A GRAN who took in a 12-year-old foster child just days before he ran her over with her own car wasn’t told about his gang links by social workers.
Marcia Grant, 60, had been working as a foster carer for seven years when she tried to stop the boy, then 12, from taking her car.
PAFoster mum Marcia Grant was mowed down outside her home[/caption]
Ben LackTributes were left at the scene in Sheffield in 2023[/caption]
She suffered catastrophic injuries when he ran over her outside her home in the Greenhill area of Sheffield on April 5 2023.
An inquest has found that failings by a local council contributed to the circumstances around her death.
The boy, referred to as Child X, was sentenced to two years in custody in November 2023 after admitting causing Marcia’s death by dangerous driving, when a murder charge was dropped.
But Marcia’s family slammed the soft sentence, saying they feel “completely let down”.
During the court case, Sheffield Crown Court heard how when he was arrested, the teen asked police: “Is she dead?”
He then chillingly added: “Looks like I got my first kill.
“It was an accident, I swear.”
On Tuesday, South Yorkshire coroner Marilyn Whittle recorded a narrative conclusion after an inquest into Marcia’s death.
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 Marcia’s decision that she could provide Child X with a short term placement “was made without her full knowledge of Child X’s risks”.
This was 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”.
The inquest heard that Marcia 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.
The inquest heard that on April 4, Marcia was visited by 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 Marcia 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 her 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 the grandmother was killed as she stood behind the vehicle in an attempt to stop him driving it away.
The coroner said the circumstances which led to the fatal incident “were contributed to by the failings of the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council”.
She listed these as a failure 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.
She said this was a “national issue” and not just to be directed at Rotherham.
After the inquest, Marcia’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.”
Rotherham Council’s strategic director for Children and Young People’s Services, Nicola Curley, said: “We want to begin by offering our deepest and sincerest condolences to the family of Marcia Grant.
“The pain and distress they have experienced is immeasurable, and we are truly sorry for their loss and everything they have been through.
“Marcia was a much-loved and highly respected foster carer, and a central figure within Rotherham’s fostering community. Her family have spoken of her devotion as a wife and mother – qualities that were equally evident in the care and compassion she gave to some of our borough’s most vulnerable children.
“She made a lasting difference to the lives of many, and she remains deeply valued and greatly missed by all who knew her. We also extend our heartfelt condolences to her friends, and the fostering community who held her in such high regard.
“We recognise the seriousness of the coroner’s findings, and we will now take time to reflect fully on the outcome of the inquest and consider all appropriate next steps.”
Ben LackThe scene outside Marcia’s home in 2023 after she was run over[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
