Surrey County Council promised to not just keep ‘learning the lessons’ but commit to real action in children safeguarding. Councillors unanimously backed  a cross-party motion responding to the review into the death of Sara Sharif, with members admitting the system meant to protect her failed “repeatedly”.

Sara, a 10-year-old schoolgirl, was murdered by her father and step-mother in her home in Horsell, near Woking, in August 2023. 

The council’s independent safeguarding review into Sara’s tragic death found: “There are clearly several points in Sara’s life, in particular during the last few months, where different actions could and should have been taken and the system failed to keep her safe.”

All 68 councillors voted in favour of the motion at a full council meeting on December 9. The motion was brought by Cllr Lance Spencer who said he was worried the council was already trying to “move on” too quickly after recent inspections rated children’s services more positively.

“It felt like there was a danger of pushing this into the past,” he told the chamber. “I wasn’t prepared to let that happen. The public needs to see we’re serious about this, with real action and tight timescales.”

At the heart of the deal is public scrutiny and independent oversight. Councillors agreed to:

The debate in the council chamber was emotional and, at times, blunt. 

“The safety net that should have protected her failed her repeatedly,” Cllr Liz Townsend, who seconded the motion, said. “Transparency isn’t optional. It’s the foundation for rebuilding trust.”

Reciting the judge’s remarks, Cllr Townsend said Sara was “a very courageous little girl with an unquenchable spirit” and said what happened was “a catalogue of missed opportunities, poor communication and ill-informed assumptions”.

Others were equally direct. Cllr George Potter accused the council of being more worried about reputation than reform. “There’s been a culture of denial,” he said. “It shouldn’t have taken this horrific murder to recognise that children’s services were failing.”

Cllr Robert Evans OBE raised concerns about home-schooling, while Cllr Edward Hawkins warned that cultural awareness and race had to be discussed honestly, including fears that neighbours stayed silent because they didn’t want to be seen as racist.

Not everyone painted an entirely bleak picture. Cllr Clare Curran (Deputy and former Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning) reminded the chamber that children’s services are under huge pressure, handling more than 6,000 contacts a year, with around 700 children on protection plans and 900 in care, and urged members not to forget the commitment of frontline staff.

Council leader Tim Oliver said inspectors had recognised improvements since 2022, but accepted that independent scrutiny was necessary. Cllr Oliver said he is confident the council has the right team to drive the improvements needed in the service and welcomed the independent review. 

Perhaps the bluntest warning came from Cllr Chris Townsend, who said residents are tired of hearing the same phrases. “When people speak they say ‘yet another case,” he said.

“We can’t just keep using the phase: ‘We’ll learn the lessons’. It is our duty, we must not just have glib words or phrases. We must do the right thing.” 

Cllr Harry Boparai added: “No motion, recommendations or review will bring about change unless those within the system are willing to confront failings openly and honestly.” He said the culture of the council and the service needed to change to stop another tragedy from happening. 

By the end of the debate, councillors from every party lined up behind the same message: words are not enough. Unanimously approving the recommendations, the council hopes to send a message to families across Surrey that it will not just learn the lessons but prove it.