The tragic story of Star Hobson sheds light on serious failures in the systems designed to protect at-risk children. Star, a young toddler, passed away in September 2020 after enduring months of abuse from her mother, Frankie Smith, and Smith's partner, Savannah Brockhill. The investigation into her case revealed numerous missed opportunities to save her.

Star's death reveals the failure of those responsible for her safety. Despite multiple warnings from concerned family members, social services in Bradford did not take the allegations of abuse seriously. The system was overwhelmed, with too many cases for social workers to handle, and many workers were inexperienced or temporary, lacking the necessary support and training to protect vulnerable children effectively.

One of the most significant issues was the lack of proper communication and action. Reports of abuse were not followed up adequately, and critical warnings from Star's family were ignored. The agencies involved failed to cooperate, resulting in crucial information being missed and, ultimately, in Star not receiving the help she desperately needed.

During the seven-week trial, jurors heard about the relentless campaign of abuse inflicted on Star by Brockhill and Smith. Despite five referrals from concerned family members, the couple managed to fend off police and social workers, who conducted superficial assessment visits. This led to professionals having only a limited understanding of Star's daily life.

A national review into Star's death found that visits by social workers were inadequate, and they failed to grasp the severity of her situation. Star's case revealed that those meant to protect her didn't listen to the right people and didn't act on the information they had. The findings prompted several recommendations, including better information sharing between agencies and greater emphasis on insights from friends and extended family members.

In the end, justice was served, albeit too late for Star. Savannah Brockhill was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years for murder, while Frankie Smith was initially jailed for eight years for causing or allowing her daughter's death, a sentence later increased to 12 years on appeal.

Senior coroner Martin Fleming concluded the inquest proceedings, stating that there had been sufficient public scrutiny. However, the lessons from Star's tragic story are clear: we must improve how we protect vulnerable children. Social workers need the support and resources to perform their duties effectively, and the voices of families and those close to the children must be heard and acted upon.

Star Hobson's story poignantly reminds us of our collective responsibility to ensure that every child grows up safe and happy. We must all learn from these failures and work diligently to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.