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Jayden Parkinson murder: Former Folkestone teen let down by Oxfordshire County Council children's services, Thames Valley Police and others

An investigation has found a catalogue of failure by children’s services in protecting tragic teenager Jayden Parkinson before she was murdered by her boyfriend.

Ben Blakeley was sentenced to life in prison in 2014 for killing the pregnant 17-year-old in December 2013.

A review commissioned by the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board and the South and Vale Community Safety Partnership highlighted that “mistakes were made by services” in Oxfordshire.

Teenager Jayden Parkinson used to live in Tennyson Place in Folkestone
Teenager Jayden Parkinson used to live in Tennyson Place in Folkestone

This ultimately failed Miss Parkinson, who used to live in Folkestone and is buried at St Martin’s Church in Cheriton.

She went missing before her body was found in a churchyard in Didcot, Oxfordshire, in the week before Christmas in 2013.

The report details long-term contact with Miss Parkinson and her family for more than three years before her death.

The review picks out issues with “limited assessments” by staff in Oxfordshire’s children’s services departments.

It also reveals concerns were raised with children’s services by Jayden’s mother earlier in 2013 that Blakeley had been “harassing” her daughter and that she had concerns he was controlling and threatening towards Jayden.

Ben Blakeley was sent to prison for life last week for murdering former Folkestone girl Jayden Parkinson
Ben Blakeley was sent to prison for life last week for murdering former Folkestone girl Jayden Parkinson

She also told social workers that she was worried he might hurt her.

The 87-page review published last week concluded that although the long-term approaches to protect Jayden were “often well intended” they were “ultimately ineffective”.

It added that despite predicting the murder would happen was difficult “there were times when it is possible that alternative responses or strategies might have made a difference”.

The review goes on to say that “all the evidence pointed towards the likelihood” that Jayden could suffer further abuse that included serious emotional or physical harm.

Flowers placed at the grave of Jayden Parkinson at St Martin's Church in Cheriton
Flowers placed at the grave of Jayden Parkinson at St Martin's Church in Cheriton

There were frequent issues with staff being unable to engage with Jayden, while the only person she seemed willing to communicate with was her school inclusion mentor, the review found.

It finishes by proposing seven recommendations applying across agencies, with a further 68 issued to various individual services, including Thames Valley Police (TVP), Oxford NHS hospitals trust and Oxfordshire County Council children’s services.

An IPCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission) report into TVP found a “series of errors” in the way that the force handled Jayden’s disappearance.

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