Workers 'over-optimistic' in taking children off protection register

Social workers ‘over-optimistic’ in removing children from the protection register, finds Welsh safeguarding review following tragic deaths of murdered children including Logan Mwangi, Lola James and Kaylea Titford

• The report said the understanding of thresholds for child harm are ‘mostly good’
• But it said practices are not ‘consistently understood’ between Welsh agencies 

Social workers have been ‘over-optimistic’ in removing children from the protection register designed to keep them safe from harm, as was seen in the case of murdered Logan Mwangi, a Welsh safeguarding review has found. 

Care Inspectorate Wales’ (CIW) interim review, which comes following the tragic deaths of murdered children including five-year-old Logan, Lola James and Kaylea Titford, found there were ‘inconsistencies’ in workers’ focus on the risk of harm to children. 

The report said the ‘understanding and implementation of thresholds’ as to whether a child is or is at risk of experiencing significant harm are ‘mostly good’. 

But practices are not ‘consistently understood’ between partner agencies, such as the police, and local authorities in Wales.

CIW said it was asked to carry it the report ‘in response to a number of tragic child deaths’ but did not name any children in particular. 

Social workers are ‘over-optimistic’ in removing children from the protection register, according to a Welsh safeguarding review (pictured Lola James who was murdered in July 2020)

Care Inspectorate Wales’ interim review, which comes following the tragic deaths of murdered children including Logan Mwangi, Lola James and Kaylea Titford (pictured), found there were ‘inconsistencies’ in workers’ focus on the risk of harm to children

Five-year-old Logan Mwangi (pictured) was found dead on July 31 last year in the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend

The interim review made a number of findings but said a full report would be available in September.

It said: ‘Overall, the decision-making process about registration and deregistration is appropriately followed. However, practice around assessing and maintaining focus on risk of significant harm varies.

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‘On some occasions we saw evidence of professional ‘over optimism’, insufficient reference to the progress made, and risk of significant harm in the future.

‘Practitioners’ focus on the risk of significant harm to a child is inconsistent.’

Gillian Baranski of CIW, said: ‘The initial findings have shown good practice exists however this needs to be applied consistently both locally and nationally.

‘We need to ensure that the voice of the child is central to decision making.’

The report comes following the deaths of a number of children in Wales who were murdered by people responsible for their care.  

Five-year-old Logan Mwangi was found dead on July 31 last year in the River Ogmore in Sarn, Bridgend. 

He had suffered injuries that are usually seen in car crash victims during the horrific attack.

His mother Angharad Williamson, 31, of Lower Llansantffraid; stepfather John Cole, 40, of Maesglas in Ynysawdre; and stepbrother Craig Mulligan, 14, also of Maesglas, were found guilty of his murder and jailed for a combined 72 years.

Elsewhere, Kyle Bevan, 31, a self-confessed ‘spice head’, launched a savage attack on Lola James in July 2020 after the toddler’s mother failed to protect her following months of abuse.

Mother Sinead James, 30, allowed Bevan to move into her squalid home in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, just days after meeting him on Facebook at the start of the Covid pandemic. 

Bevan was jailed for six years – but will serve just half of that.

Kaylea Titford, 16, was found in conditions described as ‘unfit for any animal’, in soiled clothing and bed linen, following her death at the family home in Newtown, Powys, in October 2020.

Her mother Sarah Lloyd-Jones, 40, was originally jailed for six years, while her father, Alun Titford, 45, was told he would spend seven and a half years behind bars for gross negligence manslaughter in March.

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