A further visit to a home where a toddler was found dead was necessary, a probe into her death has heard. Lauren Wade died after she was left to starve to death by mum Margaret Wade, 41, and Marie Sweeney, 40 at her home in Glasgow's Sighthill in March 2015.
A judge heard how the two-year-old went without proper food or care for months and was riddled with thousands of head lice. A "skinny and dirty" Lauren had a sodden nappy, bald patches and thousands of head lice.
A post mortem revealed the toddler had been the victim of “severe neglect”. Wade and Sweeney were jailed in 2019 for six years and four months each after pleading guilty to neglecting the toddler between June 2014 and March 2015.
A Fatal Accident Inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court earlier heard evidence that the Wade family home was untidy which prompted a third joint visit from a health visitor and a social worker. As a result of the positive visit in July 2014, health visitor Irene Soley told the death probe that she had "no reason" to increase safety measures on Lauren.
In evidence today lead nurse Deborah Balshaw, 56, stated she did an independent report on Lauren for the Greater Glasgow Health Board. She claimed that Lauren was deemed to be on the low-risk category following a check-up after six to eight weeks after she was born.
The witness said that Lauren would not be re-assessed until she was aged between 27 to 30 months. David Blair, representing the health board, quizzed Miss Balshaw about the final joint visit to the Wade home.
He said: "Miss Soley said the concerns from the first visit appeared to have resolved themselves?"
Miss Balshaw: "There should have been a follow up assessment at the time. It was good that mum tidied up the house in response to the visit but there is no understanding why the house got in that situation in the first place.
"The health visitor was new to the family and didn't know them well. It should have been prudent for the health visitor to see if the low-risk evaluation was still the position or if they needed additional help."
The witness agreed when Sheriff Principal Craig Turnbull put it to her that unannounced visits should have been considered.
She also concurred with Mr Blair when he suggested that there would be more interaction with the health visitor if Lauren was re-assessed to a higher safety level.
The inquiry earlier heard from doctor Tracy McLaughlin, 43, who worked in Lauren's practice in the city's Townhead. She stated that it was harder to communicate with Miss Soley - Lauren's second health visitor - as she was in a different doctor's surgery compared to the first who was in the same surgery as there was less "face to face" contact.
The doctor claimed she was informed of an emergency incident involving Lauren falling and hitting her head of a table in the living room. Lauren lost consciousness and she was later taken to hospital where the incident was deemed a 'non accidental injury'.
Dr McLaughlin said that she did not report the matter to the health visitor as it was "not relevant" and there was "no value to the health visitor knowing that information."
The hearing was also told Lauren's older sister was reportedly underweight and referred to a paediatrician. The witness said: "She was second in the weight chart.
"If you have 100 children in a row, she would be number two for her weight."
The doctor said that Wade was not referred to social work as she was engaging with doctors and attending visits. She reported that the girl attended hospital visits from January 2014 and there was a final review in September 2014 after she had made improvements.
The inquiry continues before Sheriff Principal Turnbull.
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