Insight
The six missed opportunities before Star Hobson was murdered
A review into the murder of Star Hobson has found a number of failings in the way that the authorities in Bradford dealt with her case.
The 16-month-old died following systematic abuse at the hands of her mother, Frankie Smith, and Smith's partner, Savannah Brockhill, in September 2020.
Bradford Council's children's social care department closed the case on 15 September, 2020. A week later Star was dead.
The report identified six occasions when the authorities could have done more:
Immediately before and after Star was born
The report said: "There was a significant period directly before and after Star’s birth where professionals missed the opportunity to understand the vulnerabilities of both parents, consider potential risks, and consider the support that would be needed for Star to be looked after adequately."
Frankie Smith was 17 when she was pregnant. Star's father had been in social care himself.
The report said a number of concerns were raised about actual risks to Star from before her birth until she was eight months old.
It said: "The way that these concerns were framed and responded to evidences a number of important missed opportunities when Frankie’s needs and vulnerabilities as a teenage first-time parent should have been identified. Had they been, then some of the risks in respects of her care of Star might have been better mediated and understood."
When a complaint was made that Brockhill had smacked Star
In February 2020, a specialist domestic abuse service for children and young people heard concerns about domestic abuse between Smith and Brockhill, who had been seen to smack Star. Smith increasingly left the care of Star to a friend.
But the report said there were "limitations in the quality" of a subsequent assessment. It said: "The decisions that were taken on the basis of it significantly affected the way that subsequent child protection concerns about the care of Star by Frankie and Savannah were viewed and addressed."
Reports of 'slam-choking'
On 4 May 2020, Star’s maternal great grandmother contacted children’s social care after Smith abruptly removed Star from her care. She had been told Brockhill had destroyed Star’s dummy in front of her, forced her to eat garlic and that was "slam-choking" her – grabbing her by the throat and banging her against the wall to "toughen her up".
An unannounced visit was carried out by an "inexperienced" social worker, but they observed a "positive relationship" between Star and Savannah.
The report said: "It is apparent that Savannah and Frankie were able to divert the attention of professionals from concerns about Star, including about being physically harmed, and about domestic abuse.
"As the social worker perceived a positive relationship between Savannah and Star, and checks with the health visitor had not identified any concerns, a number of very critical child protection issues were either left unexplored or addressed in an insufficiently in-depth way."
When a photo emerged showing Star bruised
On 21 June 2020 Star's father said he had been sent a photo by a relative of Star that showed Star with a bruise on her left cheek.
A response police officer spoke to Star's grandmother who said she had witnessed Brockhill punching Smith and that she was too strict with Star.
Smith said the bruising to Star had been caused by her walking into a table. A medical exam found that her injuries were consistent with that explanation and the matter was not pursued.
The report said: "A multi-agency strategy discussion may not have changed the physical assessment of the bruising, but it would have prompted a more probing and challengingapproach to questions posed to Frankie about the circumstances surrounding theinjuries."
After Smith was seen hitting Star
On 22 a relative told a social worker that Smith spoke to Star in a "horrible" way and that one of her siblings had seen her hitting Star.
A "virtual" visit was carried out, but Smith claimed the allegations were "malicious". Star appeared content.
The social worker assessment was completed and the case closed on 8 July, finding that the concerns were "unsubstantiated" and the referral was regarded as malicious.
When a video emerged of Star exhibiting bruises
Police were contacted on 31 August after a video of appearing to show Star with bruises started circulating among family members.
Four days later a social worker saw Star, Smith and Brockhill. They said the home was clean warm and tidy and there was a "good attachment" between Smith and Star.
A faint bruise was seen on Star’s cheek, a previous bruise to the ear, and a bruise to the right shin "consistent with normal marks and bruises".
The case was closed on 15 September 2020, just seven days before Star’s murder, on the basis that concerns were unsubstantiated and malicious.
Bradford Council, which was stripped of responsibility for running children's services earlier this year, has apologised over the way Star was failed.
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