'Busy' social worker admits toddler error

A social worker failed to act after being told a toddler had been locked in a cupboard shortly before she was murdered, a panel found yesterday.

Judyth Kenworthy denied having been warned about the incident before Sanam Navsarka died in the wake of appalling abuse.

But a General Social Care Council committee in London said the allegation against her had been proved.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mrs Kenworthy admitted she had failed to pass on warnings that the two-year-old had a bruise on her head, however, saying she was "extremely busy" at the time.

She acknowledged that she made a mistake in not acting on concerns about Sanam, of Huddersfield, who died on May 8, 2008 after suffering more than 100 injuries.

In a document outlining the reasons for its decision, the panel said: "The committee was of the view that the information regarding the bump on (Sanam's) forehead was serious but made far worse by the report of the child being locked in a cupboard.

"The committee were of the view that the registrant was aware of this and that is why she has sought to distance herself from blame."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mrs Kenworthy may have failed to mention to police that she had been told about the cupboard incident "because she recognised how important this information was", the committee said.

Giving evidence earlier, Mrs Kenworthy said of not passing on information about the bruise: "The only thing I can say is, I was extremely busy. I was trying to get to somewhere else, to go to an important meeting, and it was just one of those situations where it took over and that just didn't register as being vitally important and that was the mistake I made."

Related topics: