Dad injected toddlers with heroin ‘to help them sleep’ and one was born an addict after mum used while she was pregnant
A DAD injected his two toddlers with heroin in an attempt to “help them sleep” a safeguarding investigation found. The chilling abuse was only uncovered after staff at the children’s nursery spotted an “injection bruise” on one of the kids. Both of the kids, and their two older siblings, reportedly suffered “chronic neglect” for a […]
A DAD injected his two toddlers with heroin in an attempt to “help them sleep” a safeguarding investigation found.
The chilling abuse was only uncovered after staff at the children’s nursery spotted an “injection bruise” on one of the kids.
Both of the kids, and their two older siblings, reportedly suffered “chronic neglect” for a significant period of time.
A Child Safeguarding Practice Review was conducted involving several agencies, including Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Police.
According to the Manchester Evening News, failings were also identified in the way that the case had been handled by social services.
The location of the reports has not been disclosed to keep the children anonymous.
Both victims, referred to as Chloe and Harper in the report to anonymise them, had been under a child protection plan since 2018.
This was due to neglect which involved a background of domestic abuse, parental mental health, drug and alcohol abuse and criminal behaviour.
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Amanda Clarke, an independent safeguarding advisor who authored the report, wrote: “In November 2019 an older child, not within the family but who has the same father as the two youngest children Chloe and Harper, alleged that father had been injecting both children with heroin to get them to sleep.
“Safeguarding medicals were undertaken for Chloe and Harper. Positive opiate tests were eventually returned for both children, although there was no evidence of an injection site at the safeguarding examinations.
“However, when one of the children attended nursery three days later a potential injection bruise to the thigh was seen.
“As a result of the reported information care proceedings commenced for all four children and they were removed from the care of Mother and Father.”
According to the review the mum of the children was identified as a drug user while she was pregnant with Chloe, the younger toddler, in 2018.
Chloe was born with neo-natal abstinence syndrome, NAS, which happens when a newborn baby suffers withdrawal symptoms from an addictive substance that its mum has taken during pregnancy.
All four of the siblings were referred to social services and were then placed under a child protection plan.
Despite evidence of continuing drug abuse by both parents the protection plan was ended 10 weeks later.
‘VIOLENT DOMESTIC INCIDENT’
In September 2018 both of the parents were involved in a “violent” domestic abuse incident where both of them sustains serious injuries.
Police discovered weapons at the family home and observed that both parents appeared under the influence.
Following this incident the dad attempted suicide and showed up at one child’s school while he was heavily intoxicated.
Ms Clarke wrote how eldest child, referred to as Ava, had “subsequently disclosed that she was aware of her stepdad’s suicide attempt and had witnessed mother overdosing as a result.
“Ava said she had been unable to sleep due to fearing that she would wake up to find both parents dead and have to care for her siblings.”
Concerns regarding both parents drug and alcohol use were noted in 2019, as well as concerns about their mental health and criminal behaviour.
The dad of the children had spent time in prison which was also flagged up as a problem.
Ms Clarke added: “It was suspected that both parents prioritised their substance use over the care of their children, both in terms of their availability to provide care and emotional warmth, and in their use of financial resources, which resulted in times when the children did not have adequate food or warmth.”
All four children were removed from the care of their parents, with the eldest child confessing to professionals that she would rather “go into care” than return home.
‘SIGNIFICANT NEGLECT’
She described the misery of witnessing her mother’s heroin use along with listening to her dad talking about suicide.
Social services were criticised in the review, claiming that there was too much emphasis on supporting the parents with their addictions and mental health problems than the reality of life for their children.
It was noted that after Chloe was born, staff sickness severely impacted the children’s service department, with two social workers allocated to the case and a manager on sick leave for long periods.
Social workers in the case were also slow to detect signs of neglect.
Ms Clarke concluded: “Examination of what happened in the lives of the four children and their family has highlighted the environment of significant neglect in which they lived.
“The brief feedback available from the children, helps to show what life was like for them and that for much of the time they were, as Lucas said scared and confused.
“Despite some individual professionals recognising the unacceptable lived experience for the children the multi disciplinary processes which occurred did not routinely help to ensure that the children’s situation improved.
“The children did not always remain the key focus when decisions were being made and when services were delivered.
“The complex and cumulative nature of neglect for these children was a constant challenge for professionals and organisational circumstances locally at the time meant that some responses were not effective and delays occurred.”
