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The Short Life of a Looked-After Child: The Tragic Case of Nonita Grabovskyte
In May 2022, at the age of 16, Nonita Grabovskyte became a looked-after child under the corporate parenting responsibilities of the London Borough of Barnet — a role akin to that of a parent but carried out by the council on behalf of the state.
Nonita’s entry into care followed a harrowing episode of mental ill-health. A member of the public intervened to prevent her from attempting suicide on a bridge, prompting her referral to children’s services and subsequent hospitalisation. From that point, Barnet Council assumed statutory responsibility for her welfare and safety under the duties owed to children in care.
A Child with Promise and Vulnerability
Nonita was a highly vulnerable young person. She was autistic, neurodivergent, and had a documented history of mental health struggles, including disordered eating, self-harm, and multiple hospital admissions. She also disclosed that she had been sexually abused in early childhood. Despite these challenges, she was academically capable, achieving six good GCSEs, and was passionate about animals, creativity, and expressing herself through artwork and crafts.
Nonita dreamed of working with animals — she aspired to become a vet — and made and sold creative items like bracelets online. Her interests also included Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, and Disney films. These details paint a picture of a bright, imaginative young person whose potential friends and family remember fondly.
Corporate Parenting and Supported Accommodation
As her corporate parent, Barnet Council was responsible for ensuring that Nonita’s care, education, health and welfare needs were met, and that she was kept safe.
In May 2023 — one year after entering care — she was placed in supported accommodation at The Singhing Tree in Harrow. This type of setting is designed for older teenagers approaching independence but, at the time, lacked statutory regulation and did not provide day-to-day care.
Unregulated and insufficiently monitored, the accommodation was in close proximity to a railway line — significant given Nonita had explicitly told professionals on multiple occasions that she intended to end her life by jumping in front of a train. Yet staff at The Singhing Tree were reportedly never provided with her full care plan, despite a legal requirement for such information to travel with a child into placement.
Transitions Without Support
Throughout 2023, Nonita’s circumstances deteriorated as critical support structures were withdrawn or failed to materialise:
• Education: Although she secured a college place to study animal management, this offer was withdrawn once the college learned of the intensive support she required.
• Therapeutic support: Her relationship with a trusted art therapist ended in late October 2023.
• Mental health services: In December 2023, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) discharged her to the care of her general practitioner, leaving her without specialist support at a critical time.
• Adult services: A referral was made too late to adult social care to ensure continuity of support.
• Education, health and care planning: She had no formal Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) despite clear evidence of need.
The coroner at the inquest found that these discontinuities and a lack of coordinated transition planning contributed significantly to her distress and increasing isolation as she approached adulthood.
Death and Inquest Findings
On 28 December 2023, just two weeks after her 18th birthday, Nonita died after being struck by a train in North-West London. The coroner concluded that she took her own life — a tragedy that, in his view, was fueled by systemic failures in her care and support.
The inquest, held in May 2025, found a severe absence of coordinated arrangements between children’s services, mental health providers, education, and supported accommodation — highlighting how these gaps more than minimally contributed to her death.
Scrutiny and Wider Debate
Nonita’s case has become a focal point in wider debates about the care system for older teenagers, especially those with complex needs. A Sky News documentary and local council controversies have drawn attention to how looked-after children like Nonita can fall through the cracks between services intended to protect them.
Opposition councillors in Barnet have criticised the council’s handling and transparency about her death, calling for reforms to ensure corporate parents are kept informed and held accountable when a child in care experiences serious harm or dies.
A Legacy and Call for Change
Nonita’s story is a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by children in care — particularly those transitioning into adulthood. It raises fundamental questions about how corporate parents discharge their legal and moral duties to protect, support, and nurture young people who have already faced significant adversity.
Advocates and children’s rights organisations argue that the care system must improve coordination between services and ensure that vulnerable teenagers are not left without the support they desperately need during the most crucial phases of their lives.
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