The neglected 'ghost pupil' who could not be found inside their own home amid the piles of rubbish

A neglected Scottish secondary pupil whose school attendance plummeted to 13 per cent following the Covid-19 pandemic could not even be seen when authorities entered the youngster’s home because of the volume of rubbish.

The shocking case of “Child B” from South Ayrshire, which can be revealed by The Scotsman today, offers a harrowing insight into the way some “ghost children” fell off the radar in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Despite numerous warning signs and a dramatic decline in school attendance, the alarm was only raised about the S3 pupil in September 2022 when a first tier tribunal judge executed a warrant to enter their home to carry out electrical safety checks.

The property was found to be “unhygienic, and unsafe for a child to reside in”.

A report said: “(Child) B was present in the home during this visit, but could not be seen due to the volume of belongings or refuse within the home which restricted the view into any of the rooms.”

Social workers returned later that day but were “unable to enter or move around the property due to items restricting the doorways”, and concerns were also expressed that the child’s mother was under the influence of alcohol during the visit.

The discovery led to a child protection investigation being launched.

A learning review later found that it was “probable there were missed opportunities to identify difficulties and intervene earlier to support the family”.

The probe revealed that social workers had previously found the child in an “unsafe and unhygienic” home some five years earlier.

Last night, Scottish Conservative education spokesman Liam Kerr said: “This is an appalling and tragic case which should never have been allowed to happen.

“It’s crucial that we learn from reviews like this to ensure that children in need of support do not slip through the net.”

Inquiries found that the child had been displaying “behaviours linked with difficulties managing emotions” since P4, and an “incident of maltreatment” emerged during counselling sessions soon after.

In May 2017, a GP raised concerns to the school nurse and a health assessment was requested, but “it is unclear if the assessment took place”, as the staff member has since left post.

By P5, concerns were growing that the child’s mother was “not always home at the end of the school day”.

A visit by a social worker in September 2017 found the family home to be in a “cluttered, unsafe, and unhygienic condition, reflecting mum’s difficulty in coping and the neglect experienced by B”.

It was agreed with the mother that the youngster would live with a female family member instead. The family, and the mother individually, started attending support group sessions and it was decided not to put “B” on the child protection register. The child returned to live with their mother.

In 2018, the youngster was referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), and their attendance at school remained high, while “no concerns” were raised by education services during the final two years of primary school.

However, the child’s transition to secondary school was in 2020, in the midst of the Covid pandemic, and “it is unclear if B’s previous vulnerabilities were shared” between staff at the schools.

By the end of S1, the pupil’s attendance had fallen to 81 per cent, and at the start of S2, the pupil attended school for two days in August 2021, but then was absent until October.

Just before Christmas that year, an anonymous call was made to police about the welfare of the youngster, but the incident was “closed” following an “enquiry at address and police contact with mum”.

By the end of S2, their attendance had fallen to just 13 per cent.

Monthly meetings involving school staff discussed attendance concerns, however no actions are noted for Child B until a key guidance teacher returned from absence in March 2022.

A review found areas of good practice, including primary school staff understanding the needs of the youngster and communicating well with the family and other services. There was also praise for secondary school guidance staff, CAMHS services, and Barnardo’s, which provided support sessions to the family.

However, it added: “Due to circumstances of this review presenting a similar experience of neglect as previously experienced by B in 2017, it is probable there were missed opportunities to identify difficulties and intervene earlier to support the family.”

The report added: “Communication and relationship building with parents is an important factor in supporting the child, however an optimistic approach with parents should be balanced with the role of protecting the child.”

The review made seven recommendations to tighten up procedures, including better training to ensure that the views of the child are properly considered, as well as the need for school attendance meetings to result in concrete actions, and for services to remember that pupil absence can be “a warning indicator of wider concerns and the need to triangulate this information with other agencies”.

On the impact of the pandemic, the report added: “The review recognises that B’s transition from a primary to a secondary setting took place during a period of national lockdown where schools were dealing with an unprecedented range of issues, in order to continue to provide education and transition support to pupils.

“The impact of lockdown on the functioning of a school’s usual processes cannot be underestimated.

“Learning events with secondary school staff determined that they did not have knowledge of the previous vulnerabilities around B. This may highlight missed opportunities to identify concerns.”

A South Ayrshire Council spokesperson said the review process was completed last year.

“A comprehensive multi-agency action plan was developed and taken forward to address the learning points identified,” they said.

“Improving school attendance remains a key focus for all schools and early years centres in South Ayrshire and has been an ongoing priority post pandemic.”