ms hope
05-12-2009, 02:42 PM
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Grieving-parents-to-sue-over.5886832.jp
Grieving parents to sue over death of boy in care
Warren Jobling: Long delays in investigation into his death.
Published Date:
04 December 2009
By Martin Slack
A YORKSHIRE council which has been heavily criticised over its services for vulnerable children will face legal action over the death of a disabled boy in the authority's respite care.
Andrea and Ian Jobling will pursue Doncaster Council over the case of their seven-year-old son Warren, while a childcare watchdog which examined his case admitted yesterday that the investigation had taken "too long".
Mr and Mrs Jobling's action comes as a further blow to the council, which has faced repeated investigations into the deaths of seven children who died despite being known to the town's social services.
Doncaster's Independent Safeguarding Children Board's chairman, Roger Thompson, yesterday published a report which concluded Warren's death "could have happened anywhere, at any time", effectively clearing the council of any blame.
But he said he understood the family had been left frustrated and distressed and added that communication should have been better between the authorities and Mr and Mrs Jobling over the long delays.
Mr Thompson's report said Warren had died of "natural causes" linked to his disabilities while in respite care, which had been provided by a Doncaster Council-registered carer on a "short breaks" basis.
But Mr and Mrs Jobling have refused to accept the conclusions of the report. Mrs Jobling said she was "convinced" her son died as a result of shortcomings in the care he received before his death in April 2008.
Lawyers acting for the family yesterday confirmed proceedings would continue against Doncaster Council and accused the authority and the report's authors of being "disingenuous" about the causes of Warren's death.
A summary detailing the main points of the serious case review into Warren's death makes a string of recommendations over how council respite care could be improved for disabled children.
Warren suffered from the rare Baraitser-Winter syndrome, which delays a child's physical and mental development, meaning he required complex care and close supervision at all times.
The review makes 25 recommendations, many relating to disabled children's schools, calling for better record keeping and better monitoring of youngsters who are given respite care.
Mrs Jobling said she and her husband were devastated by the loss of their son, and still visit his grave three times a day. She added: "I can't spend as long there in the cold weather, but I still light a candle on his grave every evening.
"I was shocked at the number of recommendations for changes in the report, but at the same time I have to be glad that lessons may have been learned that may help protect other children.
"I must stress that I personally have no criticism of Warren's school, despite the number of recommendations in the report. I believe that had the other recommendations been in place when Warren was alive he might still have been with us now."
The couple's solicitor, Sarah Young of Huddersfield firm Ridley and Hall, said large parts of the serious case review were "not accepted", particularly the suggestion that Warren's death did not warrant such an investigation.
"The Safeguarding Children Board have suggested that Warren's case did not meet the suggested criteria for a serious case review. In that case why have the review in the first place?" she said. "The board seem to be saying that the family insisted on the review which meant that it had to be carried through. That is disingenuous."
Last night Doncaster Council's head of children's service, Nick Jarman, said he was aware the Joblings were taking legal action and said he could not comment on an ongoing case.
But he added: "We fully recognise the sadness of this case and the tragedy of it for his parents. This serious case review made a number of very straightforward recommendations. Since the review was instigated in 2008, all of the recommendations have been implemented."
Grieving parents to sue over death of boy in care
Warren Jobling: Long delays in investigation into his death.
Published Date:
04 December 2009
By Martin Slack
A YORKSHIRE council which has been heavily criticised over its services for vulnerable children will face legal action over the death of a disabled boy in the authority's respite care.
Andrea and Ian Jobling will pursue Doncaster Council over the case of their seven-year-old son Warren, while a childcare watchdog which examined his case admitted yesterday that the investigation had taken "too long".
Mr and Mrs Jobling's action comes as a further blow to the council, which has faced repeated investigations into the deaths of seven children who died despite being known to the town's social services.
Doncaster's Independent Safeguarding Children Board's chairman, Roger Thompson, yesterday published a report which concluded Warren's death "could have happened anywhere, at any time", effectively clearing the council of any blame.
But he said he understood the family had been left frustrated and distressed and added that communication should have been better between the authorities and Mr and Mrs Jobling over the long delays.
Mr Thompson's report said Warren had died of "natural causes" linked to his disabilities while in respite care, which had been provided by a Doncaster Council-registered carer on a "short breaks" basis.
But Mr and Mrs Jobling have refused to accept the conclusions of the report. Mrs Jobling said she was "convinced" her son died as a result of shortcomings in the care he received before his death in April 2008.
Lawyers acting for the family yesterday confirmed proceedings would continue against Doncaster Council and accused the authority and the report's authors of being "disingenuous" about the causes of Warren's death.
A summary detailing the main points of the serious case review into Warren's death makes a string of recommendations over how council respite care could be improved for disabled children.
Warren suffered from the rare Baraitser-Winter syndrome, which delays a child's physical and mental development, meaning he required complex care and close supervision at all times.
The review makes 25 recommendations, many relating to disabled children's schools, calling for better record keeping and better monitoring of youngsters who are given respite care.
Mrs Jobling said she and her husband were devastated by the loss of their son, and still visit his grave three times a day. She added: "I can't spend as long there in the cold weather, but I still light a candle on his grave every evening.
"I was shocked at the number of recommendations for changes in the report, but at the same time I have to be glad that lessons may have been learned that may help protect other children.
"I must stress that I personally have no criticism of Warren's school, despite the number of recommendations in the report. I believe that had the other recommendations been in place when Warren was alive he might still have been with us now."
The couple's solicitor, Sarah Young of Huddersfield firm Ridley and Hall, said large parts of the serious case review were "not accepted", particularly the suggestion that Warren's death did not warrant such an investigation.
"The Safeguarding Children Board have suggested that Warren's case did not meet the suggested criteria for a serious case review. In that case why have the review in the first place?" she said. "The board seem to be saying that the family insisted on the review which meant that it had to be carried through. That is disingenuous."
Last night Doncaster Council's head of children's service, Nick Jarman, said he was aware the Joblings were taking legal action and said he could not comment on an ongoing case.
But he added: "We fully recognise the sadness of this case and the tragedy of it for his parents. This serious case review made a number of very straightforward recommendations. Since the review was instigated in 2008, all of the recommendations have been implemented."