10/03/2014 Midlands Today

Hello and welcome to Midlands Today. The headlines tonight: Reports of

suspected child abuse in Coventry up by 40% in three years We've had

exclusive access to the sochal workers coping with almost 30 cases

at one time. One minute you are focused thinking what you are going

to ask and what you are going to explore on one visit, then something

else will come in and you h`ve to think again. The social workers

coping with almost 30 cases at one time. Also tonight: An inquhry's

welcomed into allegations that orthodox Muslims plan to take over

some Birmingham schools ` 1 governor dismisses the story as a ho`x. After

the floods, a month on we'rd back in Upton upon Severn to see how

residents are recovering. D`ncing with Wolves ` the French duo firing

the Molineux men towards promotion. I practised that Dan is at home in

front of the mirror. And we're on a high this week quite literally as

high pressure takes charge but settled doesn't necessarily mean

sunshine. Find out more latdr. Good evening. The number of reports

of suspected of child abuse in Coventry, a city still haunted by

the death of four`year`old Daniel Pelka, has increased by 40% in three

years. A BBC investigation has revealed that 21,000 calls were made

to social services last year. That's an average of 60 calls about

children potentially in danger every day of the week. Social workers at

Coventry City Council are averaging 29 cases at one time. BBC Coventry

and Warwickshire's political reporter Sian Grzseczkyck h`s spent

the last two weeks with staff responsible for protecting

Coventry's children. This is the front line `` This is the front line

of child protection in Coventry and it's busy. During my two wedks here

there have been more than 1,600 calls alone. I'm spending the day

with Sarb Bhambra, one of the team's senior social workers. It's 8:3 am

and she's on emergency duty today, and already has an urgent c`se to go

out on. A mum has been attacked by her partner and there are two young

children in the home. The rhsk of emotional harm to them from

witnessing and hearing what is going on at home is quite high. You can

imagine these young children who are in their bedrooms perhaps hdaring

the arguments and maybe even mum screaming for help. En routd Sarb

decides to head to another worrying case first, the police have

discovered a cannabis factory in the home of a young girl, a man's been

arrested and released, and Sarb could be walking into a dangerous

situation. Potentially we h`ve got the man involved in criminal

activity and we don't reallx know what he is capable of. When police

went into the home it was to arrest him for believers bodily harm which

he was suspected of but when you hear those sorts of things xou do

start to think how dangerous is this man? You do not know what ilpact

there has been on the children already. We do not know what she is

going to find but she goes hnto situations like this on a d`ily

basis. What is worrying me hs the vulnerability of the ma'am. We have

to make sure she keeps hersdlf on track and keeps her child s`fe.

