A North East safeguarding specialist has explained how coronavirus restrictions kept her awake with worry due to the fact social workers were unable to keep an eye on vulnerable children in the most effective way.
Paula Mead, the independent chairman of the Northumberland and North Tyneside Safeguarding Board (SAB) referenced the horrific murders of Arthur Labinjo Hughes and Star Hobson in 2020 after she was asked by Coun Wayne Daley whether there were any safeguarding concerns that kept her "up at night with worry."
Mrs Mead was speaking at Thursday's meeting of Northumberland County Council's family and children's services overview and scrutiny committee, which Coun Daley chairs.
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Mrs Mead said: "Over the pandemic years it has been how will we continue to safeguard children we haven't got eyes on in the way we use to. When you hear some of the cases in the country that that you will be well aware of, I think could this happen in Northumberland?
"These things can happen anywhere. We have to face this. We get together to look and say this is what happens in other areas - we need to make sure there are circumstances in place to make sure it doesn't happen to a child in Northumberland.
"The Arthur (Labinjo Hughes) and Star (Hobson) cases in particular were high profile, but other cases happen. We go and check over process, but it doesn't mean you can stop everything."
Six-year-old Arthur, from Birmingham, was mistreated over the course of several months during the pandemic by his father, Thomas Hughes, and his father's partner Emma Tustin. This culminated on June 17 2020 with Tustin killing Arthur via blunt force trauma to the head.
Tustin and Hughes were convicted on murder and manslaughter charges respectively in December 2021. By the time of his death, Arthur was malnourished, suffering from salt poisoning, and covered with over 130 bruises.
A review found child protection services had been involved in Arthur's life on various occasions dating back to 2018 and repeatedly not intervened to help him.
One-year-old Star Hobson was murdered by her mother's girlfriend on September 22 2020 in Keighley, West Yorkshire. Savannah Brockhill was convicted of murder whilst Frankie Smith was found guilty of causing or allowing her death.
Brockhill was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years whilst Smith was sentenced to eight years, which was later increased to 12 years after judicial review.
Mrs Mead was speaking to a report which set out Northumberland's multi-agency safeguarding arrangements for children and young people - an annual report to ensure transparency for stakeholders and to show how effective arrangements have been in practice.
The report identified that neglect continued to be a "stubborn issue" in both Northumberland and the wider North East, as was domestic violence.
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