In April 2009, police took a harrowing call from distraught mother Laura Fletcher, who had just drowned her four-year-old daughter Chloe in the bath, then attempted suicide.
Laura, who had a history of mental health problems, was later convicted of manslaughter and is being detained indefinitely in a secure psychiatric hospital.
A key finding in the serious case review (SCR) by Wirral Local Safeguarding Children Board was that social workers and health professionals failed to take into account the severity of Laura's mental illness.
After an initial assessment by social workers in 2007, which found that Chloe was a "happy and well looked-after little girl", Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council's children's services' case file on the Fletchers was effectively closed, only to be reopened months later following reports from Laura's family of further mental instability.
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
