Local SCR's and CSPR Reports Learning from Local and National Practice Events
CHILD JAY Final.pdf
BABY MARY REPORT - Dec 2022 Final.pdf
NATIONAL REVIEW CHILD DEATHS ARTHUR AND STAR 2022.pdf
Dates for learning events around learning from safeguarding case reviews will be available here soon.
Learning from Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs)
Undertaking Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews is part of the reviewing and investigative function of Haringey’s Multi Agency Safeguarding Arrangements.
Guidance on their duties and legislative responsibilities is highlighted in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018.
The HSCP will ensure that:
- Policies, procedures, and an agreed process is in place to identify and review those cases that are outlined in the Working Together Guidance 2018
- Reviews are conducted regularly on cases which meet statutory criteria and on other cases which can provide useful insights into multi agency safeguarding practices
- Reviews look at what happened in a case and why, and what action will be taken to learn from the findings
- Actions Plans are monitored through robust quality assurance processes and result in lasting improvements to multi agency safeguarding practices
- There is transparency about issues arising from cases and how agencies are responding to these, including full publication of reviews where possible
What is a Child Safeguarding Practice Review?
Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs) were formerly known as Serious Case Reviews. This changed when the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board was replaced by the Haringey Children Safeguarding Partnership (HSCP). Although the essence of the reviews is the same, CSPRs allow for greater creativity and focus on the analysis of serious incidents in order to maximise learning for the wider partnership workforce.
In order for consideration to be given to undertaking a CSPR, two key criteria have to be met:
- The child has died or been seriously harmed
- Abuse or neglect is known or suspected
If these criteria are met, a referral can be submitted using the Serious Incident Notification form by any agency for consideration of a CSPR. Where appropriate, receipt of the Serious Incident Notification form triggers a Virtual Threshold Panel meeting attended by representatives from the three statutory partners i.e. Children’s Social Care, Health and Police. hscp_serious_incident_notification_form_final_dec_23.docx
The Virtual Threshold Meeting will review the information provided and make a decision on whether a Rapid Review is needed, to further consider the circumstances of the case presented, how agencies worked together, any immediate action required, what learning can be gleaned from the case and whether a CSPR or a learning event is needed to be undertaken.
Rapid Review meetings are attended by representatives from statutory and other partner agencies, who review the available information and make a decision on whether a review of practice is needed, and if so, what this review will look like. This decision takes place within 15 working days of the Serious Incident Notification form being submitted to the HSCP Business Unit.
If a case does not meet the criteria for a CSPR, the Rapid Review meeting may decide that a different kind of learning review involving partner agencies should be undertaken. Additionally, the Rapid Review may also decide that a single agency learning review should be carried out. The latter is dependent upon the information considered and whether only one agency has leaning to be embedded in their agency setting.
Although these types of review aren’t published, the learning is shared with partner agencies and monitored to ensure changes are embedded.
Key Facts about CSPRs
- CSPRs explore how organisations worked together to provide services to the child and their family and what lessons can be learned to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents happening in the future.
- The CSPR is not an inquiry into the child’s death/injury and is completely separate to any investigations by the police or coroner.
- CSPRs should be completed within 6 months however it is not always possible to publish during this timescale if there are ongoing parallel proceedings.
- CSPRs can’t be published until all criminal/coroner proceedings are completed so investigations are not compromised.
- When possible, to do so, the published report will be made available on the HSCP website, NSPCC Case Repository and is shared across the partnership.
- A copy of all CSPR Reports must be sent to the National Panel 5 days before any report is published.
What happens during a CSPR?
- An independent author is appointed to oversee the review and write the report.
- A CSPR panel is convened made up of senior managers from agencies who were involved with the child/family, who meet to look at the work all agencies completed. The CSPR panel will meet with the author to quality assure each version of the report as it develops.
- Multi agency Reflective Learning Events will be held for frontline practitioners/managers who worked directly with the child and family. These interactive sessions will identify and celebrate good practice and areas for improvement – each agency will be asked to identify how they can improve services for families in the future. There is a lot of support which practitioners can access both within their own agency and through the HSCP Business Unit due to the subject matter.
- Where it will not affect parallel proceedings, family members will be asked to contribute to the review process and will be kept up to date on the progress and publication of the report.
- The final version of the report is considered first by the CSPR Panel, the CSPR subgroup, who feedback to their agency’s respective strategic boards, and finally is presented to the HSCP Executive Group meeting by the author for ratification.
Useful information
The NSPCC maintains a repository of all CSPRs/SCRs which have been published across England as a single point to access and share learning at a local, regional and national level. This can be accessed here: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/case-reviews/national-case-review-repository