Offer for baby Aaron case worker

A social worker wrongly dismissed from her job following the murder of a baby in Swansea has accepted a pay-out from her former employers.

Eleni Cordingley was struck off after admitting misconduct in the case of 13-month-old Aaron Gilbert who was killed by his mother's boyfriend in 2005.

But the Care Council of Wales (CCW) decision was later overturned and she was offered her job back.

Ms Cordingley has now accepted a £8,800 pay-out from Swansea council.

A council spokesman said: "Mrs Cordingley has decided not to return to her post as a social worker with Swansea council.

"In the light of that decision and following further discussions with the council, it has been jointly agreed that Mrs Cordingley will receive £8,800 in lieu of notice, salary, holiday and pension entitlements.

"Mrs Cordingley wishes to express her appreciation for the invaluable support of her trade union and colleagues in relation to this matter.

"This is a final settlement and there will be no further comment on this matter by Mrs Cordingley or Swansea council."

Fatal injuries

Aaron was murdered at the home in Townhill that his mother Rebecca Lewis shared with boyfriend Andrew Lloyd.

Lloyd had inflicted more than 50 injuries on the child before he died.

In 2006, Lloyd was jailed for 24 years for the murder.

The toddler's mother was given a six-year prison sentence for failing to prevent the killing, in one of the first rulings of its kind.

Swansea Local Safeguarding Children Board also carried out a serious case review into Aaron's death.

This led to the council launching disciplinary proceedings against Mrs Cordingley in September 2007.

In January this year, she faced a CCW hearing, which heard how the social services team had received two anonymous calls expressing concern about baby Aaron's family just days before his murder, but that Mrs Cordingley had failed to respond, making her guilty of misconduct.

Decision overturned

The committee ruled she was guilty of misconduct by putting Aaron "at risk" and had exercised "extremely poor judgement."

The CCW struck her off the Register of Social Workers, and she was sacked.

But the dismissal was overturned following the announcement in September of the result of her tribunal hearing, which concluded she had been punished enough for an "error of professional judgement".

The tribunal which looked at her case had concluded there was no evidence her misjudgement had led to Aaron's death.

It also concluded that the child's death would not have been prevented even if he had been referred to the child assessment team.

The tribunal found there were "organisational factors that played a part in Mrs Cordingley's poor decision making", while she had "not sought to diminish her responsibility".

It also said she had stayed in post for three and a half years after Aaron's death with no further concerns being raised and there were "many testimonials in her favour".

In conclusion, the tribunal decided Mrs Cordingley had "been punished enough".

It said she had "suffered vilification and her health has been adversely affected" and to suspend her for events four years ago was "inappropriate".

The Welsh assembly government announced in March it was appointing a team of experts to oversee Swansea council's social services department in the wake of two critical inspectors' reports.