More than 60 calls were made to police and social services before a nine-year-old boy was killed by his mother and her partner during a pandemic lockdown.
A Freedom of information request found West Mercia Police and Worcestershire County Council were contacted about Alfie Steele 64 times between them over a three-year period before his death.
The figures were released yesterday as a safeguarding children report was published which laid bare a string of missed opportunities to intervene.
Alfie died in February 2021 at Scott’s new-build housing association property in Droitwich, Worcestershire, where he suffered ‘sadistic’ punishments including beatings and being held under bath water.
A trial heard the sports-mad schoolboy was locked out of the house or in a shed – where he would be forced to stand still – or whipped with belts during a ‘sinister’ regime of correction and abuse by his mother Carla Scott and her career criminal lover Dirk Howell.
Jurors heard concerned neighbours and even passers-by in the street reported the treatment doled out by Howell, 41 and Scott, 35 – who they said turned a blind eye – to police, social services, the council and Alfie’s school. Six months before Alfie died, a neighbour made a harrowing 999 call reporting ‘thrashing’ sounds coming from the bathroom ‘like they are really hurting him’.
Six missed chances to save Alfie
A review of social services and police contact with a nine-year-old boy before he was killed by his mother and stepfather has found he was classed as ‘safe and well’ after home visits when he was not spoken to.
The 23-page review said: ‘There were six known incidents of concern raised with the police or children’s services about neighbours or school staff concerns about physical abuse or Dirk Howell’s harsh and cruel practices to Alfie.
‘Each incident would be followed up by a police or social worker visit. There was inconsistency when Alfie was spoken to, made complicated by his age and on some occasions the lateness in the day of the visit.
‘Too often he was described as ‘safe and well’ when he had not been spoken to.
‘The police did not always follow through on injuries noted to Alfie. There were always causal explanations given by Alfie or Carla Scott, but given the context, there should have been more thought given to ensuring that injuries were checked through medical examination.
‘These incidents should have led to a strategy discussion and consideration of the need for child protection medicals.
‘This review has found that friends, neighbours and people in the community took great risks to ensure that Alfie could be safe, and abuse and neglect addressed.
‘The review would like to thank them for all that they did, with the risk of violence and retribution from Dirk Howell.
‘When Dirk Howell threatened the neighbours with violence and arson, they said they did not want to pursue a complaint because they were worried about repercussions. More could have been done to support them through a discussion of bail conditions and protective action.
‘In the period under review there was an over-reliance on Alfie to share concerns and evidence that he was being abused and harmed. He was consistently asked if he had any worries, whether he liked Dirk Howell and what had happened in the context of allegations of abuse and aggression.
‘Throughout the review process there was an absence of discussion of Alfie’s lived experience and reflection on the contrast between what was known about what life was like and what he said about it.’
Alfie died after being found unresponsive in bath water, with Scott claiming he had fallen asleep while bathing.
Howell was sentenced to at least 32 years in prison for murder last year after a trial at Coventry Crown Court. Scott was jailed for manslaughter with a minimum tariff of 17 years.
The Freedom of Information requests by the BBC discovered Worcestershire County Council was contacted 36 times between 2018 and 2020 by people who were concerned about Alfie’s welfare.
West Mercia Police were contacted 28 times during the same period.
Some incidents of concern raised about physical abuse or Howell’s ‘harsh and cruel’ practices were followed up by a police or social worker visit, the Worcestershire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership report said.
But, it added, ‘too often he was described as safe and well when he had not been spoken to.
‘Over the period of this review there were many incidents of concern, they were different in nature, but all were treated in isolation from each other and were not discussed holistically in the context of joint enquiries between the police and children’s services.’
Alfie had been on the radar of social services since he was a young boy and had been subject to a child protection plan for neglect in 2018, the same year Scott moved with him from her home town of Wolverhampton to Droitwich.
She met Howell, who had a criminal history stretching back three decades, the following year.
By that August, the report said relatives and neighbours had raised concerns about Howell’s criminality, aggression and drug use, prompting a safeguarding strategy discussion.
More neighbours raised concerns in 2020, alongside Alfie’s headmaster, but at a meeting in July – a month after Howell had been caught shoplifting – it was agreed the threshold for care proceedings was not met. In August, neighbours warned police they can hear a child being harmed. Scott denied the suggestion, before Howell then threatened to burn the neighbour’s home down for blowing the whistle – leaving the resident too scared to pursue a complaint. The report concluded that ‘more could have been done to support’ the neighbour’.
Howell was then subject to three further police investigations for assaults and burglary, where a collection of shotguns had been taken from an elderly man’s gun cabinet, while the authorities also received information that Howell and Scott may be drug-dealing from home.
At the time of his death, Alfie had more than 50 injuries on his body.
Paul Scott, Alfie’s grandfather, said: ‘We reported Howell again and again to social services and nothing was done.
‘Nobody joined the dots; so many chances were missed.
‘They know they let Alfie down.’
The report said agencies involved with the family were often ‘hampered by two adults who sought to deliberately lie, mislead and cover up what was happening to this little boy’.
Eight recommendations for agencies were made in the report.
Stephen Eccleston, chairman of Worcestershire Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, said: ‘Whilst the investigation and trial were ongoing, the immediate learning from both this case and other child safeguarding practice reviews has resulted in a change of safeguarding practices and activities.’
Rachel Jones, Assistant Chief Constable at West Mercia Police said officers and staff had been given ‘enhanced training…to ensure they fully understand the signs of vulnerability, that they are professionally curious and don’t take information on face value.’
The force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its involvement.
An IOPC spokesperson said the review was ongoing but had not identified any conduct issues for any officers involved at this stage.
Alfie’s tragic timeline
2018 – Scott and Alfie move to Worcestershire. Alfie was subject to a child protection plan for neglect and he and his mother were homeless.
August 2019 – Howell meets Scott. There are concerns from family and neighbours about Howell’s criminal history, his aggression, shouting at Alfie and cannabis use. A previous history of violence towards others was disclosed but there was no record of Howell connected to domestic abuse.
September 2019 – Howell’s long criminal history, marker for violence and drug dealing is discussed in a strategy meeting. At the time Howell was under investigation for a burglary of an elderly man where firearms were stolen. Scott, however, said she did not believe he posed a risk to her or Alfie.
October 2019 – Child protection and safety plan agreed.
November 2019 -Neighbours share concerns Howell is behaving cruelly to Alfie. Howell found to be in the home by the police. Howell threatened neighbours with violence.
February 2020 – Neighbours raise concerns about anti-social behaviour by Scott and Howell in the form of parties and loud music and Howell’s aggressiveness in response to complaints. Alfie reported to be hungry in school.
March 2020 – Scott physically abusive to Alfie and there is evidence of Howell being drunk and aggressive to Alfie in the community.
March 2020 – Covid pandemic and first lockdown. Changes to operating procedures for all agencies. Schools remain open to support vulnerable children, but Scott does not allow Alfie to attend.
April 2020 – Further concerns from neighbours about Alfie, and Howell seen behaving inappropriately and aggressively to him.
April 2020 – Alfie’s head teacher raises concerns about the lack of progress of the child protection plan and increased risks to his welfare. Informed that a Legal Planning Meeting would be convened.
May 2020 -Legal Planning Meeting held, at which it was decided a risk assessment would be completed for Howell. Parenting assessment to be made for Scott and Alfie’s father.
June 2020 – Howell caught shoplifting on two occasions. On the second he punched a female shop assistant in the face. He was arrested and would be charged later.
July 2020 – At a meeting it was agreed the threshold for care proceedings was not met. A child protection plan would continue, but Howell was now allowed to be in the home and required to engage with child protection plan, and attend meetings including a parenting course, and anger management support.
July 2020 – A Child Protection Conference review was rescheduled to October 2020 due to the local authority Covid arrangements, which meant no children were removed from child protection plans during this period
August 2020 – Neighbour shares concern with police that they can hear a child being harmed. This was responded to and denied by Scott. Howell not seen at the home, but he subsequently threatens to burn neighbour’s home down for sharing concerns.
September 2020 – Alfie returns to school. Concerns about him being hungry and unkempt.
October 2020 – Howell was convicted of physically assaulting a train guard. Two further offences were being investigated: a burglary and the assault of a shop assistant.
November 2020 – Alfie’s school was worried about him. He looked unkempt, had a nasty ear infection and seemed unsettled. Those fears were discussed with the lead social worker. Uncorroborated information suggested Scott and Howell might be dealing drugs from the home.
January 2021 – Change of social worker. The child protection plan is reviewed. Neighbours are contacted who were part of the plan and they expressed concerns. The maternal grandparents meanwhile said they were unaware of the child protection plan. Howell found in Scott’s bedroom, having said he was not in the home. Scott asks for a different social worker.
February 2021 – Alfie was murdered.
