Mikaeel Kular Death "Could Not Have Been Predicted"

The death of a three year old killed by his mother "could not have been predicted" by social services.

An independent review into the handling of Mikaeel Kular's case has concluded professionals in Fife and Edinburgh had no reason to suspect he was at risk of harm.

Rosdeep Adekoya, 34, was jailed for 11 years after admitting killing her son and hiding his body in a suitcase in woodland in Kirkcaldy.

The toddler died days after being beaten by Ms Adekoya at the family's flat in Edinburgh.

Mikaeel had been taken into foster care between July 2012 and August 2013.

A Children's Hearing agreed that Mikaeel should return home under a home supervision order with another hearing in three months, which then terminated the order.

The family were visited five times by Fife Social Work Service professionals, and twice by Edinburgh professionals, on all seven occasions no concerns were noted. 

The report, led by Moira McKinnon who works part time as the Principal Officer for Child Protection in Glasgow, said there was no evidence that professionals could have predicted the three year-old's death.

It recommends that in rehabilitation plans for looked after children, social services should note the quality of parent/child interaction and any issues relating to the parent's attachment to the child.

It says: “The Review Team were fully in agreement that there was no evidence in reviewing this case that workers could have predicted that Ms A would have caused the death of MK.

“There was no history of Ms A using physical punishment against MK or any of his siblings, and there was corroborative evidence that MK was physically well cared for and his basic needs fully met.

“The home conditions were of a high standard.

“The review team were of the view that Ms A’s behaviour towards her son was unprecedented and out of character.”

The report makes 13 recommendations for health and social services, including a review of GP training to asses adult vulnerability in cases where a child's wellbeing is a concern.

Chair of the joint Chief Officers’ Group of Fife and Edinburgh Steve Grimmond commented: "The death of any child is a tragedy. The loss of Mikaeel in such terrible circumstances has been particularly devastating for his family, those who worked with them, and two local communities in Edinburgh and Fife.

“Our job is to work with families and communities to protect children and provide them with a safe, nurturing environment. Nothing is more important. In the circumstances where a child has died it is right that we reflect on what happened to see whether there is any scope for improvement.

“Today the joint Chief Officers’ Group of Fife and Edinburgh is publishing the findings of a significant case review which was commissioned following Mikaeel’s death. The review has been led by Moira McKinnon who has vast experience in the field of child protection and who is independent of all the agencies in Fife and Edinburgh.

“Over the past few months Ms McKinnon has conducted interviews with all relevant staff from each of the agencies involved in this case and scrutinised files, policies and procedures. What is being published today is an independent, thorough and comprehensive summary of her findings and it’s important to stress that we are being as open and transparent as we can possibly be.

“It would not be appropriate to publish the full report as it contains detailed, personal and private information. We have a duty to protect the other children involved in this case and their personal circumstances, and we have to respect the family’s privacy. The findings of the review have been fully discussed with the family before its publication today.

“The central finding of the report states that the circumstances that led to Mikaeel’s death could not have been predicted. Ms Adekoya’s ability to physically care for him was never in question. She felt a need for space and time that resulted in him being left unattended and is the reason he was placed in foster care. It’s important to stress that professionals who had regular contact with the family never had any concerns about the physical care of Mikaeel throughout this case.

“The decision to return Mikaeel to his mother’s care was taken by a range of professionals who agreed that he was well looked after and that he had been in foster care long enough. All agencies involved with Mikaeel were clear in their view that he should return home and this position was fully endorsed by a Children’s Hearing.

“However the report does identify some learning points for us around the process of returning him to his mother’s care and it noted the importance of holding a multi-agency review before the Children’s Hearing. Although workers were confident in Ms Adekoya’s ability to cope with the full-time care of Mikaeel, and this is reflected in the Children’s Hearing decision to return him home, this could have been better tested.

“The report highlights examples of good practice, including good inter-agency working, clear communication, and cross border contact between Fife and Edinburgh. There was never any doubt that Fife Council’s social work services were the lead agency in this case throughout and there was good ongoing contact between social work services and the family. There was a level of trust built up and the family felt able to contact workers.

“Social workers and health professionals involved in the case have been greatly affected by this tragedy. They care very deeply about what they do and the people they support. The report acknowledges the challenges involved for staff going through periods of organisational change, while carrying heavy caseloads. All agencies will consider how we can improve support to staff at these times and make sure robust processes are in place to review and assess the impact of change within our organisations.

“The report does make a number of recommendations around the sharing and management of information, including asking the Scottish Government to consider national guidance around the transfer protocol for non child protection cases between local authorities. We’re keen to support this in whatever way we can.

“Finally, we commissioned an independent significant case review to make sure we learn from this case. We fully accept the report’s findings and we are taking every opportunity to improve and strengthen our practices.”

Professor Scott McLean, NHS Fife executive lead for children's services, said: "NHS Fife accepts today's independent report findings in full.

"The report highlights that professionals communicated well with each other and worked collaboratively to care for Mikaeel and his family.

"It clearly states that there is no evidence that health or other professionals could have predicted the tragic death of Mikaeel.

"We are committed to learning from this case and further strengthening areas of practice."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The sudden, un-natural death of any child is a tragedy and the untimely death of Mikaeel Kular continues to reverberate across Scotland and in particular, the communities in Fife and Edinburgh where he lived.

"The Scottish Government therefore welcomes the urgency with which this significant case review was undertaken and its speedy conclusion and focused actions, which we are sure will now be considered and acted upon by all the appropriate agencies timeously.

"We accept the recommendation directed at the Scottish Government and we will consider the implications of the report very carefully.

"We are currently consulting on guidance and secondary legislation accompanying the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act which will help meet the recommendation.

"The Scottish Government takes seriously its responsibilities in relation to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all of Scotland's children, including those who are most vulnerable and at risk of harm.

"We have worked, and will continue to work with, partners and through parliament to strengthen how statutory agencies and children's services work together to identify and respond early to concerns about a child's safety or wellbeing, including most recently through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act."

You can see the report in full here