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Safeguarding Practice Reviews

Safeguarding Practice Reviews (formerly Serious Case Reviews or SCR’s) are always undertaken when a child dies and abuse or neglect is known or suspected to be a factor in the death.  Additionally a Safeguarding Practice 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;

A Safeguarding Practice 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 together learning for agencies to respond to.

Agency responsibility to notify KSCP of Serious Incidents and Child Deaths

A notifiable incident is an incident involving the care of a child which meets any of the following criteria:

  • A child has died (including cases of suspected suicide), and abuse or neglect is known or suspected;
  • A child has been ‘seriously harmed’ and abuse or neglect is known or suspected
  • A looked after child has died (including cases where abuse or neglect is not known or suspected); or
  • A child in a regulated setting or service has died (including cases where abuse or neglect is not known or suspected)

‘Seriously harmed’ in the context of the above includes, but is not limited to, cases where the child has sustained, as a result of abuse or neglect, any or all of the following:

  • A potentially life-threatening injury;
  • Serious and/or likely long-term impairment of physical or mental health or physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development.
  • This definition is not exhaustive. In addition, even if a child recovers, this does not mean that serious harm cannot have occurred. The KSCP will ensure that its considerations on whether serious harm has occurred are informed by available research evidence.
  • Responsibilities of an organisation where a notifiable incident occurs
  • Where a serious incident occurs which meets the definition of a ‘notifiable incident’, the first step for any organisation is to take appropriate action to ensure the immediate safety of the child or minimise the impact of any serious harm.
  • In all circumstances staff should consult with their Safeguarding Lead/Senior Manager. The Safeguarding Lead/Senior Manager should contact the Local Authority and the KSCP to identify whether the criteria for notification has been met.

The organisation should have its own internal processes to ensure that:

  • Where a child has suffered serious harm, the organisation will make a referral to the Local Authority
  • The organisation’s Safeguarding Lead is informed of the incident/s and agrees with a Senior Manager within the organisation that the criteria has been met
  • Where the child has died (whether this expected or unexpected), the correct procedures are followed, as outlined in our CDOP procedures

Responsibilities of the Local Authority

In accordance with Working Together (2018), Kirklees Local Authority is required to report any incident that meets the criteria of a ‘notifiable incident’ to Ofsted promptly, and within five working days of becoming aware that the incident has occurred.

Recent Local Safeguarding Children Practice Reviews

Exec Summaries and Learning Summaries will be listed here.

Previous reports can be requested from the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Partnership. Please ring 01484 225161, or email KSCP.Admin@kirklees.gov.uk

Local Resources

Relevant Documents

National Resources

Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (2018)

Pathways to harm, pathways to protection: a triennial analysis of serious case reviews 2014 to 2017.  This study examines serious case reviews (SCRs) relating to incidents from April 2011 to March 2014 and considers findings from a 10-year period from 2003.

The NSPCC has established a national repository of published case reviews. Access to this aims to improve learning and help professionals to protect children.

The NSPCC also provide thematic briefings that focus on specific topics, pulling together the key risk factors and practice recommendations.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (National Panel) works with the Department for Education and are an independent panel commissioning reviews of serious child safeguarding cases. They work to ensure that national and local reviews focus on improving learning, professional practice and outcomes for children.

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel – It was hard to escape: Safeguarding Children from Criminal Exploitation.” (2020)

Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson – The national review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson: CASPAR briefing

Madeleine – Safeguarding Adult Review

Hackney – Child Q – https://chscp.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Child-Q-PUBLISHED-14-March-22.pdf

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