The Prime Minister has said there are “questions to be answered” over the murder of 10-year-old Sara Sharif as it emerged the council executives in charge of social services was honoured with an OBE in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
Sir Keir Starmer demanded action after Sara’s father and stepmother were convicted of her murder after subjecting the child to a horrific catalogue of abuse.
The tragic youngster had been known to social services throughout her life and her father had faced previous allegations of abuse yet at least 15 crucial chances to save her life were missed.
The Prime Minister, a father of two, described the case as “awful”, saying: “My first response is a human response. This is just awful case. It’s very hard to see, to read about, for many people who will be viewing, it’s just shocking.
“Obviously, there’s going to be questions that need to be answered.”
An independent serios case review into Surrey County Council has been launched as it emerged that in the weeks before her death Sara was tied up, beaten with a cricket bat, burnt with an iron and even bitten.
She suffered multiple injuries before she was found dead at her house in Woking in September, with multiple fractures in 25 locations on her body.
Asked if the government would ban smacking children in its Children’s Wellbeing Bill after killer dad Urfan Sharif claimed he had “legally punished his daughter”, Sir Keir said this case has nothing to do with smacking.
“This is about violence. It’s about abuse. It’s about making sure that [there are] protecting safeguards for children, particularly those being home-schooled,” he said.
The PM’s intervention came as pressure grew on the council leader and social care boss whose team repeatedly failed to protect the defenceless child from being battered to death after they were both awarded OBE’s in the King’s 2024 Birthday Honours list.
There are calls for the head of Children’s Services Rachael Wardell to hand back her recently acquired gong as she fought to hang on to her lucrative taxpayer-funded job.
The demands come after thousands of parents earlier this year signed a petition calling for Wardell’s honour to be removed amid another controversy of alleged social services failings on her watch.
Wardell heads up Surrey County Council’s Children’s Services department which knew Sara, 10, was at risk in March 2023 when her school flagged bruises on her face.
Social workers launched a probe but closed it just six days later sighting a lack of evidence.
Days later Sharif withdrew Sara from school -and four months later she was brutally murdered. Despite the case progressing through the courts Wardell was recognised for her services to children’s social care in the King’s Birthday Honours list earlier this year.
Speaking after the gong was awarded, Surrey County Council’s Interim Chief Executive Michael Coughlin said: “Her exceptional leadership and dedication to public service throughout her career has been unwavering.
“Rachael has played a critical role in the lives of children in a number of Councils, including at Surrey.”
On Wednesday a jury at the Old Bailey, a jury found Sharif, 42, and Sara’s stepmother Beinash Batool, 30, guilty of murder.
Surrey Police said Sara suffered “unspeakable violence” and “brutal abuse” at the hands of the twisted duo. Her uncle Faisal Malik who lived in the house was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Specialist doctors and pathologists who examined little Sara’s body found evidence of about 100 separate internal and external injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, multiple broken bones as well as extensive bruising and scarring. There was also evidence of burns, including one of the girl’s buttocks which had been intentionally inflicted using a domestic iron as well as human bite marks.
Upon receiving her award Wardell, who is understood to earn around £149,000 for her executive role, said: “I was pleased and touched to be honoured in this way. As with any kind of public service, any of the achievements or successes attributed to me are really the work of dozens, if not hundreds of people, pulling together in the interests of children and their families, so I am grateful to all the teams I have been privileged to work with over the years whose skills and strengths are reflected in this recognition.”
Wardell has held the position of Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning at Surrey County Council since 2020 and is currently also the Vice President of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services (ADCS). In addition, She is also the Executive Director sponsor for Surrey County Council’s internal network for ethnically diverse staff.
She has worked in the public sector for 30 years and previously served as Director of Children’s Services in the London Borough of Merton, and as both Director of Children’s Services and Director of Adult Social Services at West Berkshire Council, and she also held posts at Wokingham Borough Council and Ofsted.
The authority claimed that during her four years with Surrey County Council, Wardell has “driven significant improvement in children’s services” and spends “as much time as possible meeting children, families, schools and staff to hear their experiences and shape services with their best interests and outcomes at heart.”
Joanna Killian, Chief Executive of the Local Government Association and former Chief Executive of Surrey County Council, said: “Rachael has always been totally focused on delivering the very best for children under her care and Surrey is lucky to have such a strong and skilled Director of Children’s Services.”
Earlier this year fuming parents demanded Rachael Wardell hand back her OBE after warning that “children and families lives are at stake” due to repeated “failings” by Surrey County Council (SCC) over special needs provision for children.
Local authorities are legally obliged to carry out Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessments for children with special needs, and have a statutory duty to deliver special educational provision.
But they say the authority has repeatedly failed in its duty and a near 2,000 strong petition was submitted demanding Wardell hand back her OBE.
Parents who attended a protest outside the council’s headquarters claimed the authority had “flouted the law” and acted in a “criminal” manner for failing to provide EHC plans for many children with special needs.
They said the council has dismissed its legal duty to support children with SEND and argue the honour award sent a “devastating message” to families that belittled their struggles and legal battles.
Mum Susanne Stonewood, a single mum, has paid more than £12,000 in legal fees fighting for her son’s EHCP after waiting 44 weeks above the statutory 20 week time limit, said: “We feel it’s inappropriate that Rachael Wardell has been handed an OBE and she should give it back.”
Councillor Joanne Sexton said parents and carers in her borough were “appalled that Surrey received an honour in the King’s birthday honours list.”
