Deaths of four children in house fire 'could not be predicted'

A serious case review was commissioned after four children died in a fire in 2019

A review into the deaths of four children in a house fire in 2019 found it could not have been predicted.

The fire, which broke out in Stafford on 5 February, is believed to have been started by a discarded cigarette.

Social workers had been involved with the family for two years before that, a serious case review said.

Published on Monday, the report said there were concerns the children had been "suffering significant harm as a result of neglect".

However, it said due to the absence of certain risk factors, the family were considered "unremarkable" and "did not stand out".

Staffordshire County Council said it accepted the review's findings and that it was continuing to implement the recommendations.

The report for the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children's Board (SSCG) said agencies had failed to recognise the severity of harm to the children, aged between three and eight.

Report author Joanna Nicolas found evidence of medical, nutritional, educational and physical neglect; highlighting the parents' smoking as "the greatest concern" regarding physical neglect.

The "cumulative effect" of the evidence had not been "put together" by agencies, including children's social care, she said.

Professionals gave "insufficient consideration" to injuries the children had suffered, the report said, adding they "were listening to what the mother said rather than looking at the evidence".

The report said that the children were on a child protection plan for more than 18 months, despite which, "there is little evidence anything improved" in their lives.

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The mother, who gave evidence for the report, "does not accept to this day that the children were neglected," however.

She and her partner, who escaped the fire with their youngest son, were initially arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter but the case against them was later dropped.

Seven recommendations were made in the serious case review, including developing a better understanding of the impact of neglect and a more joined-up approach between agencies.