Failings uncovered over tragedy of seven-week-old baby girl

Baby Kristal Davison, who was the subject of a Child in Need plan at birth, died last April after suffering a fatal head injury.

In July, her father Lee Davison, 29, of Pontefract, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he was convicted of allowing Krystal’s death following a re-trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Kristal’s mother, Jessica Hopkinson, 19, from Pontefract, was acquitted of the same charge.

Davison has a learning difficulty and previous convictions for violence, theft and damage.

The Wakefield Safeguarding Children Board’s review in to Kristal’s death has concluded 
that information-sharing between agencies involved “fell below expected standards”.

The review concluded that the only way Kristal’s death could have been prevented was if she had been removed from her parents, but care workers had not been made aware of his criminal history.

It stated that if all the information had been “collated and understood more adequately, it is highly probable that Kristal would have been subject of formal child protection inquiries”.

Kristal had been seen by health professionals including a health visitor and a doctor two days before her death, but her injuries were not found.

The review said that “police held information that would have been relevant to professionals working across agencies”.

Chief Superintendent Andrew Battle, based in Wakefield, said: “The review highlighted a need for West Yorkshire Police to 
reiterate to all staff within safeguarding units of the circumstances in which a child protection referral will be made to 
social care concerning police attendance at domestic abuse incidents.

“This has been done and we will continue our efforts to ensure that appropriate referrals are made.

“There has also been criticism in relation to how agencies shared information and understood the level of risk posed to this child. It is regrettable this happened and in a consolidated effort to prevent this ever occurring in the future, we are creating a new centre in Wakefield so all safeguarding support agencies can work from one single base.

“Partners will sit side by side and be able to share all relevant information straight away to keep people safe in our communities.”

Edwina Harrison, independent chair of the Wakefield and District Safeguarding Children Board, said: “This is a very sad case and our sympathies are with the families of the baby who died.

“It is the work of any serious case review to learn lessons and we have shown that we have done that.

“Our job now is to make sure this little girl did not die in vain.

“I am confident that management action has been taken by the agencies to address the issues raised in the review and I have seen for myself some of the changes which have been taken by the different agencies.

“It is not enough just to recognise that more could have been done.

“We owe it to the family to make sure that professionals have the ability and confidence to ask more questions, raise concerns and have all the relevant information they need to make what we know are very difficult and complex decisions.”

John Wilson, Wakefield Council’s corporate director for children and young people, said: “All agencies have taken the learning from this case very seriously, and major changes have been made to the way in which we work together to share information.”

A confidential multi-agency safeguarding hub would open next month at the new police headquarters in Normanton, near Wakefield, which he said “will transform the way in which we share information in order to protect children”.

Comment: Page 14.