In March 2010, London Ambulance Service was called to a family home in response to a case of multiple and serious non-accidental injuries sustained by a 2 year old child. The child’s mother had been an asylum seeker who had died as a result of not receiving medication for a life threatening illness. The child was initially accommodated with a foster carer, but care was subsequently taken over
In March 2010, London Ambulance Service was called to a family home in response to a case of multiple and serious non-accidental injuries sustained by a 2 year old child. The child’s mother had been an asylum seeker who had died as a result of not receiving medication for a life threatening illness. The child was initially accommodated with a foster carer, but care was subsequently taken over by the child’s father and his wife. Around the time the father, his wife and their child were diagnosed with serious medical conditions. Three significant factors are considered in this Serious Case Review. The first is the mother and child’s greater vulnerability consequent upon the high mobility inherent in the UK asylum policy of dispersal which led to health agencies losing track of her. The second was the quality of assessment of the child’s father and his wife’s ability to care for the child. The third was the emphasis on confidentiality within medical services that reduced information sharing with other agencies that could have offered support. The failure to use interpreters is also considered. This executive summary provides an overview of how this review was conducted, key findings, learning, and recommendations.