Father injected toddlers with HEROIN 'to help them sleep', review says

Father injected his toddlers with HEROIN ‘to help them sleep’ in shocking case of ‘chronic neglect’, safeguarding review reveals

• Father was found to have been injecting toddlers with heroin to ‘help them sleep’
• An older child had lodged the allegation against the father in November 2019
• Two toddlers returned positive opiate tests and a bruise was later found on one
• All four children were removed from the family, a safeguarding review stated

A father was found to have been injecting his two toddlers with heroin to ‘help them sleep’ in a shocking case of ‘chronic neglect’, a safeguarding review has revealed.

The toddlers and their two older siblings were found to have suffered ‘chronic neglect’ for a long period and failings were found in the way their cases were handled by social services.

An older child, who shared the same father as the toddlers, alleged that the father had been injecting the two children with heroin to get them to sleep, and the toddlers later returned positive opiate tests.

After a ‘potential injection bruise’ was found on one of the toddlers, all of the children were removed from the care of the mother and father, according to a Child Safeguarding Practice Review.

The harrowing case emerged as part of the review which involved several agencies, including Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Police, although the precise location was not published. 

A father was found to have been injecting his two toddlers with heroin to ‘help them sleep’ in a shocking case of ‘chronic neglect’, a safeguarding review has revealed (stock image)

The review criticised social services for being slow to detect signs of ‘significant neglect’ and claimed there was too much emphasis on supporting the parents’ addiction, rather than on their children’s lives. 

The toddlers, referred to as Chloe and Harper – which are not their real names, were under a child protection plan since 2018 due to neglect involving a background of domestic abuse, parental mental health, drug and alcohol abuse and criminal behaviour. 

Amanda Clarke, an independent safeguarding advisor, said an older child, who was not within the family but shared a father with Chloe and Harper, alleged in November 2019 that the father was injecting both children with heroin to get them to sleep.

Ms Clarke, who authored the report, said: ‘Safeguarding medicals were undertaken for Chloe and Harper. Positive opiate tests were eventually returned for both children, although there was no evidence of an injection site at the safeguarding examinations.’

But three days later, a ‘potential injection bruise to the thigh’ was found when one of the children attended nursery and all four children were removed from their parents’ care.

The report added: ‘As a result of the reported information care proceedings commenced for all four children and they were removed from the care of Mother and Father.’

The harrowing case emerged as part of the review which involved several agencies, including Lancashire County Council and Lancashire Police (stock image)

Their mother was identified as a drug user while she was pregnant with the younger toddler Chloe in 2018, according to the review.  

Chloe was born with neo-natal abstinence syndrome (NAS), which occurs when a newborn baby withdraws from an addictive substance its mother had been taking during pregnancy.

Chloe and her older siblings Harper, Lucas and Ava, which are not their real names, were referred to social services, who placed her under a child protection plan.

Ms Clarke noted that despite evidence of continuing drug abuse by both parents, the child protection plan was ended just ten weeks later.

In September 2018, the parents were involved in a ‘violent domestic abuse incident’, with both sustaining serious injuries.

Police found weapons at the family home and noted that the parents both seemed under the influence.

In the following days, the father attempted suicide and turned up at one of the children’s schools while heavily intoxicated.

Ms Clarke wrote how eldest child Ava ‘subsequently disclosed that she was aware of her stepdad’s (Father’s) suicide attempt and had witnessed Mother overdosing as a result.

‘Ava said she had been unable to sleep due to fearing that she would wake up to find both parents dead and have to care for her siblings.’

In 2019, ongoing concerns were noted with both parents’ drug and alcohol use, mental health and criminal behaviour, which involved the father spending time in prison.

Ms Clarke wrote: ‘It was suspected that both parents prioritised their substance use over the care of their children, both in terms of their availability to provide care and emotional warmth, and in their use of financial resources, which resulted in times when the children did not have adequate food or warmth.’

After all four children were removed, Ava told professionals she would ‘rather go into care’ than return home and described the misery of witnessing her mother’s heroin use, along with listening to her father talking about suicide.

A child, who shared the same father as the toddlers, alleged he was injecting the toddlers with heroin to get them to sleep, and they later returned positive opiate tests (stock image)

The review levelled criticisms at social services, claiming that too much emphasis was placed on supporting the parents with their addiction and mental health needs, rather than on the reality of life for their children. 

Ms Clarke noted how during the period after Chloe’s birth, staff sicknesses severely impacted the children’s service department, with two social workers allocated to the case and a manager on sick leave for long periods.

Social workers in the case were also slow to detect signs of ‘significant neglect’, the review stated.

Ms Clarke wrote: ‘Examination of what happened in the lives of the four children and their family has highlighted the environment of significant neglect in which they lived.

‘The brief feedback available from the children, helps to show what life was like for them and that for much of the time they were, as Lucas said scared and confused.

‘Despite some individual professionals recognising the unacceptable lived experience for the children the multi disciplinary processes which occurred did not routinely help to ensure that the children’s situation improved.

‘The children did not always remain the key focus when decisions were being made and when services were delivered.

‘The complex and cumulative nature of neglect for these children was a constant challenge for professionals and organisational circumstances locally at the time meant that some responses were not effective and delays occurred.’

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