Social services should have done better over the death of tragic toddler Ayeeshia Jayne Smith, a South Derbyshire MP has.

Tory MP Heather Wheeler has questioned the actions of Derbyshire County Council's social services department and now wants to challenge what she claims is that the professionals' mantra was 'at all odds to keep the family together'.

She was speaking after the findings of serious case review following the death of Ayeeshia, who was murdered by her own mother, was published.

Ayeeshia Smith was pictured with bruises in the months leading up to her death
Ayeeshia Smith was pictured with bruises in the months leading up to her death

Ayeeshia-Jayne, known as AJ to her family, was murdered by her mother, Kathryn Smith, who stamped on her 21-month-old daughter so hard it caused her heart to tear and she died from injuries similar to those suffered by car crash victims.

Ayeeshia was brought up in Alexandra Road, Swadlincote, and was under the care of social services her entire life. She moved, along with her mother and Smith's boyfriend Matthew Rigby, to Britannia Drive, Stretton, a few months before her death in May 2014.

Smith was later found guilty of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 24 years, which was later reduced to 19 years after she on appealed. Rigby was found guilty of causing or allowing Ayeeshia death and was sentenced to 42 months in prison.

Post mortem photos revealed the extent of AJ's injuries following her death

Findings of a serious case review have now been published and concluded that there was not enough evidence to show that professionals put Ayeeshia's welfare first when dealing with the family. The report said there was a fixed view that attachment and parenting continued to be good enough even as the risks increased.

Emergency staff and paediatrics at Burton's Queen's Hospital who saw the toddler twice - once for her first so-called febrile convulsion and later for a cut lip which Smith said occurred when she slipped in the bath.

The hospital was told it did not ask the right questions of Smith when she attended with the toddler. It has since implemented a check list for staff to use in similar cases.

Mrs Wheeler said: "The Ayeeshia-Jayne report is truly shocking. It lays out clearly how many professionals were involved in her too short a life. It shows how many times social workers, including senior social workers were aware of the situation.

"We need to challenge why the professionals' mantra was 'at all odds to keep the family together' when in fact after the health visitors had seen bruises on the her, and she was 'blue-lighted' to hospital. Why was she not taken away from her mother?

"Ayeeshia-Jayne had a sad and painful life. Moving from Derbyshire to Staffordshire didn't help but honestly it wasn't the other side of the world and Derbyshire social services should have done better."

Burton's Mp Andrew Griffiths has also criticised officials over their handling of the case. He is due to meet Children's Minister Robert Goodwill this week to discuss the issues raised.

Fellow Tory Mr Griffiths said: I am very disappointed with the outcome of the Serious Case Review. It concludes that there is no way Ayeeshia's death could have been prevented.

But when the police had been called to multiple incidents of domestic violence at the property, social services had seen the bruises and marks on Ayeeshia's body, knew of the violence and the drug taking, and that she had been taken to accident and emergency at Queen's Hospital twice, my question is, what would it have taken?"

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Jane Parfrement, strategic director of children’s services at Derbyshire County Council, said extra training is now being given to social workers to allow them to have more confidence when questioning families.

The training will also allow them to sit back and reflect on what they observed, heard, and what the child tells them and use that to formulate their assessment.

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