Brandon Muir aged 2yrs
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| Dundee Social
Services Social workers knew of Heather Boyd's chaotic life August 20, 2009 The Times by Lindsay McIntosh Brandon Muir: social workers knew of Heather Boyd's chaotic life The 67-page report into the short life of Brandon Muir details a series of shortcomings in the system that was there to protect him. He died only two days before police, social workers and health workers in Dundee were to discuss his case and possibly decide whether he should be removed from the home where he stayed with his mother, Heather Boyd, and her violent partner, Robert Cunningham. Brandon’s grandparents had told social workers a month before that they feared he was at risk but authorities decided that an “urgent review” did not need to be held for three weeks. During that time, health and social workers gathered evidence about Brandon’s circumstances and paid unscheduled visits to his home. However, they believed that there was not enough evidence to suggest that he should be taken away from his mother. A previous report into Child Protection Services at Dundee City Council found instances where staff waited too long to remove children from dangerous situations. The report into Brandon’s death is filled with examples of failures by welfare agencies to record information about Brandon’s background or share what they did record. However, the report concludes that Cunningham’s attack on Brandon could not have been predicted. Cunningham was found guilty of culpable homicide at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year. He had hit Brandon’s stomach with such force that the toddler’s intestine ruptured. Brandon died on March 16 last year in agony. Allan Petrie, a spokesman for Brandon’s father, John Muir, said that Brandon should have been removed from Ms Boyd’s care immediately after Ms Boyd’s grandmother raised concerns with social workers. “If that was done, Brandon would be alive today,” he said. “Urgent is 24 hours or 48 hours.” He added that the system was to blame. “The leadership has been sorely lacking and those at the top should be considering their position. We fully support the recommendations of the report but why weren’t they in place before?” He called for the resignation of Alan Baird, director of social work at Dundee City Council and chairman of the Dundee Children and Young Persons Protection Committee. Mr Baird said that he would not be resigning, emphasising the report’s conclusions that Brandon’s death could not have been predicted. He said the report that showed that from the moment welfare agencies became aware of Ms Boyd’s relationship with Cunningham, they had worked very closely together. “I think staff responded quickly across the agencies,” he said. “There are a number of points in the report which we take very seriously and we are moving forward with all the recommendations in full.” The report recommends that: — When an agency finds out that an adult who is flagged as a concern moves into a household with children, it should share the information. — Tayside Police should ensure staff in its Family Protection Unit produce up-to-date and accurate information and remind officers of force guidelines on domestic abuse (an issue because Cunningham was known to the police through allegations made by his former partner). — NHS Tayside should reconsider the effectiveness of health visitors (the department was found to be seriously short-staffed during the time it was involved with Brandon and his family). Caroline Selkirk, the child health commissioner at NHS Tayside, said that in the past year the health board had employed the equivalent of 13 full-time staff members in the department. She said that £200,000 of the board’s budget had been diverted into the department. She added that a detailed analysis of the workload in Dundee would be released. Fiona Hyslop, the Education Secretary, said yesterday that while no reports would ease the loss of Brandon: “We it to him and to his loved ones to ensure that today’s findings help improve child protection for other vulnerable children in Dundee and where necessary elsewhere.” The Scottish Labour Party accused the SNP administration of “tinkering at the edges” and called for a full public inquiry while the Scottish Conservatives called for an expansion of health visitor services and an independent review of the social work service. It is only in the last few weeks that a headstone has been erected in the Dundee cemetery where Brandon lies. The Real Justice 4 Brandon Campaign has raised funds to put a bench near by. An inscription is to read: “At least now in death I am free. This bench is here for you to remember me.” |
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