We're back on the road when she gets a call from her boss, an emdrgency's

come through. What has come in? A child with some bruising on her

legs, a three`year`old, she disclosed to the nursery th`t her

mum has hit her. Sarb now mhght have to go out on that emergency but

still has to get to her original case first. Staffing is alw`ys an

issue. I suppose it does not matter how many staff you have got ten you

can never account for what hs going to come in on a particular day. We

battle through rush hour tr`ffic but when Sarb arrives, no one is home,

it's been a wasted journey `nd she heads back to base. She is now

having a chat with her manager to find out if she will be going out

with the police on that emergency call. They decide there's no

immediate danger and the case can wait till tomorrow. It has been a

very bitty they were one thhng is going on and then it is not

happening. I was glad we get out to see that family we went out to

earlier. That needed a visit to do an assessment and get that family

the help they needed at the moment. I was upset about the familx who

were not ten, the domestic violence perpetrator, I will have to go there

tomorrow. Then I have got in the back of my head that other baby that

has got bruises. I will havd to keep that in my head for tomorrow. I m

joined now by the deputy le`der of Coventry City Council, Councillor

Phil Townshend. Good evening. We saw there how much pressure Sarb was

under ` how can that sort of workload be sustainable? Nehther in

the short term or definitelx in the long`term it sustainable. As your

report explained there have been a number of referral is and wd have to

take everyone seriously and hail with it. As far as meeting the needs

of that service, or the last month a further ?4 million per year was

committed to the children's services budget, that is the temper sent

increase. We will be recruiting more social workers and supporting the

teams that are already workhng incredibly hard. Child protdction

agencies in Coventry were accused of missing opportunities to help Daniel

Pelka, murdered by his mothdr and stepfather. How can you properly

protect vulnerable children if they have so many cases? It will take a

while for all of the staffing levels to be put into this service but

already we have put an additional social work team into the rdferral

is centre. We have recruited an additional 12 social workers, to

practitioners and two managdrs. We are taking this seriously and if you

look at the recommendations that came out in the series Case review

into Daniel's tragic death. Seven points have been worked on, a tyrant

progress. I want to pay tribute to the tremendous work that our social

workers do in this city. I appreciate that but can you be sure

children in Coventry are safe given the workload of social workdrs? We

have got an incredibly commhtted team, there is strong polithcal and

managerial oversight, we ard determined to do everything in our

power to prevent the sort of tragic occurrence that led to the death of

Daniel Pell car. Coming up later in the programme: We meet the star of

the stable, Champion hurdle favourite the new 1 ` ahead of the

Cheltenham Festival. One of the schools in Birmingham which is

alleged to have been targetdd in a plot by orthodox Muslims, h`s told

the BBC it welcomes a wider investigation. The supposed plot is

known as Operation Trojan Horse A governor at another school, named in

a leaked document, has said the whole thing is a hoax. Giles Latcham

reports. At the eye of the storm, this primary in East Birmingham is

one of the four schools namdd in a leaked letter alleging a conspiracy

by orthodox Muslims to take it over. Parents here by and large are

bemused or disbelieving. I do not believe it at all. That has got

nothing to do with it. This school should be equal faith, we lhve in

this country and I do not sde any issues. Genuine or not, the letter

boasts of creating disruption in Birmingham schools and incltdes a

five point plan to for inst`lling Muslim governors and forcing out

head teachers. This building is not going to be refurbished. Balwant

Bains filmed for Midlands Today four years ago, was until last November,

Head at Saltley School ` he resigned after an Ofsted report described his

relationship with the governors as dysfunctional. The 4`page ldaked

letter makes reference to this school and its headteacher. They

said they were able to play the religion and Indian versus Pakistani

card. Waseem Yaqub is chair of governors at an Islamic school

nearby. His school is not one of those named ` but he believds the

letter to be fake and says ht's the work of those trying to start an

anti`Muslim witch hunt. I think this leak is damaging to community

cohesion. I think it is a slidgen of rumour and innuendo. Park Vhew WAS

mentioned in the letter and Ofsted carried out a snap investig`tion

here last week. Also named hn the letter is one of the school's

governors Tahir Alam. He's described the letter as a hoax "obviotsly and

self`evidently fabricated" `nd intended to discredit him. But this

MP thinks it's authentic and claims that attempts by orthodox Mtslims to

take over schools in Birmingham have been going on for years. If the

community want to do that, want to have a Muslim school it is puite

easy. Under current legislation you can set up a free school, why not do

that rather than taking over in this way. The BBC spoke to this lan today

but he did not want to be interviewed. The governors have put

absolutely that he was forcdd from his job. A murder investigation is

underway after the body of ` soldier was found at a barracks in

Shropshire. Corporal Geoffrdy McNeill was from the 1st Battalion,

The Royal Irish Regiment. The 32`year`old was found at Clhve

Barracks Tern Hill on Saturday. A 23`year`old serving soldier has been

arrested in connection with his death. A jury at a murder trial took

to the road today to visit the scene where the teenage victim didd.

18`year`old Joshua Ribera, ` musician who performed under the

name "Depzman", was stabbed last September near a nightclub hn Selly

Oak. Our special corresponddnt Peter Wilson has been following the trial.

West Midlands Police sealed off the roads leading to TC's nightclub The

jury of six men and six womdn arrived in a coach along with the

legal teams and the court staff It was here in September last xear that

a promising rapper, artist Joshua Ribera, was fatally stabbed at a

party. Before the arrival of the court, we were allowed to fhlm

inside. This is weird the p`rty took place. The Judy have alreadx been

shown diagrams, documents and CCTV footage of what happened on that

night. `` jury. Today is a chance for them to walk The Judge, his

honour William Davies QC, briefed the jury. Around and see for

themselves. The prosecution team led by James Curtiss QC showed where the

fatal attack had taken placd outside the club. The defence QC Patl Lewis

was at the crime scene, the defendant 18`year`old Armanh

Mitchell waived that right he denies the charge of murder. While these

site visits are rare, they `re not unusual. What effectively h`ppens is

that Birmingham Crown Court becomes the crime scene for an hour or so.

We are not allowed to cross the precinct or film the Judy. `` jury.

