Council was warned over child neglect

Saturday 14 April 2012

CHILD protection chiefs were warned of "systemic failures" within their department just weeks before a toddler's mummified body was found in a filthy and rubbish-strewn flat.

VICTIM: Declain Hainey's body was found two weeks after councillors were told of serious concerns about child protection procedures in Renfrewshire.

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Ewan Fergus and Jody Harrison

It has emerged that Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee (RCPC) had been criticised for failing to spot a separate case of serious neglect a fortnight before the remains of toddler Declan Hainey were discovered in Paisley.

Declan was murdered by his drug addict mother Kimberley Hainey, who left him alone for long periods while she went out partying. In February this year, a Significant Case Review commissioned jointly by Renfrewshire Council and the NHS highlighted a catalogue of missed opportunities for social workers and health professionals to visit the home.Declan's name had not been placed on the child protection register, despite Hainey's well-documented addictions and her known dishonesty.It has now been revealed that when Declan's body was found, the RCPC was already dealing with the fallout from mistakes made in detecting neglect in a separate case.Another unrelated instance in Renfrewshire also prompted a Significant Case Review, this time into a family identified only as "Family 10".The report into Family 10 was circulated to senior child protection figures in Renfrewshire Council and other agencies. The minutes of a private meeting to discuss it show that RCPC chairman Tim Huntingford briefed his colleagues – including Councillor Eileen McCartin, convenor of Renfrewshire's Community And Family Care Policy Board – on March 17, 2010, two weeks before Declan's body was found.His briefing said: "It was recognised that an urgent response was required by all agencies to address failures which had resulted in significant harm to a family. The committee were advised that to rectify systemic failure, critical changes in practice and procedures required to be identified and highlighted to all staff and practitioners involved."There were failings in all agencies involved in the case [of Family 10] and all agencies must take responsibility for their failure to work effectively together and singly."Critically, the minutes show the body agreed that "a step change in attitude and approach that looked beyond the obvious" was needed when approaching cases of neglect.However, a Significant Case Review after Declan's death, completed in February this year, found few improvements had been made. It again highlighted "haphazard" communication between the different agencies, raising concerns that 18 attempts had been made to see Kimberley Hainey and her vulnerable son without success.Councillor Mark Macmillan, deputy leader of Renfrewshire Labour Group, said the discovery of the first report raised serious questions about RCPC's ability to improve its services. He said: "No-one could suggest that had these failings been made public or quicker action been taken, Declan could have been saved. However, what we know now is the Child Protection System in Renfrewshire was, in the words of a 2010 Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee internal report, 'failing'. These criticisms are damning and, crucially, these are the same criticisms that were made almost two years later by the report into the death of Declan." He added that Councillor McCartin had "patently failed" in her responsibility to protect vulnerable children.Ms McCartin, the LibDems' deputy leader of Renfrewshire Council, said: "I am disappointed and concerned that local Labour politicians are trying to make political, election capital out of vulnerable children in Renfrewshire. Any councillor who had a genuine interest in the Significant Case Review could have commented more than a year ago, when it was referred to in a report to a council meeting."Similarly, there have been a range of reports, campaigns and new approaches detailing improvements among the various agencies, such as the police and the NHS, who are involved in the child protection services in Renfrewshire."A Fatal Accident Inquiry will be held into Declan's death, but no date has been set.To date, five members of staff at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have been investigated in connection with the case, with two formally disciplined.Renfrewshire Council has not revealed whether any disciplinary action has been taken in connection with its own staff.A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring protection is in place for all children at risk. There have been significant changes in child protection policy since 2010, including new National Child Protection Guidance to improve the way professionals work together to give vulnerable children the protection they need at the earliest possible stage. "We recognise a number of recommendations were made to the agencies concerned in both these reports and have received assurances these are being acted upon."

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Council was warned over child neglect

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