Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Patrick Butler Social policy editor

Failure to check on Laura Winham a sign of ‘systemic’ problems, court told

Laura Winham
The Surrey county coroner said she will make a written decision on the scope of the inquest into Laura Winham’s death in the next few days. Photograph: Hudgell Solicitors/PA

Social workers’ failure to carry out adequate checks weeks before a vulnerable woman with a severe mental illness died alone in her home was a sign of “systemic” deficiencies, a coroner’s court has heard.

The body of Laura Winham, who is believed to have died in November 2017 at 38, lay undisturbed in her flat in Woking, Surrey, for three and a half years before the discovery of her “skeletal and mummified” remains by police and family members. Winham’s family has argued she was “abandoned” by local agencies.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.