Concerns regarding children's services in Solihull following Arthur Labinjo-Hughes murder
A group of MPs have written to the new Education Secretary
Last updated 27th Sep 2022
The council leadership in two areas where vulnerable children were murdered need to be held to account about their failings, ministers have been told.
A cross-party group of MPs has written to Education Secretary Kit Malthouse to tell him they are "extremely concerned" about whether the chief executives of Solihull and Bradford Councils are up to the job of improving children's services following the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.
The Education Select Committee's letter comes after it spoke to the senior officials from both councils and said it found their reassurances "inadequate".
The Committee added it was "extremely concerned as to whether the current leadership of Solihull and Bradford Councils will be able to safeguard other vulnerable children".
Six-year-old Arthur from Solihull in the West Midlands, was poisoned, starved and beaten.
His stepmother Emma Tustin, 32, was jailed for life in December last year with a minimum term of 29 years for murder. His father, Thomas Hughes, 29, is serving 24 years for manslaughter, a sentence increase on appeal.
Sixteen-month-old Star was murdered by her mother's girlfriend, Savannah Brockhill, at her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire, in September 2020.
Star's mother, Frankie Smith, 20, was found guilty of causing or allowing the youngster's death.
The committee's letter to Mr Malthouse questioned whether Solihull chief executive Nick Page and Bradford chief executive Kersten England were "best placed to continue to lead and oversee the state of Children's Services in both authorities".
The group of MPs called on ministers to make sure that commitments made by both council bosses to improve services over 12 months were followed through.
Otherwise, it warned that the Department for Education and Ofsted should consider "whether both chief executives are capable of continuing to try and establish such significant change".
Conservative chair of the committee, Robert Halfon MP, said:
"The deaths of Arthur and Star were harrowing. Both Bradford and Solihull Councils' children's services were in dire need of improvements even before the lockdowns. Action was not taken, and two children lost their lives.
"The new Education Secretary must prioritise the vulnerable children currently being failed by these authorities and take the steps to ensure targets for improvement are being met, and fast.
"There must be accountability, and it is essential that the leaders responsible for the most at-risk children in our society are up to the job."
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
"We have already intervened extensively in both Solihull and Bradford's services to address weaknesses, appointing independent advisers in both cases and handing control of services in Bradford to a Trust.
"We cannot be complacent when it comes to protecting vulnerable children and will not hesitate to take additional steps to drive swift improvement. We are working on a bold plan for wide scale reform in children's social care which we will publish later this year."
Nick Page, Solihull’s Chief Executive, responding to the Education Select Committee’s letter, said:
“The tragic circumstances around Arthur Labinjo-Hughes’ murder, by the very people meant to love and care for him, has had a shocking impact on Arthur’s family, me personally and across the whole Solihull community and nationally.
“I have acknowledged and accepted the findings of both the JTAI and the National Panel reports and been committed to improving safeguarding in Solihull.
“We have already made important improvements to our practices though our Improvement Board overseen by independent chair, Penny Thompson CBE.
“I understand that people want to see action and that we are making a positive difference to children and young people’s lives in Solihull.
“This is why I am determined to continue to lead our efforts to make the necessary changes, to drive through the recommendations.
“We have now appointed a brand-new leadership team within Children’s Services with Pete Campbell taking up the Director’s role in October, and two Assistant Directors already in post.
“It would be too easy to walk away now, particularly with this level of criticism, however, I honestly feel I am best placed to work with colleagues and partners to address the issues we face.
“This is extremely complex and difficult work that few outside the profession really understand, changing leadership now would be detrimental to the improvement journey we are on.”