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Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Daily Mail
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
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.'
The Independent
02-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Boy who killed foster carer was placed with family despite concern, inquest told
A 12-year-old boy who ran over and killed his foster carer had been placed in her care six days before the tragedy despite concerns raised by a social worker, an inquest has heard. 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 a murder charge was dropped. On Monday, a week-long inquest began at Sheffield Coroner's Court with her family saying: 'To say mum's life's calling was to help those in need is an understatement.' The hearing will look at Rotherham Council's decision to place Child X with Mrs Grant and her husband Delroy, the support they were given and the events outside their home on the evening of April 5, coroner Marilyn Whittle said. Ms Whittle heard how Mr and Mrs Grant 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 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. But Ms Whittle heard that the rules meant that they could take another child for up to six days in an emergency situation. The coroner was told that the six days expired on April 5 – the day Mrs Grant died – and the boy was collected by social services but returned later that day. Social worker David Wade, who supported the Grants in their fostering, told the inquest 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 council 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. Child X's social worker Tessa Goodacre told the court she was not aware of concerns in the few days he was with the Grants. She was asked by the coroner whether she was 'aware that Mrs Grant was struggling and colleagues were saying she was looking shattered', but she said she was not aware. Ms Goodacre said the boy was very chatty and acted like a normal teenager. She said he enjoyed football and told her he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up. The social worker said she was aware Child X had a youth caution for possession of a knife and had talked about gang-related activities, which were not substantiated. The inquest opened on Monday with a pen-portrait of Mrs Grant, read by her daughter, Gemma. The family said she was a 'soul like no other' with an 'unshakeable ethical compass'. They said she was a 'proud and loving mother' with an 'infectious laugh'. The statement said: 'To say mum's life's calling was to help those in need is an understatement'. Ms Grant outlined her mother's long career working for charities and in social care, saying she always supported people who were 'overlooked, dismissed or mistreated'. She said she provided a 'safe haven for children in need' and added: 'She wore the achievements of those she loved as if they were her own.'
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Boy, 12, killed foster carer just days after moving in with her
A 12-year-old boy ran over and killed his foster carer just six days after being placed in her care, an inquest heard. Marcia Grant, 60, had been working as a foster carer for seven years when she suffered catastrophic injuries as she tried to stop him taking her car outside her home in 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 a murder charge was dropped. Sheffield coroner's court was told 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 of Rotherham's foster carers for an emergency placement for Child X on March 30 2023. The inquest heard Mr and Mrs Grant volunteered to take him, despite the fact they were categorised as only able to take in one child at a time. They could take another child for up to six days in an emergency situation, the coroner was told. The six days expired the day Mrs Grant died, the court heard. Social worker David Wade, who supported the Grants in their fostering, told the inquest 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 had known, he would have been more robust in his insistence that this was not a suitable placement. 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 the council had faced difficult 'finely balanced' decisions over emergency placements and that, 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. 'We were desperately trying to provide some stability for Child X in that context', he said, adding that he thought it was an 'appropriate decision' in the circumstances. The inquest opened on Monday with a description of Mrs Grant read out by her daughter, Gemma. The family said she was a 'soul like no other' with an 'unshakeable ethical compass', and that she was a 'proud and loving mother' with an 'infectious laugh'.
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Foster child, 12, killed carer just six days after he was placed with her after social workers failed to uncover gang and knife links, inquest hears
A 12-year-old 'gangster' who ran over and killed his foster mother had been placed in her care six days before the tragedy despite concerns raised by a social worker, an inquest has heard. Marcia Grant, 60 had been working as a foster carer for seven years before she was twice run over by the knife-wielding child outside her home in Greenhill, Sheffield, on April 5, 2023. She 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'. A wheel of the Honda Civic ended up on top of Ms Grant who suffered fatal crush injuries to her chest and died at the scene. The boy later said to cops: '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****** kill your family, you b****, and I don't give a f***.' 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 a murder charge was dropped. A week-long inquest today began at Sheffield Coroner's Court with her family saying: 'To say mum's life's calling was to help those in need is an understatement.' The hearing will look at Rotherham Council's decision to place Child X with Mrs Grant and her husband Delroy, the support they were given and the events outside their home on the evening of April 5, coroner Marilyn Whittle said. Ms Whittle heard how Mr and Mrs Grant 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. 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. But Ms Whittle heard that the rules meant that they could take another child for up to six days in an emergency situation. The coroner was told that the six days expired on April 5 - the day Mrs Grant died - and the boy was collected by social services but returned later that day. Social worker David Wade, who supported the Grants in their fostering, told the inquest 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 council 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. Child X's social worker Tessa Goodacre told the court she was not aware of concerns in the few days he was with the Grants. She was asked by the coroner whether she was 'aware that Mrs Grant was struggling and colleagues were saying she was looking shattered', but she said she was not aware. Ms Goodacre said the boy was very chatty and acted like a normal teenager. She said he enjoyed football and told her he wanted to be a police officer when he grew up. The social worker said she was aware Child X had a youth caution for possession of a knife and had talked about gang-related activities, which were unsubstantiated. The inquest opened on Monday with a pen-portrait of Mrs Grant, read by her daughter, Gemma. The family said she was a 'soul like no other' with an 'unshakeable ethical compass' and a 'proud and loving mother' with an 'infectious laugh'. Ms Grant outlined her mother's long career working for charities and in social care, saying she always supported people who were 'overlooked, dismissed or mistreated'. She said she provided a 'safe haven for children in need' and added: 'She wore the achievements of those she loved as if they were her own.'
BBC News
02-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Sheffield foster mum offered to care for boy who killed her
A foster carer who was killed by a 12-year-old boy she had been looking after had volunteered to care for him following an emergency request, an inquest has Grant, 60, died outside her home in the Greenhill area of Sheffield on 5 April 2023 when the boy reversed over her in her own boy, referred to during Monday's hearing as Child X, was later sentenced to two years in custody after admitting causing death by dangerous Coroner Marilyn Whittle said the inquest would examine the decision to place the boy with Mrs Grant and her husband and the support provided to the couple by Sheffield City Council, as well as the events leading up to her death. Sheffield Coroners' Court heard Mrs Grant and her husband, Delroy, were both experienced carers and were already looking after one child at the time they took on the boy's hearing was told managers approved the temporary placement of the boy with the couple on the understanding it could only run for six days and it must be constantly had been a finely balanced and child-focused decision, one manager told the another social worker told the inquest he had not thought it was a good idea to place the boy with the said he had been concerned about the impact it would have on the child they were already looking after. The inquest heard that on 5 April 2023, six days after the start of Child X's placement, he had reversed over Mrs Grant in her own car as he had attempted take Grant was left with catastrophic injuries and died at the Grant, Mrs Grant's daughter, told the inquest her mother had "a soul like no other".She had an "unshakeable moral compass" and had provided a safe haven for children in need, her daughter inquest continues. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
