Chorlton mum left 'heartbroken' after council asked her to apply for school place for dead daughter

Manchester City Council have said they are revieiwing their strategies, after as many as 95 bereaved parents were contacted about their children starting school - despite the fact they had died.

Sarah Stephens, a mum from Chorlton, raised the issue on social media after her husband opened a letter asking them to register for a school place for their daughter, Violet.

Violet passed away in 2016, when she was just 15 months old.

Sarah said:

"Violet should have been a big sister, and she would have been thrilled to be a big sister, so to get a letter saying she should be starting school, that's just another reminder of something she's missing out on, and that we're missing out on.

"It just reminds you what your child should be doing now, not that you need another one because you never stop thinking about what they should be doing. To get a letter through the post is just appalling, it's just insensitive really and there should be more joined up thinking."

Manchester City Council have admitted dozens of parents may have received the letter in error.

But Sarah says, despite their statement, they have yet to contact her to apologise:

"I actually thought, when I initially sent a tweet out that someone from the council would get in touch with me.

"Ideally we'd like some sort of apology or reassurance that they're going to make changes, so that it doesn't happen again."

Sarah now raises money for Alder Hey hospital, where Violet was treated before she died.

They are running a ball in September, to help fund new equipment at the hospital:

https://www.facebook.com/violetstephensfund/

Paul Marshall, Director of Children's Services, Manchester City Council, said:

"This letter clearly should not have been sent and we apologise unreservedly for the distress it has caused.

"Our initial investigation shows that a number of such letters may have been sent out in error to families and we're reviewing all our systems to make sure this cannot happen again.

"I will be writing directly to the families who have received this letter to give them my personal apology and to tell them again how truly sorry we are about this mistake.