The social services department responsible for the safety of murdered toddler Preston Davey is reported to have ignored 37 referrals relating to another child-abuse victim.
Oldham council’s child services staff “did not act” on school referrals relating to a 10-year-old boy, who had been known to the local authority since birth.
The boy, referred to as Abdur, although that is not his real name, was taken to hospital with life-threatening malnutrition and scurvy in February 2022 following months of neglect by his mother, it was reported by The Sunday Times.
Rapid weight loss, “mouldy” bread in his lunchbox and tooth pain were all noted by teachers, according to the report. But no action was taken by the council, and after his release from hospital, he returned home to live with his mother, a drug addict who has since left Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Abdur and Preston were two of three children known to Oldham’s social services before they were either killed or seriously harmed from late 2021 to mid-2023. The local authority has the highest rate of physical child abuse in the UK, with 146 cases per 10,000 children, according to official figures.
In December 2021, Dylan Scanlon, five, who was known to social services, was murdered by his mother, Claire Scanlon, 40, with a lethal dose of antidepressants. Several referrals were made, but they were not acted on by the authority.
A councillor claimed Oldham council’s child services did not intervene in the case of Abdur because of high staff turnover, and described its inaction as “terrible”. They told The Sunday Times: “The transience of social workers, from one local authority to another, not staying long, is a big problem.”
Jamie Varley (left) and John McGowan-Fazakerley were imprisoned over the death of baby Preston
Another local authority permanently removed his older siblings from their mother’s care.
It emerged that Oldham council only acted on one out of 38 referrals made by his teachers after Abdur told them his mother had “stomped” on his leg, but his mother denied the claim when a social worker visited the family.
The local authority has been criticised for failing to act in the case of Preston. He was killed and sexually abused by Jamie Varley, a teacher from Blackpool, in July 2023. Varley and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley had adopted Preston three months earlier.
It emerged in the trial at Preston Crown Court, where Varley was given a whole life prison sentence, that Preston had suffered 40 injuries, although Varley claimed he accidentally drowned in a bath. The post mortem examination revealed the scale of the child’s injuries.
A council spokesman said: “Oldham’s children’s services work every day with thousands of vulnerable children and families, alongside partners across health, education and the police.
“The safety and wellbeing of children is our highest priority, and any case where a child has suffered harm is deeply distressing. Each of the cases referenced has been subject to detailed independently led review, with important lessons identified and acted upon.
“The same process of review will now take place in relation to the tragic case of Preston Davey. The review will be published upon completion. Until that time, out of respect for Preston’s family and loved ones, we urge people not to speculate about the facts of this case.”
A spokesman for the Government said: “These cases are sickening and heartbreaking, and the public rightly demand answers about what went wrong.
“We can assure them we will make sure anyone responsible for negligence faces consequences and that lessons will be learned in Oldham and across the country.”