Findings issued from investigation into West Mercia Police contact prior to murder of Alfie Steele

Key findings

• No indication of misconduct by officers found.
• The force did not sufficiently train frontline officers to identify child abuse.
• Alfie was never spoken to alone by any officer.
• Officers lacked professional curiosity in some incidents.
• Welfare concerns were repeatedly raised by neighbours.
• The climate of fear within the household hindered Alfie's disclosure.
• Children's services were appropriately informed of police attendance in every instance.
• The force has since committed to training more officers on child welfare.

Outcome

The investigation concluded that while there were no breaches of conduct, there were significant areas for improvement identified in training and policy regarding child welfare.