Caleb Ness legacy: Record 3300 Children Reported At Risk

SOCIAL workers report more suspected cases of child neglect and abuse in the Capital than anywhere else in Scotland.

As the circumstances surrounding the violent death of Brandon Muir continue to shock the nation, the Evening News can reveal today that more than 3300 children have been reported in a year as being at risk of neglect or abuse.

The high referral rate has been put down to tigher rules introduced following the inquiry set up into the death of Edinburgh baby Caleb Ness, who met a similar fate at the hands of his violent, brain-damaged father in 2001.

Drug and alcohol abuse by parents has been identified as a “recurring theme” in the cases being reported in the city.

New figures show a total of 2917 referrals were made to the Children’s Reporter in one year in the Capital over allegations that children “suffer unnecessarily” or their health is “seriously impaired” due to their parent’s behaviour.

Another 390 youngsters in the city were referred during the same period after they were allegedly victims of physical or sexual abuse.

The Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA) said the volume of referrals had increased in recent years, particularly among very young children.

Figures from April 2007 to March last year revealed that Glasgow recorded 2149 such referrals, with Fife at 1870 and Aberdeen at 1178.

Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city’s children and families convener, said: “The high number of referrals is an indication of the importance the council and its partners place on identifying and supporting children who are suffering. Sadly, too many children are neglected and we have to do everything in our power to protect them.

“Communities are now more aware of these issues and what actions they can take to ensure children get support. Early intervention plays a key role in this and it is vital the council and our partners in health and police ensure the needs of each individual child is met.”

Lack of parental care cases can involve parents failing to feed and clothe a child properly, allowing them to live in a dirty or unhealthy home, allowing them to wander the streets unsupervised at night, or exposing them to drink or drug abuse.

Once a referral is received, the Reporter investigates the child’s circumstances by contacting sources such as teachers, social workers and the parents themselves.

If they decide that supervision measures are needed to protect the child, the case is passed to a Children’s Hearing.

The panel members can make a supervision requirement for the children to ensure they are being cared for, or make demands of the parents. In the most serious cases, youngsters can be taken into care on a “place of safety warrant”.

A SCRA spokeswoman said: “We have seen a rise in recent years in the numbers of children being referred for lack of parental care – particularly very young children.”

Children aged three and under made up nearly 1200 of the 2917 referrals last year.

Tom Roberts, head of public affairs at the Edinburgh-based child welfare charity Children 1st, said:

“We know that thousands of children are suffering because of their parent’s addiction to drugs or alcohol.”

Of last year’s 2917 referrals, police officers made 2572, while the education and social work departments made a further 296. A police spokesman said: “Child safety is a priority for Lothian and Borders Police.”

Caleb Ness tragedy uncovered fault ‘at every level’

ELEVEN-WEEK-OLD Caleb Ness died in October 2001, shaken to death in a Leith flat by his brain-damaged father Alexander Ness, who was sentenced to 11 years in jail for the killing.

Caleb spent the first month of his life in intensive care recovering from methadone addiction due to his mother’s use while pregnant, and was then released from hospital into the care of his father, who had previously been jailed for crimes of violence and drug dealing, and his recovering heroin addict mother, Shirley Malcolm.

At the time of Caleb’s death, Ness was still on licence after being released early from a five-year prison sentence.

A special inquiry was held in the wake of Caleb’s death, which resulted in the publishing of the 250-page O’Brien Report in 2003.

This found fault “at every level” of the health service and the city’s social work department, and said Caleb’s parents should never have been left unsupervised in charge of their child.

The report said vital information about Caleb’s situation had not been shared between police, health and social workers and emphasised the need for more accurate record keeping.

In November 2005, a set of 35 new child protection guidelines were issued by Edinburgh Lothian Borders Executive Group, set up in the wake of the O’Brien Report to oversee child protection in the region.

The guidelines included the need for an “inter-agency assessment” on all parents and expectant parents with substance abuse problems where there was concern about child safety, and said that a “lead professional” should be identified to manage the assessment, which should include at least one home visit.