Windsor and Maidenhead Local Safeguarding Children Board
Publication year:
2014
Pagination:
185
Place of publication:
Maidenhead
... are very likely to have led to the detection of serious injuries and would probably have prevented his death. The report makes a number of recommendations, including: the LSCB should oversee the production of a ‘pathway’ for the management by health professionals of bruising so as to ensure that it is consistent with sound multi-agency child protection practice; all health visiting teams should
(Edited publisher abstract)
The review concerns two children: EY was aged 11 months when he died on 20 March 2011 and his older brother OY was aged 23 months. On the morning of 18 March 2011 EY was taken to hospital by ambulance. He had suffered a very serious head injury, which caused his death two days later. The post-mortem examination revealed that EY had suffered bruises and fractures at different ages and determined that it was virtually impossible to explain the head injury other than as the result of non-accidental injury. There was evidence that the mother’s denied or concealed her two pregnancies and that she showed little positive interest in EY; professionals missed opportunities to protect EY on several occasions when they identified suspicious bruises but failed to take action. The conclusions of the SCR were that 1) over the long term the risks to EY were underestimated 2) when he moved to live with his mother he should have been closely monitored because of the concerns about the circumstances of his birth and his mother’s failure to visit him for long periods when he had been looked after 3) in the two weeks before his death professionals missed opportunities to intervene which, if they had been taken, are very likely to have led to the detection of serious injuries and would probably have prevented his death. The report makes a number of recommendations, including: the LSCB should oversee the production of a ‘pathway’ for the management by health professionals of bruising so as to ensure that it is consistent with sound multi-agency child protection practice; all health visiting teams should be briefed about action take in the event of observed bruising on an infant; and children’s social care services should develop local good practice guidance for the staff, including the provision of training on concealed pregnancy and birth.
(Edited publisher abstract)