Probe told Liam social worker did not believe protection workers should intervene

Murdered toddler Liam Fee’s social worker decided child protection workers should not intervene after the tot was found badly bruised, a probe into her conduct heard yesterday.

Lesley Bate was a member of Fife Council’s Child Protection team in Glenrothes and faces a string of charges at the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) conduct sub-committee over her work for the authority between December 2011 and August 2014.

Two of the allegations concern Liam Fee – named only in anonymised SSSC papers as FF.

Yesterday the official who investigated Ms Bate’s conduct during her time in the Child Protection Team told a hearing of Bate’s involvement with Liam and his parents, Rachel Trelfa and Nyomi Fee.

Tracey Burke told how Liam’s childminder, Heather Farmer, had raised concerns in January 2013.

But despite that, and subsequent concerns about a neck injury he suffered weeks later, Ms Bate failed to follow up on the case or make notes relating to it on council computer systems. Instead, she blamed “pressure of work” for her failures – despite other workers saying her case load was not excessive.

Miss Burke said her failings were “not acceptable” and that she should have followed up allegations of child abuse “in a robust manner”.

Miss Burke was also taken through a series of other cases allocated to Ms Bate where, despite being reminded by senior managers, she had failed to follow up on cases. Some of those included allegations of sexual abuse towards children and instances of physical abuse.

The hearing at the SSSC’s HQ in Dundee continues.

Liam Fee.