Its all so obvious in retrospect. Sadly, little Daniel has been let down and we can do nothing for him except try to learn by the mistakes and the omissions of the Services who yet again were involved. The police went to the home on 26 separate occasions. They were called by concerned ? neighbours who heard domestic abuse and who were worried. The police didn't see what now they may have done if their eyes and ears were wide open. The teachers and teaching assistants who noted his bruises, his hunger and his weight loss,All this demonstrates the need for vigilance and the courage to venture into the possibility by enquiring in case safeguarding is urgently required. How many other children are out there now who are showing signs they need help but who are not getting it?

It is high time we started holding people personally accountable in their employment. Until we take that particular step, all we'll get are "mistakes were made, lesson will be learned" platitudes from those in office. Nothing will change and as Gladys rightly asks, how many others are there...

Accountability- by the current standards it would seem that most in office cannot even spell it let alone know what it means but Yes, this is what is required.

Ooh,a national debate. That'll help protect the kids.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-25092152

Words are cheap.

It's about time we saw some action with those in office being held properly accountable.

The matters of Haringey and Miss Shoesmith's Unfair Dismissal award do not bide well with this. They may not have followed correct procedure in dismissing her and for that she gets the payout. However, she would have been dismissed anyway for the failings of her department and the staff with in it as the buck stops with her. So why does she get a reported massive £600,000? That isn't accountability at all.

Sadly Gladys, that imbecile Balls must be held accountable here. He acted with a knee-jerk to suit his own aims rather than think things through.

Rebbonk, you're right , so why hasn't he been going through a Dismissal?

I really don't know. The guy is a buffoon and a walking disaster, yet at the moment he seems to be leading a charmed life. Bit like Teflon Tone.

Well, that's something we didn't know....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-25759251

Makes you sick doesn't it?

"Mr Walsh said: "I could never give assurances this could never happen again."

I know social services do a difficult job, I know they're damned whatever they do, and I know that they're understaffed... but this admission is almost beyond belief.

Its frightening beyond belief and this is just one Social Service Department. What the others across the UK are ' not ' doing is also a worry.

Sadly Social Services in Fife,Scotland seem to be under scrutiny in the sad case of little Mikaeel Kular. It seems he and his siblings slipped from their radar when they moved to Edinburgh. The Mother is today charged with his murder.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542612/Mikaeel-Kulars-mother-Rosdeep-Kular-appears-court-sons-death.html

I had hoped they would find the cause of his death was some terrible tragic accident and she'd panicked. RIP little one.

Apparently, someone's 'acting on' 'lessons learned'. Anyone else believe what's being said?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-26064242

Mmmm.... It still isn't a joined up process though. Different Cities, different A&Es, Councils, Social Services Departments all with different procedures and processes. It all seems to focus around a need for better communication within a service and between agencies as well as a better educated workforce all round. Educated to identify possible abuse and to act on it with courage. Putting the child first. I hark back to Fife. That dear little one was let down by a system that failed to follow-up his Health visitor's and social services monitoring for the fact he no longer lived in the area. There isn't anything in place to make it mandatory to declare these things. Any child within the care system should not be allowed to be removed by the parents or carers without a handover to the new area team. The remaining family in Fife would have known where the children had moved to, why weren't they made to tell?