The serious case review (SCR) for Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding Children Board published the report of ‘Child A’, which highlighted gross negligence in handling the long-term abuse one child suffered at home.
Although the girl was subject to a child protection plan, Leicestershire services didn't remove her from her home environment until information about an assault by her father recently surfaced. The lack of intervention was due, among other factors, to inefficient handover between authorities, an over-optimistic bias, and an inconsistent custody schedule between the parents. The report states that child services' intervention will make little difference in Child A’s daily experiences and that she will likely suffer long-term developmental impairment.
A Leicestershire spokesperson admitted that things could have been done better, and that internal inquiries are being carried out in order to avoid such happenings in the future.