December 2nd 2024.
A mother, Balikis Adeoye, has been left devastated and searching for answers after her two-year-old daughter, Mazeedat, tragically drowned in a garden bin while under the care of a carer. Balikis, who is 37 years old, had reached out to Newham Council for help in finding a foster placement for her daughter so she could care for her son, who was undergoing heart surgery. Sadly, her pleas for assistance were not met, and her daughter's death could have been avoided if the council had taken action.
Balikis had no family or support network to turn to, making foster care her only option. However, instead of arranging a placement for her daughter, social workers advised her to "find support." In a last resort, Balikis found a carer, who was a stranger to her, to look after Mazeedat while she was in the hospital. Tragically, on the day Balikis was set to return home with her son, Mazeedat went missing from the carer's home in Dagenham and was later found drowned at the bottom of a bin in the garden. The inquest revealed that her death was a result of inadequate supervision and gross failure from both the council and the carer.
Mazeedat was remembered as a beautiful and loving little girl. Her mother, Balikis, had moved to the UK from Nigeria in March 2021 and had been referred to Newham Council four months prior to her daughter's death due to their lack of housing. Despite being unable to access public funds due to her immigration status, the council still had a duty to support her and her family. However, their failure to do so ultimately led to Mazeedat's tragic death.
In September 2021, Balikis had specifically asked for help in finding a foster placement for her daughter so she could be with her son during his surgery. However, the council did not take action and even told Balikis that she needed to provide an equal level of support for her two children. Left without any other options, Balikis left her daughter with an acquaintance while she went to the hospital with her son for four days.
Mazeedat was pronounced dead shortly after she went missing. Balikis later revealed that she felt she had no choice but to leave her daughter with the carer, as she couldn't leave her three-month-old baby alone in the hospital. The coroner, Graeme Irvine, found that Balikis had made significant efforts to secure state help for childcare, but the local child services had failed to support her and her daughter. Had a foster placement been arranged, Mazeedat's death could have been avoided.
The inquest also uncovered a culture of hostility towards families within the council's No Recourse to Public Funds team. The management's lack of accountability and the staff's behavior towards clients were deemed unacceptable and dehumanizing. Balikis has struggled to find the words to describe the heartbreak she has felt since her daughter's death. She will always cherish the short but precious years she had with Mazeedat and hopes that by speaking out, other families in similar situations will not have to experience the same pain.
Newham Council has expressed their devastation over Mazeedat's death and extended their condolences to her family and loved ones. They have since made changes to their social work practices, which have been recognized by Ofsted, who now rates their services as "Good." However, they will carefully consider the inquest's findings and comply with the coroner's request for further information.
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