Child safety businesses failed a weak and severely-asthmatic schoolboy who died alone in “horrendous” circumstances, a severe case evaluation has concluded.
Hakeem Hussain’s ultimate moments had been spent “gasping for air” after he suffered an bronchial asthma assault within the backyard of a property he was staying in together with his neglectful mom, Laura Heath, a drug addict.
Authorities “could and should have done better” to guard the seven-year-old, who died “needlessly” on 26 November, 2017, a damning evaluation by Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership (BSCP), printed on Thursday, mentioned.
Heath, 40, previously of Long Acre, Nechells, Birmingham, smoked three luggage of heroin, leaving her in a drug-induced sleep, on the night time of the tragedy.
She was jailed for 20 years after being convicted of gross negligence manslaughter following a trial at Coventry Crown Court – the place the decide, Mr Justice Dove, blamed Hakeem’s dying on “catastrophic and deplorable” parenting.
Heath, who spent £55 a day on her drug behavior, modified one in all Hakeem’s inhalers with foil and a plastic band to smoke crack cocaine.
She later contributed to the intense case evaluation saying: “Hakeem should never have been left with me.”
Two days earlier than Hakeem collapsed, on Friday, 24 November, a nurse warned a toddler safety convention he “could die at the weekend”.
A social employee agreed to talk to Heath on the next Monday – by which era the “bright and bubbly” boy was useless.
No motion was taken over the weekend regardless of Hakeem’s security being scored as zero out of 10 by a nurse and a household outreach employee at his college, Nechells Primary.
Speaking after her conviction, chief govt of the Birmingham Children’s Trust Andy Couldrick conceded there have been “clear missed opportunities” to assist Hakeem.
Independent chairwoman of the BSCP Penny Thompson admitted that “with the benefit of hindsight”, Hakeem’s “severe neglect” was “there to be seen well before the decision to place him on a child protection plan”.
“Through the serious case review we have learned all those organisations and individuals who came into professional contact with Hakeem could and should have done better,” Ms Thompson mentioned.
His college didn’t intervene regardless of his “unhappiness and fear of repeated asthma attacks” resulting in a marked discount in his college attendance and efficiency, the evaluation discovered.
“In particular, the school did not escalate their concerns effectively, there was a lack of join-up across health service organisations and ineffective discharge for his asthma,” Ms Thompson continued.
“The GP did not recognise a need to share important information without consent because of the risk of significant harm.”
The social employee prioritised different weak members of the family at Hakeem’s expense, whereas police didn’t establish safeguarding alternatives when responding to incidents.
Hakeem spent his brief life battling to get his voice heard amid the competing considerations of his “incapable” mom’s drug dependancy, severe financial hardship and poor housing.
This, mixed together with his persistent bronchial asthma, “finally proved fatal”.
Hakeem father was in jail on the time of his dying. Heath’s different youngsters had been beforehand taken into care.
Ms Thompson mentioned there have been “significant developments and improvements in services” since 2017.
“We cannot guarantee no child will suffer neglect, nor die from asthma, but we can assure everyone learning from Hakeem’s death has contributed to positive and lasting improvements in partnership working for the protection of children.”
Source: information.sky.com”