Alfie Lamb's death sparks serious case review by Medway social services
11:41, 04 September 2019
updated: 12:46, 04 September 2019
Council chiefs will lead a review into how authorities looked out for three-year-old Alfie Lamb, who died after being crushed by a car seat.
The Medway Safeguarding Children Board will carry out a serious case review to find what lessons can be learned from the tragic tot's care under social services.
The review will involve several agencies - including police and councils - to investigate how professionals and organisations work both individually and together.
The review aims to improve agency working and identify clearly any lessons to be learnt and form a time frame to take action.
Reviews are triggered when a child dies or suffers serious injuries and neglect or abuse is believed to have been involved.
Alfie died in hospital three days after suffering catastrophic brain damage when his stepfather, Stephen Waterson, crushed him in the footwell of his Audi in February 2018.
Waterson was due to face a retrial for the youngster's death.
But at the Old Bailey on Monday, he changed his plea and admitted the manslaughter of the toddler, who was his girlfriend’s son.
The 26-year-old is due to be sentenced at the same court on Monday.
He was earlier found guilty of intimidating a witness, having previously admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after lying to police about the incident and is currently in prison for that offence.
The child’s mum, Adrian Hoare, who has lived in Chatham and Gravesend, was jailed earlier this year for two years and nine months for child cruelty.
Hoare, a former Northfleet School for Girls pupil, was convicted of child cruelty but cleared of manslaughter.
Her mother Janis Templeton-Hoare previously said her daughter should spend life in prison for the crime.
The serious case review report is due to be published later this year.
