No checks on mother of drowned baby: CYF

File photo / APN

Child, Youth and Family has admitted it did not carry out checks before letting a family resume caring for its baby two days before it drowned in a bathtub.

The 29-year-old mother of the child, whose name is suppressed, was jailed yesterday for 2 years and 10 months for the manslaughter of her 13-month-old son whom she left alone in a deep bath last November.

The woman cannot be named because her 5-year-old daughter was sexually abused in CYF care - a detail that emerged during her trial in the High Court at Auckland in August.

Victims of sexual abuse automatically receive name suppression. Both children were returned to her care only two days before she left the baby to drown.

CYF said a combination of inexperienced staff, high workloads and confusion over dates led to staff failing to properly assess whether the woman was able to care for her children.

In response to questions from the Herald about the CYF care, deputy chief executive Ray Smith said: "There were gaps in our practice and the social work undertaken by the supervisor responsible fell short of the expectations required of my staff."

He said staff intention was to re-unite a family that had been struggling but appeared to be getting on top of their problems.

"A family group conference that was set down to take place did not proceed because of confusion over dates and a parenting assessment that should have been completed ahead of the decision to return the children home was not actioned."

Mr Smith said an "inexperienced" social worker was allocated the case which he labelled "complex". That person didn't receive enough support from a supervisor who was coping with an unusually high workload because of staff shortages.

Mr Smith apologised to family of the dead baby for "social work practice that was short of our best".

A review of CYF handling of the case confirmed indications the mother struggled with the parenting role, but neither the families nor professionals could have predicted the outcome.

The fact the baby's older sister was sexually abused in CYF care was "extremely distressing".

The offender, a 13-year-old boy, was also in CYF care and was living with another caregiver.

The assault wasn't included in the review of the baby's death but was examined separately.

Mr Smith was confident neither his agency nor the caregiver had any reason to believe the arrangement would put the girl at risk.

The boy was removed from the house and the girl given therapy as soon as the abuse was known.

The failures in the case prompted "extensive" discussions with managers so lessons could be learned.

During the court case, the mother told the jury she didn't feel good about her kids being taken away and of how she wanted them back when she learned of the sexual abuse. But she soon felt incapable of looking after them.

After discovering the baby floating facedown she pulled him from the bath and put his body on a bed, wrapped in towels.

She didn't call for help, instead logging onto Facebook while she waited for her husband to return from work. After a two-week trial a jury returned with the manslaughter verdict.

At sentencing, Justice Tim Brewer accepted the woman didn't intend to kill or harm her son but found her actions were at the "higher end of criminal neglect" and it was her "duty to care for him".