News

A former South Tyneside council social worker and his line manager have been strongly criticised by a coroner over the death of 13-month-old child.

Sophie Casey was referred to South Tyneside’s social services department in August 1999 after she fractured her skull. Social worker David Potts took on her case, but failed to pass it on to his supervisor Dave Martin when he went on sick leave a month later.

Casey died in December 1999 when she choked on her own vomit after being fed a mixture of cheesecake, ice-cream, milk and weetabix for breakfast by her stepfather Peter Casey.

Delivering his verdict of death by misadventure, contributed to by neglect, South Tyneside coroner Terence Carney said: "Neither Mr Potts or Mr Martin fully addressed nor discharged their duties."

He added: "The focus from social services was not on the children, nor does there appear to have been positive actions to safeguard or promote children’s welfare."

A joint investigation by the social services department and Northumbria police child protection team into Sophie’s fractured skull said it was an accident. Nursing staff, teachers, neighbours and Sophie’s own grandparents had all raised their concerns with South Tyneside social services over the way Sophie and her brother were being parented by her mother and stepfather.

Trevor Doughty, executive director of social care and health at South Tyneside council, said: "Although Sophie was not in the care of social services during her short life, we recognise that as one of the agencies responsible for her well-being there were serious shortcomings in the way this case was handled."

He added that in the two-and-half years since the Sophie’s death the department had had the opportunity to reflect, review and learn from the case. Doughty said the key lessons the council had learned were to communicate better with other agencies, and introduce better systems for handling case files.

Potts was dismissed by South Tyneside council in 2000 over the incident.