Oldham Council’s social services have faced criticism after it emerged they ignored 37 referrals concerning a child abuse victim prior to the murder of Preston Davey by his adoptive father. The child, known as Abdur, was admitted to hospital in February 2022 with life-threatening malnourishment and scurvy following prolonged neglect by his mother, a drug addict. Despite repeated warnings from his school, which included reports of rapid weight loss and unhygienic conditions, the local authority failed to intervene effectively.

Abdur, a ten-year-old boy under Oldham social services since birth due to his mother’s history of drug abuse, was returned to her care after hospitalisation. His family has since relocated outside Oldham’s jurisdiction, limiting the council’s ability to monitor his welfare. Only one of 38 referrals about his worsening condition resulted in action, highlighting significant lapses in child protection oversight.

This case is one of several in Oldham that underscores troubling patterns of child harm amid high deprivation levels. Over a 19-month period ending in mid-2023, three children known to social services, including Preston Davey and five-year-old Dylan Scanlon, were either killed or seriously harmed. Dylan was murdered by his mother in December 2021, despite having been on social services’ radar since infancy. Reviews into these cases identified multiple missed opportunities for intervention.

Oldham, a Greater Manchester suburb, has one of the highest rates of child physical abuse in England, recording 146 cases per 10,000 children last year. The town also has the nation’s highest child poverty rate at 38 percent. Contributing to the crisis, social worker vacancies within Oldham Council surged to 38.7 percent in 2024, more than double the national average, accompanied by high staff turnover.

A councillor attributed part of the council’s failure in Abdur’s case to frequent changes in social workers, which hinder continuity of care. The council was notified from birth about the family’s circumstances, but monitoring under an at-home care order proved insufficient as the child’s health deteriorated.

Preston Davey’s case similarly exposed weaknesses in safeguarding protocols. After Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley became adoptive parents early in 2023, Oldham Council retained legal oversight for ten weeks. Despite the child’s repeated hospital visits for injuries including bruises and a fractured elbow, social workers reportedly reassured the couple that medical professionals had no concerns and that the appropriate steps had been taken. Following Preston’s death, his biological grandmother, Debbie Davey, has condemned the council’s handling and called for those involved in his placement to be dismissed.

Neighbours described the adoptive couple, who worked as a teacher and a finance sales manager, as presenting an outward image that may have influenced social workers’ judgments. One resident suggested that assumptions about social class and professions affected decisions on suitability, while others characterized the couple’s personalities in ways that raised suspicion prior to the tragedy.

An independent child safeguarding practice review by Oldham Council, initially paused during criminal proceedings related to Preston’s death, has since recommenced. A council spokesperson emphasized that each case had undergone detailed independent examination, lessons had been learned, and further reviews would be conducted to prevent future failures. Meanwhile, calls are mounting from local MPs for a formal inquiry into the performance of social services in Oldham amid the continuing child welfare crisis.