Source: Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership  published on this website Thursday 5 June 2025 by Jill Powell

Child Safeguarding Practice Review: Child A BSCP 2022-23/04 published 4 June 2025

Introduction and background to the review:

“This report sets out the findings and learning from a Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) that was commissioned by the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership.

“A Rapid Review was triggered following information being provided to Birmingham Children’s Trust by Somerset Children’s Social Care in December 2022. This information highlighted that while Somerset Children’s Social Care were taking legal action to remove a three-month old child from parental care, the child’s parents disclosed that an older child of theirs had died around January 2020 whilst they were living in the Birmingham area, and that they had buried the child’s body in the garden of the property.

“West Midlands Police subsequently recovered a body; the age of the deceased child was thought to be between three and four years of age. The findings of the post-mortem are inconclusive in terms of both cause of death but also age at time of death.

“As part of the Rapid Review, it was confirmed that the father had a third child, aged five years, living in London with another female partner. To protect the anonymity of three children at the centre of this review, they have been given pseudonyms; the deceased child discovered in Birmingham will be known as Child A, the three-month old baby located in the Somerset area will be known as Sibling B, the five-year-old child living in the London area will be known as Sibling C. Given the circumstances in Somerset and significant harm suffered by Sibling B, alongside the suspicious circumstances surrounding Child A’s death, abuse and neglect of Child A could not be ruled out; therefore, based on statutory guidance the Partnership determined that a CSPR should be undertaken. West Midlands Police investigated Child A’s death; these investigations resulted in a criminal trial which concluded with both parents being found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child as well as perverting the course of justice. The father was sentenced to 24½ years and his mother to 19½ years.

“The following relevant remarks were made by the sentencing Judge at the trial’s conclusion, and which places both Child A and Sibling B’s daily life in context, and help us appreciate Child A’s lived experience in the remaining months and weeks of his life: ‘… You wilfully neglected both of them in that you failed to provide them with adequate amounts of properly nutritious food and you failed to obtain necessary medical attention for them. Child A died as the result of your wilful neglect of him. Sibling B has been left with very significant health difficulties … that will require assistance and medical supervision for the rest of his life. … It is difficult to imagine a worse case of neglect than that which the court has encountered in your case. Your motivation for acting as you did was your prioritisation of your distorted system of beliefs over their welfare. You were prepared to live with any consequences which flowed from your adherence to those beliefs, including the disability or death of the children. Postmortem examinations revealed ‘…His bones were thickened and porous and largely made up of poor-quality bone. He had insufficiency fractures to his shins, ribs, and radius. These would have been painful when they were caused and 1 would have caused further pain each time the broken ends of the bone rubbed against one another before they reunited. These fractures were all caused at least three weeks before death. There was overwhelming evidence that he had rickets … anaemia and [vitamin] deficiency. He had obviously been malnourished in life. … In life he had truly appalling dental health. His gums would have bled frequently. He would have experienced pain on eating anything hot, cold, or sweet. There would have been acute pain on biting and some constant dental pain. His sleep would almost certainly have been interrupted. He was severely stunted in his growth. At almost 4 years of age, he was buried in the clothes of an 18-month-old and was no taller in all probability than the average 14-month old child. … You decided not to help him because, to you, at that time, remaining true to your beliefs was more important than his welfare. …’. ‘…Once they found Child A's body…, [the father], performed CPR on him but to no avail. They then waited with the body for eight days in the hope that he would come back to them, and then buried him in the backyard. He said they had a belief in reincarnation and that they thought that Child A would come back because his work on earth was not yet done. They did not report his death to the authorities because such things as death were only to be shared within their community.

“The focus of this review is to capture learning about how Child A became lost from professional view and oversight. In doing so, the review will examine agency contact with Child A and family members across different local authority areas in what were initially considered to be unconnected episodes. It is only now that hindsight has enabled connections to be made between all these episodes and to build a bigger picture, highlighting the importance for all professionals to be robust in their assessment activity, triangulate information to eliminate doubt or confusion, ask searching questions, share information and be tenacious in their efforts to understand the impact of culture and beliefs on children’s safety and welfare. The review and the criminal proceedings highlighted that professionals ceased to have any contact with Child A due to the parents opting out of contact with agencies and seeing agency involvement as intrusive. The observations of Child A between his birth in 2016 and up to August 2018 carried out by the midwife, health visitor, Waltham Forest social worker, police and Children’s Centre workers had not given rise to any cause for concern about his development. It is now clear that there was a catastrophic deterioration in his health and welfare between that point and his death in early 2020 due to the appalling neglect by his parents. The last months of Child A’s life must have been unimaginably sad and painful given his health and medical needs.”

Source: Home Office published on this website Tuesday 3 June 2025 by Jill Powell

A new criminal offence of ‘coerced internal concealment’, to be introduced as an amendment to the landmark Crime and Policing Bill, will crack down on anyone, including gang leaders who force people to hide items inside their bodies to avoid detection.    

This practice, also known by the street names ‘plugging’, ‘stuffing’ and ‘banking’, is typically used by organised gangs to transport items like drugs, money and SIM cards from one location to another.   

It relies on forcing or deceiving children and vulnerable adults into ingesting or hiding items inside their bodily cavities and is often linked to county lines drug running.   

Internal concealment is an extremely dangerous practice. It can be fatal if drug packages break open inside the body and can cause significant physical and psychological harm to those forced to do it.   

Where senior gang figures are found to have coerced other individuals to ingest or carry specified items inside their bodies, they will face up to 10 years behind bars.   

Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said:

“There is something truly evil about the gang leaders who degrade young girls, young boys and vulnerable adults in this way, forcing them to put their lives at risk.   This new offence will go alongside other measures in our landmark Crime and Policing Bill to turn the tables on the gang leaders and hold them to account for exploiting children and vulnerable adults.   

“As part of our Plan for Change, this government will give police and prosecutors the powers they need to dismantle these drug gangs entirely and secure convictions that reflect the severity of these crimes. To deliver the government’s mission to halve knife crime in the next decade and deliver safer streets, it is crucial to tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation.”   

That is why the government has committed to investing £42 million into the County Lines Programme this year, to break down the organised crime groups behind this trade.

The latest statistics from the programme show that since July 2024, law enforcement activity resulted in over 1,200-line closures and 2,000 arrests – including the arrest and subsequent charging of over 800 violent offenders controlling the lines.  

There were also more than 2,100 safeguarding referrals for children and vulnerable people.      

The County Lines Programme also provides specialist support for children and young people to escape the drugs trade.    

Over 320 children and young people received dedicated specialist support during this period, which can include one-to-one casework for young people and their families to help prevent exploitation or support their safe exit.

The criminalisation of ‘coerced internal concealment’ will ensure that victims are properly recognised and receive the support they need.   

It also sends a clear message to offenders that the punishment for this crime will match the impact of the harm they have caused.    

The new offence will join a package of other measures in the government’s Crime and Policing Bill designed to protect children and vulnerable adults, including a specific offence of child criminal exploitation aimed at the ringleaders behind county lines operations.       

Source: Charity Commission published on this website Wednesday 4 June 2025 by Jill Powell

The Commission has also issued an Order disqualifying one of the charity’s trustees from being a trustee and from holding a position with senior management functions, for a period of eight years.

Palestinian Refugee Project was registered in 2021, with objects to benefit the Palestinian diaspora in refugee camps through poverty relief, advancing education, relieving sickness and providing social welfare and leisure facilities.

The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales, began examining the charity in December 2023, after concerns were raised about its social media activity. The regulator also identified that all of the charity’s then trustees appeared to be related, with one serving as CEO, giving rise to concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

The trustees’ responses to the Commission’s questions raised further concerns, for example, that they lacked an understanding of their legal duties and responsibilities, including the importance of trustees acting and making decisions collectively.

The regulator established that, as a result of governance failings, Mrs Taghrid Al-Mawed-Layton – who was also acting as the charity’s voluntary CEO – had sole responsibility for the charity’s social media activity and used the charity’s platforms to promote political material, which was not in furtherance of the charity’s aims, and / or was divisive and inflammatory.

This included posts that could be interpreted as downplaying acts of terrorism, and which tried to raise support for a change to Israel’s recognition as a state. The charity failed to implement a formal social media policy and the remaining trustees lacked oversight in relation to its social media activity.

The Commission has disqualified Mrs Al-Mawed-Layton for eight years due to her role in mismanagement and / or misconduct of the charity, including social media activity on behalf of the charity. The Order disqualifies Mrs Al-Mawed-Layton from being a trustee and holding a senior management position in any charity.

