From my 12 years of research, I know that the pressure staff come under – especially from hostile parents – can cloud their judgment
- Harry Ferguson is professor of social work at the University of Birmingham
When six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and 16-month-old Star Hobson’s deaths from appalling physical abuse became widely known in December there was an outpouring of public anger, grief and questions about how this could possibly have been allowed to happen. The review into their deaths, published yesterday provides some answers – but fails to engage fully with some vitally important issues.
First, the review rightly emphasises that both children had the misfortune to be in the care of exceptionally cruel parents and step-parents. Social workers never saw Arthur on his own to hear from him what his life was like, and they didn’t get close to Star either, focusing predominantly on her parents. But a vital message from the review is that the concerns of children’s wider families must be taken very seriously. Star and Arthur’s other relatives could see their deterioration and made reports, including sending photos and videos of bruising to the children that were, after investigation, regarded by professionals as malicious.
Harry Ferguson is professor of social work at the University of Birmingham and the author of Child Protection Practice.
