Council facing urgent questions over deaths of two more teens

Two much teenagers who were successful the attraction of Barnet Council person died since the decease of 18-year-old Nonita Grabovskyte - prompting urgent questions implicit whether captious lessons were delayed.  

Both were 18-year-old attraction leavers and died successful December 2024 and January 2025 - conscionable implicit a twelvemonth aft Nonita took her ain life connected 28 December 2023, the northbound London assembly said.

Their names person not yet been released portion families are being informed, but confirmation of the deaths means 3 care-experienced young radical connected to Barnet person present died successful the abstraction of 13 months.

It raises superior concerns astir what the assembly learned from Nonita's lawsuit and whether earlier enactment to people and instrumentality changes could person prevented further nonaccomplishment of life.

Nonita's decease - investigated successful the Sky News documentary Unseen: A Girl Called Nonita - featured captious failings successful the modulation betwixt children's and big services.

The coroner aboriginal described an "absence of coordinated transition" during the astir susceptible infinitesimal successful her life.

Despite that, Sky News has learned that a associated learning reappraisal into the deaths of Nonita and the 2nd young person, known lone arsenic Young Person E, was completed successful February.

But work was delayed for astir a year, until aft the decision of Nonita's inquest successful October.

The inquest process is nether mode for the astir caller decease - Young Person R - with a reappraisal expected to beryllium launched, a assembly spokesperson said.

The timing has led to increasing scrutiny implicit whether lessons were identified connected insubstantial but not acted connected rapidly capable to support others.

Oversight of learning reviews sits with the Barnet Safeguarding Children Partnership, which includes the police, NHS, and council.

Barnet Council says the delayed learning reappraisal into the deaths of Nonita and the 2nd young idiosyncratic volition yet beryllium presented to the safeguarding concern connected 27 November, aft which its findings volition beryllium published.

An inquest into the astir caller decease is scheduled for February.

We'll larn lessons, says assembly leader

Council person Barry Rawlings said: "We're atrocious for what happened. We bash realise determination person been immoderate failures by antithetic agencies, including the council.

"It shouldn't happen, and we request to larn from that.

"It's a implicit tragedy, evidently you privation these things don't happen. But arsenic I said, the lone happening we tin bash is to larn due lessons from it. It's happened. I can't halt it.

"We'll bash we tin to halt a akin happening happening again. That is the important thing. And that's what my absorption is on, the future."

Read more: Council accused of 'toxic civilization of secrecy'

Hundreds of young radical who grew up successful attraction person died successful England since 2020, according to figures obtained by Sky News.

Sky News investigation recovered 91 attraction leavers aged 16 to 25 died successful the past twelvemonth unsocial - astir 2 each week.

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill is presently successful parliament, intended to amended children's societal care.

Campaigners person criticised the bill, saying it does not spell acold capable to forestall the deaths of young radical successful the system. But the authorities is resisting calls to marque amendments.

Local authorities successful England are present spending much than £14bn a twelvemonth connected children's societal attraction - that includes foster care, children's homes, safeguarding, and enactment for attraction leavers.