Joshua Farbridge, Head of Compliance Visits and Inspections at the Charity Commission said:

“We found a number of serious failings at Palestinian Refugee Project, which put the charity’s finances and reputation at risk. The charity, in effect, was being run by a single trustee who either did not understand, or failed to adhere to, basic trustee duties.

“It’s important to stress that the Commission does not seek to encroach on any individual’s right to freedom of speech, expression, or beliefs. And we recognise that events in the Middle East over recent months and years have been deeply emotive and distressing.

“However, trustees have clear legal obligations, including to act in line with the charity’s purpose and best interests, and act reasonably and prudently. Sadly, the good aims this charity set out to achieve was seriously undermined by the conduct and failings of its trustees.”

As part of its case, the regulator also established that a failure to implement financial controls meant that funds were spent without proper authorisation or controls. The charity is overdue in filing its accounts for the years ending April 2023 and 2024.

The Charity Commission’s case involving the charity will remain ongoing allowing the regulator to follow up on the remedial actions set out in the Official Warning.

Source: Action Fraud published on this website Monday 2 June 2025 by Jill Powell

As of April 2025, the total number of phishing scams reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) reached over 41 million since its launch in April 2020. This has resulted in 217,000 scams being removed from across 393,395 websites pages by the National Cyber Security Centre. 

Insight revealed by Action Fraud shows the top industries impersonated in reported phishing emails were streaming services, tech and telecommunication companies, with some posing as various UK government schemes.  

Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting service, launched a phishing awareness campaign to urge the public to beware of phishing scams and report all emails and messages if they look suspicious.  

Spam calls and suspicious text messages can be reported too. By using 7726, a free service offered by mobile network providers, customers can forward suspicious text messages, which helps the removal of scam websites and allows networks to block users sending scam text messages. Between April 2020 and April 2025, more than 27,000 scams were removed as a result of being reported using 7726. 

Superintendent Amanda Wolf, Head of the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau at the City of London Police, said:  

“We know it can be difficult to spot fake messages or tell if a call is genuine. Criminals can change tactics fast and use the technology available to constantly create genuine looking emails and messages or facilitate calls that feel authentic - all designed to trick us and try and steal personal and financial information.  

“Every phishing email reported helps us gain a better understanding of the tactics being used and enables us to tackle it head on by identifying malicious URLs trending in phishing emails and texts - they can be taken down and disrupted, preventing further activity. The more reports received, the more people we can protect, preventing them from becoming victims.  

“Don’t get caught out, Stop, Think Fraud, and make sure you report suspicious-looking emails or messages if you receive them. You can forward emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, or forward spam text messages to 7726.” 

Sarah Lyons, NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and Society Resilience, said: 

“Since 2020, over 41 million phishing attempts have been reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service — a powerful sign that the public is staying alert to online threats, helping to protect themselves and others. 

“But cyber criminals aren’t giving up - they’re constantly finding new ways to trick people into clicking malicious links, sharing personal information, or handing over money. 

“That’s why it’s more important than ever to stay alert. You’ll find clear, practical advice on how to spot and report scams - and how to stay secure online - on the NCSC website.” 

What is phishing?

'Phishing', ‘quishing’ or ‘smishing’ is when criminals use fake emails, text messages, QR codes, or phone calls to trick victims.  

The goal of a phishing message is to encourage the victim to click a malicious link, or scan a fraudulent QR code, which usually leads them to a genuine-looking website, designed to make victims part way with their financial and/or personal information. Criminals will use well-known brands or organisations the victim already has a connection with, like a bank or tradesperson, to make fake emails seem genuine and more convincing.  

How can you protect yourself?

If you’ve received an email that doesn’t feel right, STOP! 

• break the contact – don’t reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers or make any payments  

• check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks  

• before you delete the email, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk  

If you’ve received a text message that doesn’t feel right, STOP! 

• break the contact – don’t reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers or make any payments  

• check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks  

• forward the message for free to 7726  

If you’ve received a call that doesn’t feel right, STOP! 

• hang up  

• check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on a utility bill, official website, the back of your card or by calling 159 for your bank  

• don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID  

• report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘call’ followed by the scam caller’s number  

For more advice on how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/  

If you’ve lost money or provided financial information as a result of a phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.