A SCHEME for drug abusing teenagers was set up by Swindon Council as a direct result of a tragic schoolgirl heroin overdose victim.

Kate Walsh, 16, was found dead in a sleeping bag near syringes and other drug paraphernalia in a squalid squat in Manchester Road on January 3, 2004.

The former Highworth Warneford School pupil become addicted to the class-A drug as her parents Debbie and Anthony tried to get her help, the inquest at Trowbridge Town Hall heard.

Since her death the drugs programme Uturn for drug abusing teenagers has been launched in light of the “gap” in social care due to a “grey area” identifying treatment for young people aged 16 to 18.

A serious case review was conducted by the Swindon Area Child Protection Committee to examine the treatment of Kate’s case by social services and relevant agencies.

Review panel chair Adina Grace said: “We didn’t have clear, cohesive policies, procedures and pathways in place at that time for dealing with young people who were misusing substances. There was a lack of a multi-agency cohesive and comprehensive policy.

“That was a gap in children’s services, and that is a gap that has been filled by Uturn.

“There were individual agencies delivering the service but it wasn’t cohesive. This brought everything together into one team.”

Mrs Grace also raised the fact that the panel was concerned it had apparently to be considered that Kate’s boyfriend Alex Charlamow, 27, a known drug addict, was supplying Kate with drugs.

She said: “What the panel raised was that some thought should’ve been given to that. It doesn’t seem to be recorded that that happened.

“We have to assume no thought was given as to whether he was supplying Kate, as others, through his dealings.”

Mrs Grace said more attention should have been paid to how the teenager was funding her drug habit.

She added: “We’ve said in retrospect we felt there was evidence. Different people had different bits of information. We’ve put the bits together.”

The Uturn program worked with 61 young people in 2008 and 47 so far this year.

Mrs Grace told the court that Kate’s “rights to self-determination” as a 16-year-old had caused the difficulty.

Her report said: “There was confusion within agencies whether at 16 years of age Kate should be treated as a child or adult.

“Generally in Swindon a service is not provided by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service for those who are aged 16 years but not in full time education.

“The adult service does not provide a service for this age group.

“There was uncertainty as to how to support Kate in her chaotic lifestyle and drug misuse and a failure to address the drugs issue with Kate until after her arrest (for shoplifting).”

The inquest is due to be concluded on Tuesday.