wilkinson began 30-month jail terms for her manslaughter in January.
The committee instructed that social services should place more emphasis on the safety of the child and less on considering the feelings of the parents.
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