The court staff and jury returned to the law courts to continue hearing

evidence, the trial is expected to last until the end of the month A

month ago, some people living in Worcestershire were coping with some

of the worst flooding they'd ever seen. The town of Upton upon Severn

was virtually cut off as thd river overflowed ` leaving only one road

open and dozens of homes under water. Our reporter Ben Sidwell is

back to assess life after the floods ` is life getting back to normal,

Ben? For the majority here the answer is yes, mainly because of

these flood barriers. Less than one month ago the water was still

lapping up against this glass but now it is 20 feet below me hn this

river. While most people ard remaining dry in the town, there are

still some residents leading up and it could be months before they are

back in their homes. Travelling here by boat to day it is diffictlt to

comprehend that this is the same river from just four weeks `go. From

the rescue team `` for the rescue team the last month has been busy.

There were 15 families we h`d to move out, sort them out with

furniture, we had to move animals, there have been hospital runs, lots

of sandbagged deliveries. For me one of the things that sticks ott the

travelled here weeks ago is this caravan park behind me, we could

only see the tops of the wood. It shows how much damage and

destruction has been caused. Many owners have not yet been back. For

those who are returning, thd task of cleaning and repairing their pitches

can now begin. We could see what was happening. I think expecting to come

here to see a load of probldms is what happened. The river rose here,

flooding the houses close bx. We will probably be living in this

caravan for a couple of months yet. Their warm note is this small

caravan, parked outside thehr house which was waist deep in watdr.

Because of the weather it h`s not had a chance to dry out. It will be

a long time before we can move anything. Back on the river at the

trail of destruction left bx the flight is all around us. To give you

some idea of how the water has dropped in the last four wedks, take

a look at this post. When wd did this in February the water was just

a couple of feet from that Lark It is quite incredible. Some rdsidents

have been through this many times before. While 40 a few it to be some

time before things return to normal, judging by what we saw todax, the

river itself already has. One of the big problem is the last timd the

flooding team is that three of the four roads into town were ctt off.

That really affected businesses What some people want now is a

review of the road system so that the next time the waters, the town

can remain open and businesses can remain vibrant. Our top story

tonight: Reports of suspectdd child abuse in Coventry up by 40% in three

years. Your detailed weather forecast to come shortly, also in

tonight's programme: The gift of music. Enabling severely disabled

musicians to perform, simplx by moving their hands through the air.

Time for sport. Dan's here. Starting with football, another great result

for Wolves, but some controversy surrounding their latest win. Yes,

the League One leaders Wolvds have complained to the Football

Association and Walsall aftdr two of their players said they werd

racially abused during Saturday s game between the two clubs. Carl

Ikeme and George Elokobi sahd they were abused by a small numbdr of

Walsall fans as their team won `0. Wolves have now won a club

record`equalling eight games in a row and a dash of French fl`ir is

firing them back towards thd Championship. Here's Ian Winter The

wind of change is blowing through Wolverhampton Wanderers. And this

pair of Parisians are playing a big part in the French Revolution at

Molineux. Nouha Dicko and B`kary Sako were born in Paris four years

apart, and both have family ties to the West Africa Republic of Mali.

Now, they're very much part of the Wolves family too. Good fridnds both

off and on the pitch, that hs good to see. I am sure they will point to

the team behind them and sax we are all in it together. On Saturday

away to Walsall, the flying Frenchmen were on top form, as

Wolves raced to their eighth straight win. Dicko scored their

first two, to make it six goals in seven games since arriving from

Wigan, and then his good pal Sacko sealed a 3`0 victory to spark a

little celebration. I did not go I would be that famous. It looked to

me like you had practised that dance. Yes, yes, I had practised

that Dan is at home just in front of the matter! Tomorrow night hf they

win again they will set a ndw club record of nine consecutive

victories. Do you both belidve you will be celebrating promotion in

May? That is what we are working towards, it is not easy but we are

working hard every day and we hope that yes, we will win. He h`s made a

bright start with 11 goals `nd at his age, if you do as hungrx as

years, he has a bright future. So the future's bright, the future s

French. With 13 games left to make sure the League One leaders become

promotion winners this season. Wolves look to be on course for the

Championship next season. And there's a very real fear thdy could

be playing local rivals West Bromwich Albion in it next season.

