Social workers couldn't have predicted dad would kill four-year-old boy, review finds

The death of a four-year-old boy at the hands of his father “could not have been predicted” by social workers involved with the family, a review has found.

Kayden Frank was found dead alongside his dad Steven Frank at a property in Paisley on May 15, 2023.

The discovery was made after family members contacted Kayden’s nursery to report that they hadn’t been able to get in contact with Frank for several days.

Police gained entry to their home later the same day and found their bodies.

A review by Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee has found that Kayden and his dad had been given “consistent and comprehensive multi-agency support” prior to their deaths.

An independent reviewer found that Frank had undergone an intensive parenting assessment but that there was not enough communication with adult mental health services about his “enduring and severe” condition.

Instead, practitioners from child and adult services “relied solely” on Frank to update them on his mental health

Kayden had been living with his dad in Paisley after spending the first few months of life in foster care having been being removed from his parents.

Frank was able to take over Kayden’s care as a single parent after undergoing an intensive parenting assessment in the first year of his life.

The pair were described as remaining settled over a long period of time with 38-year-old Frank described as an “intelligent man whose sole focus was being able to evidence that he could care for his son”.

Kayden was said to be in regular contact with his extended family throughout his short life and is remembered as a “busy and energetic wee boy who was close to his father”.

The pair were found to have an “established” relationship with the early learning and childcare centre and staff with whom Kayden had his favourites for “cuddles and play”.

Frank had been assessed as being a “low-risk parent” and regarded as a success within the system.

A review following their deaths found that child and adult services relied solely on Frank to provide information on his mental health and wellbeing and didn’t contact each other.

It outlined: “(Frank) did extremely well for a sustained period and was therefore not flagged up as a person of concern which meant there was no system in place to report to child and family services.

“Instead, mental health services relied on other agencies to let them know about any deterioration or concerns in his mental health.”

There was also a lack of information sharing between services when Kayden sustained several injuries over a short period of time in 2021.

It added: “Earlier recognition of emerging patterns, ultimately through good chronological recording and information sharing, could have led to wider professional curiosity much earlier with a risk assessment taking place as the pattern was emerging.”

The review also found that services hadn’t considered what support Frank was being offered by extended family while dealing with his mental health despite the family “safety net” being an important part of the original intensive parenting assessment.

The review found: “Although mentioned occasionally by (Frank), this established relationship as reported by the extended family, was not recorded, or understood by professionals.

“No single practitioner was aware of the extent of support received from the family once the child moved to live with his father.”

The reviewer concluded that Kayden’s death could not have been predicted.

Tam Baillie, chair of the Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee, the multi-agency partnership which oversees child protection services locally, said: “Our thoughts remain with everyone who loved and cared for the child, and who continue to mourn his loss.

“The circumstances of his death were deeply distressing. This young child was at the start of his life when he tragically died.

“The review concluded there was no way services could have predicted the deaths of the child or his father. It was evident throughout the Learning Review that all professionals working with the child and his father had their health and wellbeing at the core of their work.

“The Renfrewshire Child Protection Committee accepts the findings of the Learning Review. All partner agencies involved in the review are committed to responding to its suggested strategies for improvement in strengthening our protection of children and young people in Renfrewshire. This includes child protection and adult protection services, including mental health services.”