A teenager who took her own life in her secure accommodation following a history of self-harm was initially told she did not have mental health disorders, an inquest heard.

A jury was told on Monday how Taylor Alice Williams was informed she had an "adjustment and detachment disorder".

An inquest at Crook Civic Centre, County Durham, heard how the 17-year-old, from Worcestershire, took her own life on February 18 2017 at the Aycliffe Secure Centre, a home for vulnerable children.

Giving evidence, Maria White, the assistant director of locality safeguarding for Worcestershire County Council, took a jury of six men and five women through the youngster's care history.

The court heard how Ms Williams first came to the attention of Worcestershire children's services when child protection plans were made for her in 2011 and 2013.

In March 2014, it was arranged that she would be taken into foster care, but was admitted to Birmingham Children's Hospital on May 23 of that year after concerns were raised about "suicidal thoughts".

On June 5 2014 she was moved to the Woodbourne Priory hospital in Birmingham, where she underwent further assessment.

Ms White told jurors how, two days later, staff said she did not have mental health disorders, and instead diagnosed her with an "adjustment and detachment" disorder.

"In broad terms, Taylor exhibited difficulties in making relationships and sustaining those relationships with people that were around her", the witness said.

Prior to being discharged and moved to a residential children's home, it was decided that the child would be managed in a "two-to-one" style, whereby two members of staff monitored her during the daytime.

The inquest also heard how, on August 4 2014 she was admitted to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, after a ligature was tied around her neck, but was told by a mental health practitioner that she did not need to be detained under the Mental Health Act.

When asked what the council hoped to achieve through caring for Ms Williams, who was moved to another children's home in September 2014, Ms White said: "To make sure that she was safe."

The inquest heard how things again went downhill when, in December 2014, a distressing note was found in the youngster's diary.

On New Year's Eve of that year, Ms White added, police found that she had got away from her children's home and found her intoxicated, having made several attempts to self-harm.

When asked how she had managed to get away within the two-to-one style of management, the witness said: "Staff would have been there and they would have been present.

"With the two-to-one staffing, while you have two staff that are present and around the young person, they cannot physically stop Taylor from walking or running away from the home."

The court was told how that incident prompted her to be seen by a mental health team and a psychologist, and in March 2015 the council was granted a full-care order.

But by the close of 2015, child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) had cancelled her regular appointments after she failed to attend sessions, the court heard.

In November of that year, she was detained for a brief period under the Mental Health Act after attempting to harm herself, and attempted to take an overdose of drugs in June 2016, the court heard.

Those attempts prompted her to be moved to another home in Scotland, but this ended abruptly when she was found on railway lines, Ms White said, in what was believed to be a suicide attempt.

It was at this stage, in July 2016, that she was quickly re-homed in the Aycliffe Secure Centre, the inquest heard.

Asked what being in secure residency entails, Ms White said: "It is effectively a residential unit which restricts liberty.

"Taylor would essentially be looked after, but would not be able to leave or go outside."

But Ms White said that, on February 18 of the following year, she was found dead at the centre, having taken her own life.