Judge hits out at Swindon social services in child protection case

By The Press Association3rd November 2015News EnglandChild Protection, Local Authorities, News England, Wiltshire

Social service bosses should have moved more quickly to protect five children at the centre of abuse and neglect concerns, a family court judge has suggested.

Swindon Borough Council had records relating the children’s family dating back to 2000, said Judge Alex Ralton.

He said a chronology ran to 19 pages and concerns had been raised about neglect and abuse.

In May 2013 one of the youngsters had been sent to school in a “soiled and wet nappy”.

But the children – aged between 14 and three – had not been made the subject of child protection plans until December 2014.

“It seems quite extraordinary that Swindon Borough Council did not make the children subject to child protection plans until December 3 2014,” said the judge, in a ruling following a family court hearing in Swindon.

“There was no satisfactory explanation.”

Judge Ralton said he had analysed evidence after the council asked for the children to be taken from the care of their parents.