A Local Learning Review was initiated by BSCP following the suicide of Anna and attempted suicide by David. By the time the review had concluded, David had passed away as a result of mixed drug intoxication. Anna and David were eighteen at the time of their sad deaths, both were care leavers. Whilst the Review has recognised the significant efforts made by multi-agency services to safeguard Anna and David, the Review highlights important learning for multi-agency services with a particular emphasis on the support provided to young people in preparing for adulthood. Much of the learning identified highlights national challenges in safeguarding children as they transition to adulthood. The local learning for Barnet multi-agency services has been progressed and will continue to be proactively implemented across services. Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Anna and David’s family and friends.
Bridget Griffin,
Independent Chair,
Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership, Learning & Thematic Review Group
Anna & David Local Learning Review - Executive Summary.
Anna & David Local Learning Review.
The seminars have started after a Local Learning Review upon a case of an 11-year-old girl who was nonverbal, attending a special school, who also held a diagnosis of autism with severe learning disability, and following a period of hardship and a lot of advocacy for a child that had no voice, she eventually was moved into foster care. She was underweight and malnourished. Within three months her growth charts showed positive progress - she had grown three centimetres in height and four kilos in weight.
One of the outcomes of the learning review was to reinstate the Level 3 seminars, across the NHS Royal Free Hospital Trust, but also for multi-agency professionals specifically on safeguarding children and young people with disabilities .
And we have had incredible feedback.
- I 100% would recommend the seminar.
- It was thought provoking.
- It was useful and helpful for critical thinking.
And this is because we have a fully engaged audience . We have in attendance a range of professionals from education, social care and beyond. Key themes which are reflected, which we feel were pertinent in this Local Learning Review included:
- Garden path thinking – the pitfalls of over optimism and idealism in child protection.
- The 'shining knight' complex – often solo male carers can be afforded less scrutiny then others owing to conscious or unconscious bias.
- Disguised compliance – deliberate attempts by parents or carers to misguide professionals by appearing to abide by the interventions required whilst at the same time continuing to place their child at risk of harm.
- Drift and delay – the consequences of focus and resources being placed elsewhere and the chid getting lost in the ‘system‘.
These themes have been often seen in negative outcomes for children with disabilities.
All of the above has been produced into this ‘one pager’ learning briefing which you can view below via the link.
For more information upon accessing this training as a result of this Local Learning Review please contact bscp@barnet.gov.uk.
BACD poster Professional Blind Spots by Dr ER and EH PowerPoint
Finally, colleagues’ work in this space was also recognised at the 2025 British Academy of Childhood Disability annual conference in Sheffield where they were awarded the Mac Keith Press best poster prize amongst all their peers in the British Academy of Childhood Disability for their work on the See me Autism project, which you can see below.
