A child safeguarding practice review has found that a series of failures by Middlesbrough Council, Cleveland Police and the NHS led to a two-year-old boy being hospitalised with cocaine in his system in 2020. The boy, referred to as Liam to protect his identity, was taken to James Cook University Hospital after becoming 'floppy and unresponsive', with tests revealing numerous substances including cocaine.
The review noted that Liam's parents' drug use and domestic violence were not taken seriously enough by authorities. The family had been known to multiple agencies since 2005, with concerns over domestic abuse, parental mental health, neglect, substance misuse, offending and criminal exploitation. Despite 57 police calls about the family, incidents were treated in isolation, showing a 'lack of professional curiosity'.
Liam was already subject to a child protection plan from Middlesbrough Council's social workers and was taken into care after hospital discharge. The review highlighted missed opportunities, including limited contact with his GP despite a medical condition, and a failure to provide domestic abuse support to his mother, who had attended A&E with injuries four times since 2018.
The South Tees Safeguarding Children Partnership acknowledged the failings, with independent chair Edwina Harrison stating: 'Safeguarding is never straightforward and Liam's case was particularly complex... It is essential that changes take place as a matter of urgency.' The authorities said lessons have been learned and changes made.
