Source: Kent Safeguarding Children Board published on this site Tuesday 12th June 2018 by Jill Powell
Jamie was the youngest of eight siblings, seven of whom were under 11 and lived in the same, overcrowded home. Initially this was with Jamie’s Mother and Father, but in August 2015, shortly before Jamie was born, Mother and Father separated, and Mother started a new relationship.
This was a large family of young children living in cramped conditions. The children sustained unexplained injuries, thought to be from lack of supervision or because of unaddressed safety risks. These injuries were not always attended to appropriately. Although there were appropriate questions as to whether such injuries may have resulted from physical abuse, this was not substantiated; they were seen to probably arise from neglect of supervision or caused by the children themselves. Health or developmental needs, health appointments or immunisations were not attended to. The children were, at times, unkempt, dirty, inappropriately or poorly dressed, smelly and had untreated head-lice; these were denied by the parents, or claims were made that they had been attended to, when they had not been.
There were concerns about domestic abuse (initiated by both parents). Its emotional impact on the children was denied, despite evidence that the children were aware of it and upset by it. There were also suggestions of alcohol or drug use, including alleged dealing, these were also denied.
In December, it was noted that Jamie’s youngest sibling, a toddler, had an increasing number of bruises and there were still questions about the adequacy of the supervision of the children. At a Child Protection Review Conference in February 2016, it was agreed that all the children, except this sibling, should cease to be subject of Child Protection Plans and should be stepped-down to Children in Need, based on perceived improvements in the children’s care. The single sibling was maintained on a Child Protection Plan because of continued concern about the unexplained minor injuries.
In April, the serious, non-accidental and fatal injury to Jamie occurred and his older siblings were taken by court order into interim care. The post-mortem revealed Jamie had suffered significant injuries in at least five different events over a ten-week period up to his death. The cause of death was ascertained to be as a result of a serious head injury caused by shaking. The majority of injuries were assessed by expert pathologists and a specialist paediatrician to have occurred in the few days prior to the fatal shaking or at the same time.
The Police investigated Jamie’s death. As a result, both Jamie’s Mother and her Partner were convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and possession of a class B drug (amphetamine). They were sentenced to eight years and thirteen and a half years imprisonment, respectively.
To read theKent Safeguarding Children Board Serious Case Review Child D “Jamie”
and the Kent Safeguarding Children Board Learning from Serious Case Reviews Child D (Jamie) – June 2018 click: http://www.safecic.co.uk/freebies/55-free-downloads-and-safeguarding-links/406-relrepo
