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MPs criticise leadership at Solihull and Bradford after child deaths

3 mins read Social Care
A group of MPs have raised “serious concerns” over failures in leadership at Solihull and Bradford councils, two years on from the murders of Star Hobson and Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson were killed in 2020. Picture: West Midlands Police/West Yorkshire Police
Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson were killed in 2020. Picture: West Midlands Police/West Yorkshire Police

Chair of the House of Commons’ education select committee Sir Robert Halfon has written to new Education Secretary Kit Malthouse, sharing members’ concerns over whether chief executives at both councils “are best placed to continue to lead and oversee the state of children’s services in both authorities”.

Arthur, six, was murdered by his mother’s partner Emma Tustin, in Solihull, in June 2020. His father was convicted of his manslaughter.

Star was killed by her mother’s partner Savannah Brockhill, in Bradford, in September 2020. Her mother was convicted of causing or allowing her death.

A national review into the deaths found that while children’s services in Bradford and Solihull had been alerted to concerns of family members in both cases these “were disregarded and not taken seriously enough”.

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