MOVES to introduce a "named person" for every child in Scotland would help prevent youngsters from slipping through the net, a charity has said.

Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st, spoke out following the publication of a serious case review, which highlighted how chances were missed by child protection agencies to intervene in the case of Daniel Pelka.

Daniel, from Coventry, died from a head injury in March last year after suffering months of cruelty and emotional abuse at the hands of his mother Magdelena Luczak and former soldier Mariusz Krezolek.

The pair, both originally from Poland, were jailed for a minimum of 30 years each at Birmingham Crown Court earlier this year.

The review found Daniel was at times rendered "invisible" in the eyes of health professionals, school staff and social workers. It said Luczak and her partner Krezolek, "misled and deceived" a host of child protection agencies by spinning a "web of lies" to conceal systematic abuse.

The report also highlighted the fact that Daniel was never individually spoken to about his home life, without his mother or stepfather present.

Proposals in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Bill to provide a named person for every child have been criticised by some, with the Faculty of Advocates saying the move could potentially breach the European Convention on Human Rights. But Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st, said: "Deaths like Daniel's remind us why the principle behind the named person measure in the Children and Young People Bill is a sound one as it aims to prevent children slipping through the net.

"This sort of case is potentially where the named person could come in, acting as first point of contact for a child and all the professionals coming into contact with him or her. They would collate and have access to all the information and be encouraged to put the child at the centre."