Derbyshire County Council has apologised for the ‘missed opportunities’ to do more to safeguard 10-month-old Finley Boden who was murdered on Christmas Day in 2020.
A family court placed Finley back in his parents’ care on November 17, 2020, despite social services raising concerns over their drug use and recommending a longer transition period.
A safeguarding review identified pandemic lockdown restrictions as a major factor helping the parents deceive the authorities, but also said there were ‘significant shortcomings’ in the care of Finley.
Steve Atkinson, the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership’s (DDSCP) independent chairman and scrutineer, said: ‘The report acknowledges there were significant mitigating circumstances in the period leading up to Finley's death – the Covid lockdowns, the very restricted access, unfamiliar working circumstances and remote meetings and parental dishonesty and disengaging.
‘However, these are not excuses. More could, and should, have been done to help keep Finley safe.’
Carol Cammiss, executive director for Derbyshire CC’s children's services, said: ‘Finley's death was a tragedy for everyone who knew him and everyone involved in his care.
‘Despite the significant Covid restrictions placed on our work at the time, we know there were missed opportunities for stronger practice, and we apologise for that.’
She added that the council did not wait for the conclusion of the review before it took ‘immediate action to review and strengthen our systems’.
