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The individual responsible for children’s services who managed the fostering of murdered infant Preston Davey has been given a £23,000 golden exit package, according to new information.

There were a minimum of eight opportunities to rescue the 13-month-old child, including several occasions where social workers had the chance to step in.

Inquiries are currently being directed at Oldham Council – tasked with Preston’s adoption by ‘evil’ figures Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley – and Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where Preston was hospitalized three times, including once with a broken elbow.

Gerard Jones, 68, concluded his role as managing director of children’s services at Oldham Council in October 2024 following five years in the position, and mentioned he felt ‘fortunate to finish my time in Oldham at such a positive note’.

Only 15 months prior, on July 27, 2023, Preston was sexually assaulted and killed by Jamie Varley, the 37-year-old head of year at the secondary school, following ‘a series of psychological and sexual mistreatment’.

Varley’s sales executive boyfriend, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, ignored the situation and participated in an act of sexual abuse.

Oldham Council was responsible for Preston’s well-being because his mother, Sarah Davey, a 42-year-old convicted murderer, is from the town.

Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were recommended as potential adoptive parents by the agency Adoption Now, which is jointly managed by local councils in the North West, following two years of thorough preparation. Preston was placed with them at the end of March 2023.

In the 2023/24 season, the year Preston was killed, Jones received £163,000 in salary and pension contributions.

He stepped down midway through the 2024/25 season, earning £83,000 in salary and pension contributions, along with £24,000 as compensation for leaving his position.

The details of his exit and the cause of the payment remain unknown.

A newly established position of Strategic Director for Children’s Services was introduced on October 1, 2024, with a slightly reduced salary and pension package of £159,000.

Oldham Council’s Children’s Services was last assessed by Ofsted in May 2024, during Mr Jones’s time in charge, and received a ‘good’ rating.

Inspectors noted that prior to removing children into care, consideration was given to whether they could stay within their family network. Most children placed outside of Oldham reside in secure and stable homes that effectively meet their needs and they show positive development.

In a LinkedIn update in October 2024, on the occasion of his exit, Mr. Jones stated: ‘Last week I retired from my position as Managing Director of Children’s Services at Oldham Council.’

You can’t predict where you’ll be when you leave the carousel, but I’ve been fortunate to finish my time in Oldham on such a positive note.

Our educational institutions and environments have never been better for our children and young individuals.

In 2021, Mr Jones supported social workers following the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, a six-year-old from Solihull in the West Midlands, who was killed by his father and stepmother the year before.

Law enforcement and social workers faced criticism for not examining the bruises. Following his death, 130 bruises were discovered on Arthur’s body.

The young boy had also suffered from salt toxicity, was denied food and water, and forced to stand by himself for extended periods.

Mr. Jones stated at that moment: “It’s not helpful to blame social workers, as they are not the ones who kill children.”

Safeguarding involves a comprehensive framework of accountability for all individuals.

Mr. Jones initially worked as a social worker in London, with his first high-level position being that of assistant director for children, young people, and families in Birmingham from 2010 to 2013.

He served as deputy director for protection and early support at Central Bedfordshire Council for five years between 2013 and 2018, followed by brief periods at Sandwell Children’s Trust, West Midlands, and Luton Borough Council.

He took on the role of managing director for children’s services in Oldham in December 2019.

Following his departure from Oldham, Mr. Jones worked for 10 months as a ‘leadership and improvement’ consultant, and more recently, took on a six-month role as interim director of children’s services in Dudley.

He mentioned that he has been involved throughout the industry to assist in enhancing services and achieving favorable results for children.

During the brief period of Preston Davey’s existence, the chief executive of Oldham Council was Harry Catherall, who received a salary of £156,000 in the 2023/24 fiscal year, increasing to £160,000 in 2024/25.

Last year, Mr Catherall relocated to the adjacent Tameside Council and received the MBE in the 2025 King’s Birthday Honours in recognition of his ‘outstanding contribution to public service’.

A representative from Oldham Council stated that the payment to Mr. Jones was made after he opted for redundancy as part of a “broader management review.”

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