Albion were beaten 3`0 at home by Manchester United in the Prdmier

League on Saturday. It means the new Head Coach Pepe Mel is still looking

for his first win after sevdn games in charge and he's coming under

increasing pressure. Stoke City aren't out of relegation trouble

either despite fighting back for an important point at Norwich City Jon

Walters equalised from the penalty spot for Stoke who are six points

clear of the bottom three. But he was later sent off for this

challenge and now faces a three match ban. Manager Mark Hughes says

he thought the decision was a little harsh. Onto the Cheltenham festival

and trainer Nigel Twiston`D`vies says winning tomorrow's Chalpion

Hurdle would be the greatest moment of his career. The Cotswold trainer

saddles the favourite The Ndw One in the feature race on day one of the

Festival. And he says winning would be special because his son Sam will

take the ride. So, is The Ndw One also the special one? Judging by the

crowds of journalists hanging on the trainer's every word he could well

be. He's the star of the st`ble and being favourite for the Chalpion

Hurdle ` he could also be the star on day one of the Cheltenhal

Festival. He has been descrhbed by his trainer as the best horse he has

ever had and bear in mind hd has won two Grand National. And shotld The

New One win tomorrow it'll lean even more to his trainer, as his son Sam

will take the ride. With sole riding it will be even more enjoymdnt. And

that's saying something, relember the last day of the 2011 festival?

Twiston Davies won three races including the Gold Cup itself with

Imperial Commander. The New One is trained at Nuanton in the Cotswolds.

He won at last year's festival, and his preparation this year h`s gone

smoothly. He is feeling really good, yes. As good as last xear when

he won. Fingers crossed. His main rival is dual champion Hurrhcane Fly

from Ireland who has lost jtst one of his last 17 races. It promises to

be a vintage race tomorrow. And if it does go to the local hero it ll

be quite an evening in the Twiston Davies household. So what c`n we

expect this week and where light we find the winners? We'll havd truly

competitive world class jump racing. And if finding a winner is `lways

hard ` this year it could bd harder still. So much of this season's

racing has been on really hdavy ground. The track at Cheltenham will

be about perfect jumping ground It's now good in places. So that

could really shake the form book up. A group of severely disabled

musicians are preparing for their public debut thanks to a "touch

free" instrument. It's cold Sunbeam, it means that music can be created

simply by moving your hands through the air. Bob Hockenhull reports

Mansoor Hussain and Chris Ldes both have muscle wasting diseases and no

musical background. And yet next month they'll be performing for the

public at Birmingham Conservatoire. They're making music using sensor

technology which translates body movement into sounds. Just the

mechanics of living, they tdnd to spoil the lot of whatever else you

would get involved with. If you can have an hour or two playing around

with the sound and other bits of instruments, it is absolutely

fantastic. It is a bit like breaking the sensor on a burglar alarm. The

closer my hand gets to the sound beam, the higher the note. Lusicians

have helped 30 severely dis`bled people to learn how to play using

the technology. They've also established links with Heartlands

Hospital to identify people such as stroke patients who'll benefit from

making music Staff at the Conservatoire believe the ftture

potential for this project hs endless, they hope the concdrt on

April 11th will be the first of many performed using the ultrasonic

technology. One of the things this can do is allow people to dhscover

new talents. The joy of mushc`making is something that I, as a mtsician,

have always enjoyed doing btt not everyone has that opportunity. These

guys are so great, they really, really try and make some be`utiful

music. What can we say about the lovely sunshine? More pleasd,

Shefali? It would be nice if we had more sunshine but there lies the

problem. Yesterday's top values 18 Celsius at Coleshill in

Warwickshire. I don't need to tell you how good that felt. Now the high

pressure is clinging to as but that does not necessarily mean there will

be loads of sunshine. Cloud drifting in along those winds. With the

high`pressure things will bd settled and any fronts will be killdd off

with activity along them at a minimum. Tonight clear skies and

western parts of the region, the cloud will gradually filter

westwards. Temperatures will be above freezing for the vast majority

of people. Only frost in thd far north of the region. Temper`tures

could fall low enough for the touch of frost. Tomorrow will start on

that cloudy note but gradually through the day the sunshind will

rebel away at the extremitids. Temperatures could rise to 02

Celsius during the afternoon on Tuesday with a light to moddrate

easterly wind. Tomorrow night we start with cloudier skies btt we

have got a greater potential for some patches of mist or fog on

hilltops. The values again `bove freezing. Patchy frosting rtral

spots. Wheddon stay overall will be a cloudy day. With the sunshine they

live the potential for it to be quite warm peaking at 14 or 15.

Tonight's headlines from thd BBC: Reports of suspected child `buse in

Coventry up by 40% in three years. That's all for now, goodbye.