Southampton Council Sorry For Failing Abused Children

29 May 2014, 08:36 | Updated: 29 May 2014, 08:42

Southampton City Council's said sorry after a review found two young brothers' deaths could have been prevented, as well as the abuse of several more children.

The Local Safeguarding Children Board found serious failings in three cases.

They involve the deaths of Jayden and Bradley Adams, aged two and four, in 2011, a six-year-old girl who had 92 separate injuries and seven children abused by their father.

The council says it has more lessons to learn but insists improvements are already being made.

The Independent Chair of the Southampton Local Safeguarding Children Board, Keith Makin, said:

“The Southampton Local Safeguarding Children Board commissioned three Serious Case Reviews relating to the tragic deaths of Bradley and Jayden Adams in 2011, and to the harm and abuse suffered by Child L and the children of Family A.

“On behalf of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board, I would like to say how sorry we are to those who did not get the help they needed and for the suffering of these children.

“The overall findings of these Serious Case Reviews showed significant failings. There are important lessons for Southampton City Council and our other local agencies to learn. All of our local agencies have participated fully in this independent process and have contributed to the LSCB’s action plan to improve children’s safeguarding.

“The professionals involved with these families failed to communicate adequately with each other and did not follow correct procedures and practice to safeguard children. This level of failure was unacceptable.

“Southampton City Council has already responded to the findings of the Serious Case Reviews and I am pleased to say that they have taken significant action to improve children’s social services over the past year.

“I am confident that while more work needs to be done; significant progress has been made to improve the safeguarding system for children in Southampton.”

The Serious Case Reviews and the LSCB’s Learning and Improvement report are available here.