... how signs of violence and abuse are missed not just by social workers but by GPs and police.

In The Independent Newspaper July 10th, Cahal Milmo reported on 'Britain's betrayed children' saying "One child a week is being murdered in Britain, in cases which echo the horrific death of Baby Peter, because clear warning signs that they live with a potential killer are being ignored or go unreported by key public service workers from police officers to GPs, according to new figures."

This suggests that our citizen right to access information has to go beyond where children are on the 'At Risk Register' or where there are protection plans in place; and must extend to where the criteria for likely danger is repeatedly shown.

Milno goes on to say "An in-depth analysis of the records relating to the deaths of 163 children killed at the hands of a parent or carer in the last five years has shown that thousands of children from babies to 16 are "slipping through the net" of protection measures despite the knowledge that they live in households with a history of domestic abuse, drug problems or where there has been a recent separation – all factors which dramatically increase the risk of murder...

...The study shows for the first time the dramatic rise in the number of child homicides over a five-year period, with the number of killings doubling from 28 in 2004 to 56 in 2007, the year when Baby Peter was killed by his mother, her boyfriend and their lodger. He sustained more than 50 injuries, including a broken back and ribs, which were not spotted despite 60 visits by social workers."

In my next blog,I will talk more about these survey findings and what they mean to us, which some of you may have seen in the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary entitled "The Children Britain Betrayed".

In the meantime, we are still evolving the kind of information and access we need to enable us to be the most useful and least neglectful in our care.

I will keep you informed throughout and meantime, if you would like to help grow our understanding on how best to lobby for practical solutions - as citizens working with local councils, social services, GPs and police to transform our society - please sign at; www.gopetition.com/childrenfirst