Janice R. Andrews
Alfie Steele, a young child who had endured years of abuse, made more than 60 pleas for assistance prior to his untimely death, according to a damning safeguarding assessment that was made public today. Professionals who worked with the family for a long time missed a number of opportunities, according to a study released by the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership.
After reading the report, Alfie’s grandparents expressed their distress, saying they were “living in a nightmare”.
Granny Paul Scott said, “It just makes me want to cry the amount of time it shows in here that Alfie didn’t have to die.” According to the report, social services occasionally behaved as though the family was at blame, making an already upsetting situation worse.
In June 2023, Carla Scott, the mother of Alfie, was found guilty of manslaughter and the offender, Dirk Howell, 41, of Princip Street, Birmingham, was found guilty of murder. According to the report, professionals encountered difficulties as a result of intentional falsehoods, inaccurate information, and adult cover-ups.
In 2018, a child protection plan was in place for Alfie due to his maltreatment; at the time of his death, he had over 50 injuries on his body. By August 2019, family and neighbours were raising concerns about Howell’s drug use, violence, and criminal background, which prompted a conversation about a safeguarding strategy.
The investigation brought to light a failure to make the necessary connections and address the gravity of the problem in spite of multiple reports and referrals. Howell was reported to social services by the grandparents several times, but no meaningful action was done.
Social workers were aware of Howell’s criminal history, which included a conviction for bodily assault just four months prior to the murder. The lack of comprehensive conversations between police and children’s services, which treats occurrences in isolation and fails to address them collectively, was highlighted in the report.
Between 2018 and 2020, Worcestershire County Council had 36 concerns regarding Alfie’s wellbeing; in the same time frame, West Mercia Police got 28 calls on the same matter. Eight recommendations for the agencies involved were made in the report, which called for a more comprehensive and coordinated strategy to protecting children who are at risk.
In response to this tragedy:
West Mercia Police has reviewed police behaviour and is providing officers with more training. The Independent Office for Police Conduct has been tasked with investigating the force’s actions in order to hold it accountable and pinpoint areas where the force’s handling of Alfie’s welfare concerns needs to be improved.`
