Lawyers Join Heartbroken Mum In Calling For Better Social Care For Vulnerable Families

A coroner has criticised social workers who failed to arrange a foster placement for a two-year-old girl who drowned in a garden bin while her mum was in hospital with her seriously ill son. 

Balikis Adeoye was forced to leave her daughter Mazeedat with an acquaintance while she stayed with her son who was undergoing life-saving surgery for a hole in the heart.

Balikis moved to the UK from Nigeria in March 2021. 

She had first been referred to Newham Council four months before her daughter’s death because she was sofa surfing and she and Mazeedat had nowhere to stay. By that time Balikis was an overstayer having separated from her UK partner. 

She had no recourse to public funds (NRPF), meaning she could not claim for assistance to help with her living costs. The council still had a duty to provide her family with support. Balikis was later granted leave to remain. Her son is British.

Inquest hears Newham Council failed to provide foster placements for Mazeedat

Despite assessments deeming the family as at risk, the council had previously failed to arrange a placement for Mazeedat when her mum went into hospital to give birth, an inquest was told.  

After her son was diagnosed with a hole in the heart, Balikis had asked social services at Newham Council to help find a foster placement for her daughter so she could stay with her son when he went into hospital for surgery. Mazeedat was not allowed to stay with her family in hospital and Balikis said she had no family or support network. 

However, an inquest was told that social workers did not arrange a placement and advised Balikis to find support from the community or friends. One social worker said Balikis had two children so needed to provide an equal level of support, East London Coroner’s Court heard. 

Mazeedat found in garden bin containing no more than nine centimetres of water

On the day Balikis and her son were due to return home, Mazeedat went missing from the house in Dagenham where she was staying. 

Police were called. Following a search Mazeedat was found in a bin in the garden. She had fallen head first into the bin which contained no more than nine centimetres of water, the court heard. 

Paramedics tried to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital. A post-mortem examination found her cause of death was drowning.

Balikis asks lawyers to secure answers and support her through inquest

Following Mazeedat’s death, Balikis instructed expert lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to help support her through an inquest and secure answers. 

Balikis, aged 37, has now spoken for the first time about her heartbreaking loss. 

Her lawyers are urging local authorities to ensure that the needs of vulnerable children with no recourse to public funds are met and emergency foster care is made available when needed. 

Inquest into Mazeedat's death finds 'gross failure' in her care and council behaviour issues

It comes after an inquest concluded Mazeedat died due to inadequate supervision in the garden, while her mum left her with a carer as a last resort when she needed to be in hospital. The combined failures by the council and those caring for Mazeedat together constituted a “gross failure.”

Coroner Graeme Irvine recorded a narrative conclusion in which he ruled Balikis had undertaken “significant efforts” to secure state help for childcare. 

He added: “Local authority child services failed to support Mazeedat’s family and put in place appropriate support for Mazeedat’s care.”

There was a “missed opportunity” to offer a temporary fostering placement for Mazeedat. If a placement had been arranged her death would probably have been avoided, the coroner found.

The coroner also found a “culture of hostility” towards families existed in the council’s NRPF team. Management had allowed a “culture of impunity” where staff felt capable of “bullying” clients and Balikis was treated in a “dehumanising” way. 

Such behaviour would not occur in a properly functioning social work team as other staff members would report such behaviour, the coroner said.

Mr Irvine said he now intended to issue a prevention of future deaths report calling on the council to set out what measures it will take to improve services, and to refer the matter to Social Work England.

Lawyer calls for lessons to be learned to protect vulnerable children

Juliet Spender is an expert public law and human rights lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Balikis.

Expert Opinion

“Not only is this is a truly tragic case which has left Balikis heartbroken and but one that shines a worrying light on how families can be left struggling to access social care.

“At the time of Mazeedat’s death the family were subject to the no recourse to public funds policy and facing destitution.

“There were several opportunities to ensure an appropriate foster placement was put in place for Mazeedat while her mum gave birth and while she went through the ordeal of her then three-month-old baby undergoing life-saving heart surgery. Sadly, we believe, these opportunities were missed with devastating consequences.

“While nothing will ever make up for what the family have been through, we’re pleased that we’ve at least been able to provide them with the answers they deserve.

“However, Balikis remains deeply upset and aggrieved that during evidence, representatives of Newham Council, maintained that it was her choice to leave Mazeedat in someone else’s care, rather than have her in a temporary foster placement.

