Couple convicted of child cruelty used babysitter revealed to be paedophile
Blackpool review reveals failings in safeguarding of children
A review into safeguarding failures in Blackpool has revealed that two young children were left in the care of a man later found to be a convicted sex offender, as local authorities missed key opportunities to intervene earlier.
The shocking situation came to light in October 2023 when staff at the four-year-old's school reported concerns about sexualised behaviour. Investigations uncovered that the babysitter, entrusted with their care by the parents, had served a 13-year sentence for child sexual offences and was under strict conditions to have no unsupervised contact with children.
The children had remained with their parents despite the couple’s previous convictions for child cruelty and losing custody of five older children prior to their move to Blackpool in 2017.
The review by Blackpool’s Local Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Safeguarding Arrangements (MASA) identified communication failures between Blackpool agencies and others in the country as a factor in missing key background information about the family.
Victoria Gent, Blackpool Council’s Director of Children’s Services and Chair of Blackpool MASA, said:
“This review has thoroughly examined all of the interactions that Children B and C, and their family, had with agencies in Blackpool. Sadly, there will be circumstances where the true picture and concerning background information is not known in a timely manner.
"The recommendations clearly identify inadequate communication between Blackpool agencies and partnership agencies located elsewhere in the country. This led to missed opportunities to provide background information to ensure these children were safeguarded at the earliest possible opportunity."
Missed referrals and concerns
Concerns about the family were raised earlier in 2023 when police referred two incidents to social services, first when one of the children was found unsupervised in the community wearing only a nappy, and again following a domestic dispute at their home.
While the referrals included details of the parents’ child cruelty convictions, this information was not added to the social services file due to what the review described as “internal error.” No major concerns were flagged at the time.
The findings and recommendations
The MASA review concluded with six recommendations aimed at improving safeguarding in similar cases, including strengthening training for professionals to challenge and verify parents’ information and improving processes for escalating concerns between local authorities.
It also highlighted the need for probation services to notify councils when registered sex offenders who pose risks to children move into their areas.
Improving services in Blackpool
An Ofsted inspection in October 2023 acknowledged the progress of Blackpool Council’s Children’s Services, reporting improvements in safety and wellbeing measures despite increasing demand on resources.
It praised the council's tailored support strategies and proactive multi-agency safeguarding work while noting areas still requiring improvement, including consistency in safety planning and management oversight.
Coun Jim Hobson, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said:
“We’ve rebuilt our service into a much stronger, child-centred system that is shaped by the children and families we work with.
“While we’re proud, we aren’t complacent—we’ll keep improving to support every child in Blackpool.”