UK CPS FAIL

By on 9-05-2012 in CPS Incompetence, Jayden Lee Green, UK

UK CPS FAIL

The Bristol Safeguarding Children Board reviewed the methadone overdose case of 23-month old Jayden Lee Green and concluded that the welfare agencies missed 50 opportunities to intervene for his safety!

Jayden was found dead in his parent’s bed in August 2011. He was given methadone to sedate  him by his crack cocaine and heroin-addicted parents Jamie Green and  Sonia Britton” in a filthy flat in the St Georges area of Bristol.”

“Before his birth there were  concerns that  Britton was regularly injecting heroin while also taking  methadone during the  pregnancy. Following his birth he became subject of a child protection plan but  that was discontinued.

A second child protection plan was commenced  but moves to take Jayden Lee into care were never initiated, the review  said.”

Lack of “Authoritative Challenge”

“During this time Green and Britton continued  to use heroin and methadone and  were also were falsifying regular urine tests.  They pair later admitted  they ‘knew the tricks to get around  screening’.

The report also found that there was a lack  of co-operation from Jayden Lee’s parents with all involved in dealing with  them. This included drug agencies, midwifery, housing, health visitors, social  workers and there were also regular failures to keep appointments or be at home  when visits were made.

The report stated: ‘What was lacking was the  authoritative challenge to this lack of co-operation, there was a lack of  enforcement of consequences. There was a lack of challenge by practitioners  across the range of agencies.'”

“‘The only way that Child K’s death would  definitely have been prevented was if he had been placed away from his  parents.

‘The opportunity to do this was lost due to  the failure to follow through on the initiation of care proceedings. However, a  better-planned and authoritative approach to the family may also have prevented  his death.’

It was revealed today that Jayden Lee  suffered two head injuries – one at seven weeks and one at 11 weeks – and his  parents gave the same explanation.

The report stated that this should have  raised concerns that the injuries were not accidental.

The boy also sustained injuries to his face  at 21 and 23 months old and  again the same explanations were given when he was  seen by medical  professionals.”

“After a three week trial at Bristol Crown  Court, Green was convicted of  manslaughter and causing cruelty to a child and  jailed for nine years.

The jury cleared Britton of manslaughter but  convicted her of child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child. She  was jailed for four  years.

The trial heard that there were bags of  rubbish lying around their one-bedroom ground floor  rented flat, as well as  drug paraphernalia kept in cupboards and crack  pipes under the sink.

A rolled up cigarette was found in a child’s  cot and there were also dirty potties.

Both his parents were prescribed methadone  and scientific tests showed the  fatal dose administered to Jayden Lee was not  the first time he had been given the drug.”

Committee Recommendations

“‘Many of the recommendations outlined in the  findings of the report have already been implemented, including a new working  group on substance misuse, revised guidance and protocol for practitioners, a  review of services for drug-using patients and arrangements for prescribing  methadone.

‘Two events to improve and strengthen  communications are under way.

‘Our legal team has introduced new guidelines  on how legal advice is given and improved monitoring of the progress of  cases.'”

 

Welfare agencies missed 50 chances to save toddler who died of methadone overdose at hands of heroin-addict parents

[Daily Mail 9/4/12 by Emily Allen]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *