Labour-run council failings contributed to the death of foster mother killed by 12-year-old six days after being placed in her home, coroner rules

Daily Mail​

02-07-2025

Failings by a Labour-run council contributed to the death of a foster mother who was killed when a 12-year-old boy she was caring for.
Marcia Grant, 60, had been working as a foster carer for seven years when she suffered catastrophic injuries as she tried to stop the boy taking her car outside her home in the Greenhill area of Sheffield on April 5 2023.
The boy, referred to as Child X, was sentenced to two years in custody in November 2023 after admitting causing Mrs Grant's death by dangerous driving when he ran over her with her own car.
Mrs Grant and her husband Delroy Grant had tried to stop the boy taking her car outside their home before he then reversed 'aggressively' over her at speed 'like a dart' as she stood at the end of her driveway.
A wheel of the Honda Civic ended up on top of Mrs Grant who suffered fatal crush injuries to her chest and died at the scene.
The boy later said to police: 'Is she dead?' and 'looks like I got my first kill?' before insisting: 'It was an accident, I swear.'
When he was arrested after trying to run away from police, the balaclava-clad youngster told a policewoman: 'I'm going to f***ing kill your family, you b****, and I don't give a f***.'
On Tuesday, South Yorkshire coroner Marilyn Whittle recorded a narrative conclusion after an inquest into Mrs Grant's death, and said that the tragedy was caused in part by failings of the Labour-run council of Rotherham.
She said the circumstances which led to the fatal incident 'were contributed to by the failings of the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to have appropriate systems and processes in place when placing foster children, including but not limited to the lack of accurate and complete documentation, failure to communicate risks and concerns appropriately, failure to conduct appropriate risk assessments and failing to safeguard those in their care'.
Ms Whittle said she would be writing a 'prevention of future deaths' report addressing issues including the council's lack of documentation and failure to complete forms; and a shortage of placements, although she said this was a 'national issue' and not just to be directed at Rotherham.
The inquest heard Mrs Grant and her husband Delroy were experienced foster carers who were highly regarded by the council's fostering team.
They were caring for another child, referred to as Child Y, when a call went out to all Rotherham's foster carers for an emergency placement for Child X on March 30 2023.
The inquest heard how Mr and Mrs Grant volunteered to take him, despite them being categorised as only able to take in one child at a time, largely because of the complexities Child Y presented to them.
Ms Whittle said that Child X had a youth caution for possessing a knife and had at times talked about wanting to be part of gang culture, but this information was not included on the initial placement referral form, making it 'deficient'.
She said Mrs Grant's decision that she could provide Child X with a short term placement 'was made without her full knowledge of Child X's risks' because of 'the failings of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to have in place systems and processes to ensure full details are included and up to date forms were used'.
The coroner said the Grants' social worker who was asked for his opinion on whether they were a suitable match for Child X, was not told about the boy claiming to have stabbed people or been involved in gangs, and 'would have categorically said that was not a match' if he had been.
Ms Whittle found that 'had the proper process been undertaken, Child X would not have been placed with the Grant family'.
Social worker David Wade, who supported the Grants in their fostering, told the inquest earlier that he was consulted about the initial emergency placement of Child X and said he did not agree with the decision because of the potential impact on Child Y, who was clearly being helped by the family.
But Mr Wade said the decision was made by a more senior manager.
The social worker told the court that he did not know the details of Child X's self-reported history of gang-related activity and possession of knives.
He told the coroner that, if he did, he would have been more robust in his insistence that this was not a suitable placement.
Mr Wade said he had absolutely no concerns over Mr and Mrs Grant's ability to care for Child X and stressed that his prime concerns were about the impact on Child Y.
He said: 'They just wanted to help all the time. They were just incredibly open to helping children.'
Matthew Boud, who worked at the time as head of service for Rotherham Council's children in care service, signed off on the placement of Child X with the Grants.
He explained how c ouncil faced difficult, 'finely balanced' decisions over emergency placements and, if the Grants had not agreed to take the boy, he could have ended up in an unsuitable setting, possibly including a hotel or being transported miles from Rotherham.
He said: 'We were desperately trying to provide some stability for Child X in that context.'
Mr Boud said he thought it was an 'appropriate decision' in the circumstances.
The inquest heard on April 4, Mrs Grant received a visit from the Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) who discussed the placement with her.
The IRO said after the meeting they would not recommend the placement was extended as concerns were raised that Mrs Grant was keeping knives locked in another room, and the boy had told her he had stabbed someone, spat at the neighbour and had sex with 10 girls.
Child X was removed from Mrs Grant's care on April 5, but she was asked to keep him on for a longer placement because social services were not able to find an alternative placement.
Shortly after he was returned to the Grants' home, he attempted to steal their car.
Mrs Whittle said Mrs Grant was killed as she stood behind the vehicle in an attempt to stop him driving it away.
After the inquest, Mrs Grant's son Shaun Grant said his mother 'deserved better' and would not have taken Child X if she had known his full history.
Reading a statement alongside his sister Gemma Grant, he said: 'We have been on an agonising journey to uncover the truth behind the events and systemic failings that led to the death of our beloved mum, Marcia Grant.
'What has become evident over the last few weeks leaves us with no doubt that our mum was failed, our family was failed, and so too the foster child that was in our long-term care.
'It remains a source of deep sorrow and frustration that senior leadership within the council has consistently refused to acknowledge their own accountability despite being fully aware of the risk history of Child X and our mum's own needs as a foster carer.
'They chose to look away, take no responsibility and to make no meaningful change for carers after our mum's death.'
He went on to say: 'We wholly welcome the coroner's findings that our mum was failed on numerous fronts and that these failures directly contributed to her death.
'However, whilst this leaves us with a sense of vindication, it also serves to reinforce to us how badly she was failed.
'If not for these failures, our mum would still be with us here today.
'Our mum was dedicated to protecting vulnerable people, she did so with strength, compassion, and an unwavering sense of duty.
'Yet when it mattered the most, the same system she gave so much for, did not protect her in return.'