Kirklees Case Reviews
Introduction
Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board will undertake case reviews of some children to try and get a better understanding of how agencies worked together and how and why decisions were made.
Case reviews
Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board will look carefully look into cases that have been highlighted as outstanding pieces of work and also cases where the outcome for the child may not have been positive. These case reviews are split into two types
Serious Case Reviews
Good Practice 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 subjected to particularly serious sexual abuse; or
- A parent has been murdered and a homicide review is being initiated; or
- A child has been killed by a parent with a mental illness; and
- The case gives rise to concerns about inter agency working to protect children from harm.
Alternatively a good practice review will be considered where:
- Complex inter-agency work has provided a positive outcome for a child or family
- Where workers have overcome considerable difficulties to provide a positive outcome for a child or family
- An organisation highlights a particular piece of work that was outstanding
Process
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.
A good practice review involves interviewing all professionals who had involvement with a child or family and is less formal than a serious case review.
The review process:
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establishes whether there are lessons to be learnt from the case about the way in which local professionals and organisations work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
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identifies clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result; and
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as a consequence, aims to improve inter-agency working to better safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Learning from Case Reviews
Learning lessons and bringing about improvements in inter-agency working practice are key outcomes of the review processes. One of the ways in which the Safeguarding Children Board can share information about case reviews is through publication of executive summaries. These contain a summary of each case (providing an individual or family cannot be identified), the terms of reference, the conclusions and the recommendations.
Executive summaries from case reviews completed in Kirklees in the last six months can be viewed below:
