A couple previously jailed for child cruelty allowed a man who turned out to be a convicted pedophile to make babies of their two youngest children, a review has found.
The couple had their first five children in another local authority area before moving to Blackpool in 2017, where they had two more babies.
However, the babies remained in their care after the mother lied to health staff about her previous children – and remained with their parents despite two police referrals to social services in March and April 2023.
Blackpool Council said it accepted that there was “inadequate communication” with the other areas of the local authority but that recommended changes had already been made.
The case was explored in a review by Blackpool’s Local Multi-Agency Child Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA).
It found that social services became aware that the parents had lied in June 2023, and asked for more information from the other local authority, but the parents claimed they had only had two previous adopted children and “they were different people now”.
Blackpool Council said improvements had been implemented [BBC]
Full details of their history with social services finally arrived at the end of September 2023 and an online meeting was requested, but the parents did not attend.
Victoria Gent, chair of MASA and director of children’s services at Blackpool Council, said: “Unfortunately, there will be circumstances where the true picture and relevant background information is not known in time.”
The review heard that school staff were concerned about the older of the two children, called Child B, displaying “sexual behaviour” towards other children, staff and dolls.
In October 2023 a parents’ evening was held where both the mother and the father attended without their children.
When asked who was taking care of them, the parents “avoided giving an answer”.
The next day, staff asked Child B, then four years old, who was looking after him and his two-year-old sibling, Child C, and gave a male name.
Background revealed
The school contacted a social worker who spoke to the mother about Child B’s sexual behavior and asked who the man is.
The mother said the boy may have accidentally seen his parents having sex, and said she got to know the man at work.
She said she did not have his full name and date of birth, and was asked to obtain them.
A few days later Child B told staff at his school about the behavior that amounted to abuse by the man.
The social worker and Lancashire Police were informed and that day they learned the full background of the babysitter.
Checks revealed he had been released from a 13-year prison sentence for child sex offenses in 2022 and had strict conditions, including a court order barring him from unsupervised contact with children.
The review said no evidence was found that the parents were aware of his background.
‘Very manipulative’
The man was initially monitored with polygraph tests that detect lies, but his risk was lowered by the Probation Service in early 2023 after no concerns were raised.
The review stated: “He exhibited highly manipulative behavior which masked his vulnerability to re-offending.”
The man was arrested and the children were removed from their parents and placed in the care of the local authority.
The review found that Lancashire Police had raised concerns a few months earlier after one of the children was found wandering around the community in his nappy unsupervised, however the case was closed after a social worker visited and found no major concerns.
The second referral was made after a call to the family home due to a domestic incident, but the parents said the call was made by mistake.
The review found that those references contained details of the parents’ previous convictions for child cruelty, but the information was not added to the social services file “due to an internal error”.
Gent added: “The recommendations clearly identify inadequate communication between Blackpool agencies and partner agencies elsewhere in the country.
“This has led to missed opportunities to provide background information to ensure these children are safeguarded as soon as possible.
“As a result, four key recommendations and learning points have been agreed upon by the MASA membership and are being implemented.”
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