Daniel Pelka

You just wonder whether anyone ever keeps any records of anything! I think the most depressing one is the paediatrician who swa him shortly before his death and didn't seem to notice how seriously underweight he was. You wonder how bad things have to be before anyone takes notice. I saw someone saying that if somebody had taken action he MIGHT not have died - well of course he wouldn't! If one person had realised that something was badly wrong he could have been removed and would still be alive.

I agree with everyone who expresses disbelief that this little boy wasn't properly cared for within our safeguarding/child protection procedures. I share the despair expressed by J08 - that the reality is, we wait for the next one.
All the indications were there, domestic abuse, alcohol dependence/abuse, frequent changes of partner by the mother who would then move the next 'step father' in. A little boy who was losing weight noticeably, stealing food, arrived at school with a broken arm and black eyes, aggressive parents who blamed the child (ill health, clumsy etc) , 26 call outs to police for domestic violence, a couple of times involving a knife. Children present on each occasion. A school nurse who acts appropriately and arranges a paediatric assessment, but a doctor who doesn't seem to have sought to confirm the parents explanations of the child's failure to thrive. The parent's failure to attend follow up appointments. Daniel's school attendance of concern.

What more needed to happen for a proper assessment of the needs of this little boy and his siblings to take place. I said on another thread, I feel shame that this could happen in the UK in 2013.

He also had bruising on his face, I just don't understand how they could have ignored all those signs.

Yes Greatnan. And they had clues - "scavenging in school waste bins".

this breaks your heart

How could someone not see that that mother was in a dreadful depression?

I still don't understand how teachers and other school staff who saw him five days a week did not notice how thin and hungry he was.

I don't think it's the lack of acting on observations. The professionals don't work together or share information even though they're supposed to. It's not that they don't want to. It's lack of time and resources.

And common sense and compassion cannot be learned Greatnan I agree that is what we need so perhaps we could be able to teach people how to be more observant and then act on it, some have this naturally but we could help others to develop this "skill".

I don't think any training will ever be a substitute for common sense and compassion.

jO8 I think you are right, I think it will be a case of when will the next one be. I wish it wouldn't be but I think like you I have little faith in the system. Trouble is, nobody will take responsibility for the mistakes that happened and so they wont have learned anything. You hope that lessons can be learned but......I wont hold my breath.

Just as before there will be a knee jerk reaction. Blame will be apportioned and some patsy will take the fall. Teachers, social workers etc will be sent on courses but until there are enough professionals in the system and they all share information properly sadly more children will die.

After each of these cases, they say that lessons have been learned, but then there`s another case, so lessons just aren`t being learnt. Therefore, more lovely little kiddies will probably die, which is too sad to contemplate.