Birmingham City Council wrong over child deaths

Jan 31 2009 By Jeanette Oldham

CHILD deaths at a crisis-hit social services department have more than doubled in four years – despite council claims that there has been no increase.

Birmingham City Council’s children’s services was given a year to improve by the Government on Friday after the Sunday Mercury revealed that 15 youngsters had died of abuse or neglect since 2005.

The authority was ordered to make “robust and sustained” improvements and will now face regular checks by an external monitoring team.

Last month we revealed that 15 children had died from abuse or neglect since 2005, with at least eight known to social workers.

Birmingham’s strategic director for children, young people and families Tony Howell – who earns between £138,000 and £153,000 a year – has repeatedly insisted child deaths have not risen annually.

But Freedom of Information figures released to Parliament in 2006 and analysed by this paper show the death toll has escalated over the past four years.

There were seven child deaths in Birmingham resulting in a serious case review investigation between 2000 to 2004 (inclusive). Since April 2005 there have been a further 15 deaths in the city, more than double the figure from the previous four-year period.

Birmingham City Council has refused to comment on the increase or say whether Mr Howell receives performance-related pay or bonuses.

It has also failed to reveal how much it spends on ‘family support’. A recent Ofsted report described the amount as ‘very low’ and said the council’s ability to protect children from physical and sexual abuse was ‘inadequate’.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes described the embattled social care department as in “serious difficulty”.

Birmingham Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood demanded a full inquiry, as he warned the department was “not under control”.

He asked Ms Hughes: “As was revealed in this