“The family had not long been in the UK and had no relatives or close friends who could care for Mazeedat. With no ability to work or recourse to public funds, suitable alternative childcare was well beyond their reach. The family firmly believe that they were dependent on the local authority to work with them to find a solution.

“Local authorities have legal duties under The Children Act to safeguard and promote the welfare of children regardless of their immigration status.

“Charities and research organisations have consistently raised concerns that councils can adopt hostile gatekeeping tactics that prevent children in families with no recourse to public funds from accessing the support they are entitled to.

“Balikis has shown incredible courage in giving evidence. While it’s sadly too late for Mazeedat, it’s now vital that lessons are learned from this tragedy to protect children in the future.” Juliet Spender

Balikis' heartbreak as she pays tribute to daughter who brought sunshine to her life

Balikis said: “At the time she died, Mazeedat was staying with people I didn’t know or trust well enough. However, I felt that I had no choice but to leave her in their care. Faced with the alternative of leaving my other child, a three-month-old baby alone in hospital to recover from heart surgery, this was no choice at all. I consistently asked for help from social services, but none was arranged.

“I struggle to find the words to describe the heartbreak I feel over Mazeedat’s death. She was the most beautiful and happy little girl who brought sunshine to my life. 

“Before her birth, I only knew how to love myself. When she was born Mazeedat was the best thing that had happened in my life. 

“We came to the UK for a better life but that never happened. Our family will never be the same again without Mazeedat. 

“The inquest and going over everything again has been traumatic. However, I was determined to give evidence in the hope of bringing about meaningful change in Mazeedat’s memory. 

“I’ll always keep Mazeedat close to my heart and will forever cherish the short but precious years we had together. I just hope that by speaking out other families facing the same situation don’t have to experience the same pain I will always live with.”

Mazeedat Adeoye inquest: Background

Balikis, who was pregnant at the time, was referred to Newham Council’s children’s services in September 2021. Medical staff raised concerns that she was due to give birth in just over a month and would have nobody to care for Mazeedat when she went into labour. 

Following an assessment, it was deemed the family were vulnerable and needed statutory support. 

However, the local authority closed Balikis’ case a week later on 28 September, 2021, saying she had not answered any calls. The inquest was told these calls were from a withheld number and no messages were left. 

On 9 October, 2021, a health worker made another referral. Another assessment raised concerns that Balikis was socially isolated and there was a risk of neglect without intervention. 

On 14 October Balikis attended a meeting at Newham Council asking for support as she had nowhere to stay. After seven hours she was told to leave and the local authority would not give her accommodation because she had no ID on her, the court heard. 

The following day, following support from charities, Balikis was offered a place to stay. However, the council did not arrange a placement for Mazeedat when Balikis went into hospital to give birth on 27 October. Instead, hospital staff cared for her daughter. 

On 18 November 2021, the baby fell ill and Mazeedat spent days in hospital with her mum. A referral was made by the hospital to social services, requesting a foster placement. This option was discussed, and child minding offered, but the referral closed when Balikis said she did not want a child minder.

Balikis again asked the council for help before her son went into hospital for surgery on 25 January 2022, but no placement was arranged, so she was forced to leave her daughter with an acquaintance. 

On 29 January, 2022, Mazeedat went missing. She was pronounced dead just over two hours later.

Coroner's findings of fact

Senior coroner Graeme Irvine made factual findings before he recorded his conclusion. These included: 

• When the family sought accommodation in October 2021, a social worker was “deliberately hostile to the needs of a vulnerable family” and “dehumanised” Balikis.

• In November 2021, the council’s No Recourse to Public Funds team should have explored other care options besides child minding while Balikis and her baby were in hospital, but instead washed its hands at that point.

• The social work manager with the case throughout showed a negative, prejudicial and arbitrary view of the case.

• In January 2022, days before the surgery, when Balikis contacted the social worker for help with Mazeedat’s care, the social worker did not help, and told Balikis that she should provide equal care to both her children.

Help and support available to families

Balikis was also supported by counsel, Matthew Turner of Doughty Street Chambers, Alternatives Trust, Magpie Project, Child Bereavement UK and INQUEST.

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in securing answers for families at inquests at our dedicated inquest section. Alternatively, to speak to an expert contact us or call 0370 1500 100.