Baby death forced fostering probe

The death of a baby girl who had suffered 13 broken ribs after being placed in foster care in Rotherham forced a review of fostering services.

The baby, known as Child V, was born to a heroin addict in in October 2006 and placed with carers Mr and Mrs A.

She was placed with them despite a recommendation they should not be given responsibility for any more children.

A case review said the council's fostering service was "inadequate". The council said things have improved.

The fostering service is overstretched and struggling to meet demand Rotherham council serious case review report

A post-mortem examination found the girl's injuries had not caused her death but were "non-accidental".

The rib fractures were thought to have happened four weeks before Child V's death as a result of "forceful squeezing by an adult", while healing tears of the upper and lower lip up to two weeks old were "consistent with a slap or force feeding".

Police launched a criminal investigation but no charges were brought.

Mr and Mrs A, who had two children of their own, were accepted as foster carers by Rotherham Council in June 2005 and went on to foster 13 children.

The serious case review of Child V's death noted concern surrounding the couple's care of these children.

However, it concluded there was no evidence that any agency should have identified Child V's injuries before her death.

'Operational problems'

The report said: "The reviews throughout the couple's recruitment and fostering career suggest the fostering service is overstretched and struggling to meet demand.

"Fundamental change is needed to address this issue."

Judith Dodd, chair of the Rotherham Safeguarding Children Board, said the council had brought in new procedures to improve its fostering service, including new assessments and more training.

She said: "The care offered to this child was clearly not of the standard we would want for looked-after children.

"This case has highlighted operational problems which Children and Young People's Services have dealt with, or are in the process of dealing with, to ensure the recruitment and monitoring of foster carers is as robust as it can be."

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