Logan Mwangi: Murder prompts information sharing review

The murder of a five-year-old boy has prompted a review into how the NHS, social services, police and schools share information.

It was one of the recommendations of the report into Logan Mwangi's death which ministers said will be adopted.

It comes as the government once again refused to set up a Wales-wide review of children's social services.

A review into Logan's murder said a series of failings meant chances to safeguard the schoolboy were missed.

Logan, from Sarn, Bridgend county, was murdered by his mother, stepfather and a teenager in July 2021.

His mother, Angharad Williamson, is serving at least 28 years in jail for the murder, in July 2021.

His stepfather John Cole, 40, must serve at least 29 years while Craig Mulligan, 14, was given a sentence of at least 15 years.

Deputy Social Services Minister Julie Morgan said: "Information sharing is absolutely crucial, because the agencies that work in child protection are many, and it's absolutely crucial they share their information.

"As the report shows quite clearly, this didn't happen in this case."

She said it was not for her to say whether anybody would lose their job and insisted the "vast majority of children in the child protection system are safe".

A child practice review by Cwm Taf Morgannwg safeguarding board set out a series of failings, ranging from an absence of one-to-one contact with Logan away from the family home to "gaps in risk assessments".

Jane Dodds, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Wales, who worked as a child protection social worker for more than 20 years, said a full review was the only way to deal with the litany of failings.

The review described how a doctor did not share information about a series of bruises on Logan's body when he was taken into hospital with a broken arm in August 2020.

Logan's mother insisted Logan had been injured falling down the stairs at the family home.

A child protection referral was made, raising concerns in relation to the delay in Williamson bringing Logan to hospital for medical attention, but social services and police "agreed that the threshold to undertake child protection enquiries had not been met at that stage".

After the safeguarding review panel declined to disclose whether anyone at Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board had been disciplined, a social worker consultant criticised the doctor's decision.

Delyth Lloyd Griffiths said: "It's obvious to me that the doctor did not follow the national standards that came into force in Wales in 2020 and the doctor did not pass on information to the social services like they should have done."

Tom Giffard, Conservative Member of the Senedd for South West Wales, said the five national recommendations in the report made a Wales-wide review of social services essential.

He also said that Bridgend's council leader should address the findings in the report: "I saw the press conference... and I saw council employees but I didn't hear from the council leader, it's a title that you have to earn, and I think that we need to hear from him."