Left alone to die: The little girl found dead in a wet cot

Sixty recommendations have now been drawn up by Sandwell and Dudley councils after the case of tragic 18-month-old Keidey-Ellese Earp was not picked up in time by the authorities after her family moved house.

An inquest heard that court care proceedings by social workers, who had been monitoring her case for seven months over concerns that she was underweight and failing to thrive, was launched just two days before her death.

An expert hired to investigate the case said court action should have been taken 'considerably' earlier.

The cause of the girl's death may never be known after a coroner recorded an open verdict, but said it was probably due to the cold conditions she was left to lie in.

Keidey's single mother, 22-year-old Elizabeth Duffell, had been watching a DVD in the next bedroom when her daughter died.

She had been left in the cot but, when paramedics arrived at the house at 3pm on December 3, 2011, the child was lying lifeless on the floor. Miss Duffell, now of Newhall Road, Rowley Regis, told the inquest her lifestyle was 'chaotic' when she was moving house.

"I didn't know if I was coming or going," she added. Miss Duffell said the child's father, Martin Earp, had given her no help in bringing her up.

Sandwell social services had been monitoring the girl since April 2011, when she had been living with her grandmother in the borough. But Keidey and her mother moved to Tansey Green Road, Pensnett, and discussions began about handing the case over to Dudley Council.

Consultant Alan Ferguson, who was commissioned to carry out an inquiry following the death, said Dudley refused to accept responsibility unless 'stable child protection plans' were in place. Her case stayed with Sandwell Council.

Mr Ferguson said: "There was dissent between the two councils. There was sufficient concern for legal proceedings to be started considerably earlier.

"The delay in transferring responsibility is unacceptable."

But he added: "Throughout the seven months the child protection plan was in place it was being monitored – it doesn't mean there was a total neglect of the situation."

Mr Ferguson and Black Country Coroner Robin Balmain praised Sandwell social workers and a health visitor for working 'tirelessly' to promote the youngster's safety.

Mr Balmain said: "The cot was under a window in a house with no adequate heating.

The child's cot was very wet and there was a smell of urine when paramedics got there."

A statement issued on behalf of both Sandwell and Dudley Councils today said lessons had been learned.

John Polychronakis, chairman of Dudley Safeguarding Children Board, said: "On behalf of Dudley and Sandwell Safeguarding Children Boards I would like to express our sadness at the tragic death of this young child and offer our condolences to the family.

"An independent review has been carried out which concluded this tragic death was not predictable or preventable."