I am so sad, but trembling with anger at the death of yet another defenceless child. If I hear " we have/will learn from this" How many more?
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Unfortunately there will be many more. Until these social services people, councils etc are held accountable for their incompetance things wont change, box tickers does not work only qualified people capable of doing the job in hand are required. This box ticking wave of inclusion, diversity etc bo**ocks doesnt work and never will. I read when the case was going to court, the chief responsible resigned to escape responsibility.
From what little I know about this case several opportunities to intervene were missed - but this is *always* the case when tragedy strikes and the worst happens and the case gets into the public eye, almost by definition (the Swiss cheese model of failure). Also donât forget the step mother was extremely manipulative and barred social workers from contact with the child, making their task much harder.
The public doesnât get to hear of all the cases where Social services successfully intervened on a childâs behalf, just when it goes wrong (and donât forget many well publicised instances critical of Social services for *over* interfering)
In the main this is not the problem.
The problem is under-funding, under-manning and under-training.
But itâs easier to attack the stereotype of the âbox ticking social workerâ.
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Interesting article in Prospect last month about the curse of âsafetyismâ, which essentially is those in social services, hospitals etc having as their main concern protection of their own backs. It leads to a box-ticking culture where judgment is undervalued if not repressed. As long as you can show youâve followed the protocols, which are designed to protect the authority concerned, you canât go wrong.
A social worker spoke to James OâBrien today, he said the evidence âtheyâ had would red flag a no questions good reason to take Arthur from his parents, and then continue with any investigation, at least he would have been safe 
The bar stewards who reduce funding for any vulnerable section of society are complicity, IMO.
Whole life sentence, nothing less.
Iâm still shaking with rage.
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Their sentences are being reviewed to consider whether they are too lenient. The videos of that poor boy are unbearable, too horrifying to watch. Iâm hoping for a whole life sentence for that despicable woman too.
Izzy x
It was always thus. Iâve said previously here that people only get to hear of the bad things that happen ⌠because thatâs what sells as far as the media is concerned. All the good, which vastly outweighs the bad, is never heard of. Thatâs incredibly sad, but of course it just doesnât sell.
It seems the mother has been got at in prison and the inmates are taking the matter into their hands of justice. Good for them. Now she can see and feel what neglect and punishment is like.
Thereâs a hierarchy âinsideâ and crimes against children are very low down on it, she probably wonât enjoy prison life very much.
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Think it was his stepmother