A serious case review into abuse at Little Stars nursery in 2010 has been published, identifying failings by both the local authority and Ofsted.
Paul Wilson, an assistant at the nursery, was jailed for life in July 2011 after pleading guilty to raping a child in the nursery. He also admitted 47 counts of grooming of teenage girls over the internet.
The serious case review, published by the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board, found that Birmingham City Council, Ofsted and the nursery knew Wilson had a 'special relationship’ with the child and should have investigated. The local authority also failed to communicate with the relevant agencies and investigate when the initial child protection concerns were raised.
Jane Held, independent chair of the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board, said: ‘There are three key lessons arising from this review. One is that those in charge of settings caring for children must ensure there are strong clear practices and systems to minimise the risk of abuse. The second is to listen to and ask about children’s experiences rather than just speak to adults.
‘The third, and potentially the most important, is that safeguarding children is a job for everyone, and every single person who looks after or cares for children needs to know how to recognise when something is not right and what to do about it, and have confidence they will get the right response when they do act.’
The report makes eight key recommendations, which are being addressed.
