Laura Winham’s skeletal remains were found in her flat in 2021, years after her death; social services failed to visit.
Her body was found in May 2021 after relatives asked police to check on her, concerned about her safety. Her remains were “mummified,” almost skeletal.
The inquest couldn’t determine her death’s cause or pinpoint the time. A calendar in her flat had dates crossed off until November 1, 2017.
Laura wrote sad diary entries, including “I’m starving” and “I can’t believe I’m surviving.” She was 41 years old when the body was discovered.
The Surrey team called and wrote to Laura after a police referral, suggesting food banks, but never visited her place.
The coroner called it a “perfunctory” investigation and said there were “lost opportunities,” although it wasn’t possible to say if these caused her death.
Laura’s family released a written statement read by their solicitor. They said Laura was at risk, but social services didn’t think so, leaving her to fend for herself. Her diary showed she couldn’t cope, and they believed a visit soon after the October 2017 referral would have saved her.
Her family last saw her in 2009, and social media contact ended in 2014 when she requested limited family contact on Facebook. Her sister said contact worsened Laura’s mental health, so the family respected her wishes, only checking her car outside her home sometimes.
The coroner said Woking Council and a housing group should have helped Laura and seen she needed assistance.
Her benefits also stopped because she didn’t reapply; the coroner said the DWP should have done more after stopping her disability payments.
A council member apologized that Laura didn’t get needed support and said they learned from this, acting on the case’s learning. She said they’ll consider the findings now to improve practices and work with partners for broader learning.