BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL bosses have admitted 19 children have died of abuse or neglect in Birmingham in the past five years – with 16 known to social workers.A further three youngsters suffered ‘serious injury that could have resulted in death’.
Previously Birmingham City Council had only admitted to 15 child deaths since 2004 but it issued the grim new figures after an investigation by a local newspaper
The shock news comes days after its child protection services were officially branded “not fit for purpose” in a council scrutiny report.
The inquiry was prompted after the department was labelled inadequate by Ofsted inspectors last December.
The sad new statistics show that the council, Britain’s biggest local authority, has initiated 22 Serious Case Reviews (SCR) since January 2004. Eighteen related to deaths, including two siblings who died between 2006/07.
A council spokesman confirmed that of the 19 deaths a staggering 16 were known to social workers and in some cases other agencies including West Midlands Police, local health trusts and probation.
The other three children out of the 22 cases did not die but suffered serious injury.
The shocking death toll means Birmingham City Council has by far the worst ever record for suspicious child deaths in the country.
The authority was put in special measures by the Government in January. It was one of only four authorities – including Doncaster and Haringey where Baby P died – to be judged to have inadequate children’s services last year by Ofsted.
Doncaster has had seven child deaths in the past five years. A Government team is now running its child protection services while Birmingham has been given until February to improve or face its department being taken over.
Tony Howell, Strategic Director for Children Young People and Families, is at the helm of the shamed child protection service and earns between £138,000 and £153,000 a year.
