Protect our children: WHY DOESN'T ANYONE LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN?

JOHN Smith was a lovely, friendly little boy who just wanted a home and a "forever" mummy and daddy.

His school told me that after he died they found a pile of Christmas cards from his classmates saying they missed him.

A child who is violent and dysfunctional, as John's foster parents Simon and Michelle McWilliam claimed he was, doesn't win this kind of affection from other children.

It just shows that sometimes children are more perceptive than the professionals. Through my report, I wanted John's name vindicated. His foster parents had said he was harming himself, but here was a little boy who had been a joy to his natural parents and his other foster parents.

I spent months going over every detail in John Smith's life. And what I found was a catalogue of errors and misjudgments. In 22 years as a social worker and independent reviewer, I have seen the same mistakes again and again.

In this case - as in many others - the biggest mistake was nobody listened to the child.

Neither of the two social workers spent enough time with John on his own. Towards the end, one took him aside to ask about his bruises. John said "Will you help me with my jigsaw?" and the social worker responded by firing questions instead of gaining his trust. If he had spent more time talking to him, he may have got to the truth.

People used to say social workers were too rigorous - but the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Now we are not asking enough questions.

The word of the McWilliams was not questioned. They should have realised the McWilliams' account didn't ring true.

For example, they said John didn't like the previous foster parents Rod and Pauline Mears. The Mears visited and, jealous of John's affection for them, the McWilliams claimed the little boy was upset and sick after seeing them. Instead of being suspicious of the McWilliams, social workers stopped access to the Mears.

And no one had looked at the reasons for Simon McWilliam's divorces. Or why he had changed his name twice by deed poll.

That suggested he was hiding something. McWilliam's two former wives told me he was violent and cruel, and had a Jekyll and Hyde character. His first child died while still in hospital after the birth and he has no contact with his second child. Michelle herself had a history of shop-lifting.

There is no way they could have fostered or adopted after allegations of stealing, child cruelty and domestic violence.

As in so many cases, communication between the social workers wasn't good. The two main social workers David Pamely and John Barrow didn't know how often the other was visiting and, at one point, a month went by without any professional seeing the McWilliams. The couple had reported John had made himself sick 39 times and he was bruised on nine or 10 occasions.

I back the Sunday Mirror's campaign for Children's Commissioners and a national at-risk register. A central register would mean all the information on people who pose a risk could be easily accessed.

We need this to help prevent other children suffering like John Smith.

Copyright 2001 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.