Multi-agency Case Audits and Case Reviews
Introduction
Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board undertakes multi-agency audits and in-depth reviews of specific cases to evaluate work that has been undertaken to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
- Multi-agency audits look at samples of cases to identify the quality of practice and lessons to be learned in terms of both multi-agency and multi-disciplinary practice.
- Serious case reviews are a statutory requirement for Safeguarding Children Boards to learn lessons to improve the way in which they work both individually and collectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of chidren.
- Practice reviews consider specific cases in a similar way to serious case reviews, but they are not triggered by a serious incident. Practice reviews may focus on a single aspect of multi-agency working or a complex case, and offer the opportunity to consider a range of practice.
Multi-agency Audits
Working Together to Safeguard Chidren (2010) provides for Safeguarding Children Boards to evaluate multi-agency working through joint audits of case files. Kirklees has developed principles to ensure that all multi-agency audits:
- focus on multi-agency and multi-disciplinary interventions and have a clear focus and clearly defined terms of reference
- focus on current practice, considering interventions that have occurred within the last 12 months (maximum)
- consider interventions that are within the remit of Kirklees agencies
- include a focus on the welfare of the child, other children living in the household, timeliness, communication and engagement with families or other significant adults.
The full principles of audit are available here.
Audit reports:
KSCB completed an audit of pre-birth assessments in February 2011. The audit report and terms of reference are available here.
Serious Case Reviews
A serious case review is always undertaken when a child dies and abuse or neglect is known or suspected to be a factor in the death. Additionally a serious case review is always considered where:
- a child sustains a potentially life threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development through abuse and neglect; or
- a child has been seriously harmed as a result of being subjected to sexual abuse; or
- a parent has been murdered and a domestic homicide review is being initiated under the Domestic Violence Act 2004; or
- a child has been seriously harmed following a violent assault perpetrated by another child or an adult;
and the case gives rise to concerns about the way in which local professionals and services worked together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This includes inter-agency and/or inter-disciplinary working.
A serious case review is a formal process of bringing together the records of all agencies that have had involvement with the child and family. An overview report is produced which provides a complete picture of events. This report contains analysis of contact with the child and family and decision making, it draws conclusions and makes recommendations. An outline of the serious case review process in Kirklees is provided on a flowchart .
Ofsted publications
Ofsted is the inspection and regulatory body that evaluates all serious case reviews.
Learning Lessons from Serious Case Reviews 2009-2010 provides analysis of 147 serious case reviews completed between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2010.
The Voice of the Child - Learning Lessons from Serious Case Reviews - this report provides an analysis of 67 serious case reviews that Ofsted evaluated between 1 April and 30 September 2010. The main focus of the report is on the importance of listening to the voice of the child. A summary report is also available.
DfE publications
New Learning from Serious Case Reviews (July 2012) - the sixth two-yearly report covers the period 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2011. It includes a number of new insights alongside recurring messages for practice.
The KSCB flowchart 'How we learn from Serious Case Reviews' shows how agencies act on recommendations and the quality assurance process undertaken by the Board to ensure that required changes are embedded in practice.
Learning lessons and bringing about improvements in practice are key aims of review processes. One of the ways in which the Safeguarding Children Board shares information about case reviews is through publication of executive summaries. These contain a summary of each case, the terms of reference, conclusions and recommendations.
Reports from case reviews completed in Kirklees in the last six months are listed below.
Serious Case Review relating to a child who died aged 2 years 11 months - please see below for a statement from the Independent Chair of the Board, an executive summary, an overview report, an addendum to the overview report and an action plan to show how different agencies have responded.
Statement
Executive Summary
Overview Report
Addendum
Action Plan
Press Release and Reports relating to the Matthews family Serious Case Review.
Statement
Executive Summary
Appendix I
Appendix II
Progress Review of Learning
Posted 6 February 2013.
All enquiries should be directed to the Kirklees Council Press Officer - 01484 221835
After six months executive summaries from serious case reviews are removed from the website. They can be requested from the Safeguarding Children Board. Please ring 01484 225019, or email KSCB.Admin@kirklees.gov.uk
