The ombudsman, Anne Seex, found that Liverpool City Council failed to follow long-established guidance when social workers who had no specific training assessed her age. She said the girl, who was from Cameroon, missed more than 15 months of care.
The council's age assessment of Miss T omitted important aspects and then failed to give adequate reasons for its decision that she was over 18.
A later, properly conducted assessment by a different council assessed her as being 16. This assessment was proven to be accurate by official papers later obtained from her country of origin.
By this time she was pregnant and receiving therapy for sexual abuse and having been subjected to witchcraft practices.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
