Southport Inquiry: Search the Evidence

The South Wednesday, 29 October 2025 (9.30 am) SHARON BARRETT (sworn) Questioned by MR MOSS SIR ADRIAN FULFORD: Thank you very much, please have a seat. Yes, Mr Moss. MR MOSS: Thank you, sir. Just start by giving us your full name if you would? A. It's Sharon Louise Barrett. Q. Thank you, Ms Barrett, if we could have on screen, please, LC…

…He notes that AR resided in the Lancashire Constabulary force area but AR attended a Sefton school 253 I N D E X SHARON BARRETT (sworn) ........................ 1 Q 023 and he agreed to a visit. He notes that AR resided in the Lancashire Constabulary force area but AR attended a Sefton school 253 I N D E X SHARON BARRETT (sworn) .........…

…m a needs assessment yes. to come out and do direct work with the family. Q. Thank you. Consistent with that, Ms Barrett, I think you, in fact, didn't att hildren's Social Care, yes? A. From a needs assessment yes. to come out and do direct work with the family. Q. Thank you. Consistent with that, Ms Barrett, I think you, in fact, didn't…

…sessment on 22nd Page 11s FPPIC000001_0018 September 2020126 recorded that 'parents respo That was not accurate. Sharon Barrett, duri information was missing from the assessm incomplete or plain avronf 1'7. Andrea Fontai had jiilien awa ...diluted through the process of ca allowed cross-service consideration of notes a avoided this. The C…

A. Yes. Q. We have seen some individual supervision notes, including from you, but then sometimes they seem to go on the case notes, on the Early Help module, I think, (3) Pages 9 - 12 The South would be the technical -- A. So there was a change in how we did it. Originally, it was through documents and then EHM changed to be able to put …

…empted to manipulate the agencies dealing with his son.1854 75. Indeed, as set out in Chapter 9: Social care, Ms Sharon Barrett, a LCC senior family support worker and Ms Fontaine’s supervisor, accepted that this was an example of Alphonse R attempting to direct or manipulate the agencies, particularly as regards sharing information. Ms B…

…mpact of Covid at that time. We were unable to carry out what we needed to do to get AR to engage with us. Q. Ms Barrett, I don't seek to diminish the difficulties of Covid and no one would suggest, or could suggest fairly, that the measures that you were able to do as a team, which was encourage phone calls and keep trying to engage, no…

…Katherine Ashworth Head of the Children and 3 November 2025 Family Wellbeing Service, Lancashire County Council Sharon Barrett Senior Family Support 29 October 2025 Worker, Lancashire County Council Andrew Bramhall Sergeant, Lancashire 6 October 2025 Constabulary (between 1992 and 2020) Philip Blundell Detective Constable, 8 October 2025…

transformation of the services into what was Wellbeing Prevention and Early Help, which then became the CFW service. Q. Thank you. If we go over, please, to page 2, there's (1) Pages 1 - 4 The South a section in your statement that deals with your role and the structure of the Child and Family Welfare service. You are somewhat in the midd…

she did with her supervisor, Sharon Barrett. The text is small on screen so I will read out the bit that matters: "On arrival was greeted by Mum who welcomed workers 132 (33) Pages 129 - 132 The South into the home. Dad was hoovering and [AR] was in the living room sitting on the chair. It was explained to the family of the referral recei…

…fied to make that judgement on somebody with ASD at that point. Q. Yeah, and I'm not suggesting for a moment, Ms Barrett, that this is an easy area nor am I raising this as a matter of personal criticism of you, so much as looking at the systemic issues, but looking at it now reflectively, would you agree that a vulnerability or a weaknes…

…many things by many people, but do not and cannot take everything literally. As suggested within the evidence of Sharon Barrett of LCC: "It's not right that you only go off what you are presented with. You don't just take the word of the parents and the child. You look at the total position on risk ... Otherwise you're taking what they sa…

…the limited positives and not all the negatives being picked out in the closure reports which you supervised, Ms Barrett? A. Because they're attached to the plan and it was plan focused. Q. That led here and elsewhere to a significant failure in a proper analysis of the risks that AR posed to other people? A. Other agencies were involved…

…d this is Louise Lewis of the Children and Family Wellbeing describing a home visit she did with her supervisor, Sharon Barrett. The text is small on screen so I will read out the bit that matters: "On arrival was greeted by Mum who welcomed workers 132 (33) Pages 129 - 132

us, Ms Barrett, very helpfully in your statement, page 7. To save us look at it in the documentation you have very helpfully, I think, cut and pasted from this the action points. I don't need us, Ms Barrett, very helpfully in your statement, page 7. To save us look at it in the documentation you have very helpfully, I think, cut and paste…