Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) are usually held when a child dies and abuse or neglect are known or suspected to be a factor in the death. A SCR might also be considered when: • A child has sustained a potentially life-threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development through abuse or neglect; • A child has been subjected to serious sexual abuse; • A parent has been murdered and a homicide review is being initiated; • A child has been killed by a parent with a mental illness; • A case gives rise to concerns about inter-agency working to protect children from harm.
What is the purpose of a SCR? The purpose of carrying out a SCR is to: • Establish 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; • Identify clearly what those lessons are and how they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result; and • Improve inter-agency working and better safeguard and promote the welfare of children. They are not inquiries into how a child died or who is to blame. That is a matter for the coroner and criminal courts to determine as appropriate.
What does a SCR mean for practitioners? The Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and the agencies that make up that Board have a responsibility to
produce a clear action plan based on all of the recommendations made in the review. These action plans will identify specific changes to be made in any of the agencies or organisations involved. The Local Safeguarding Children Board will monitor these action plans to make sure that changes happen in the stated timescales. All SCRs are also reported to Ofsted (which leads inspections related to multi-agency working to safeguard children), the Strategic Health Authority and local government office. These bodies will also make sure that the action plans are followed as well as reporting to the Department for Children, Schools and Families who publish bi-annual studies into SCRs across England.
Internal Management Reviews Every partner member of the LSCB is asked to review their records to ascertain if there has been any agency involvement with the child or family. Each agency involved with the family will be required to identify a senior member of staff without direct involvement or line management of the staff involved in the case to coordinate and produce the Internal Management Review (IMR). As soon as each organisation becomes aware that a case is being considered for a SCR arrangements should be made to secure all of the relevant records and retrieve any archived records. If there is ongoing work with the child or family this will usually mean that you will be asked to photocopy the full records for that child or family, to enable you to continue using them. If there is no ongoing work with the child or family, the named nurse for safeguarding children will take the records to work from them directly. The author of the IMR will then create a chronology of all events and actions, and a Genogram from the records,
including identifying each time the child was seen, spoken or listened to. They will review and evaluate the practice of all health professionals and relevant health providers involved within the PCT area. The aim of the IMR is to look openly and analytically at both individual and organisational practice to see whether the case indicates changes that could and should be made and to identify how those changes will be brought about. The IMR will be signed off by the most senior agreed member within each organisation before it is sent to the SCR panel (this should be at the level of chief executive or director). SCRs are not part of any disciplinary enquiry or process. However, it is possible that information could emerge in the course of the review that might indicate that disciplinary action should be taken under established organisational procedures.
Will I have to be interviewed? The IMR author might need to speak to you to clarify an issue or gain a deeper understanding of the case. If this does happen, a written record will be made of the interview and this record will be shared with you.
When will I get feedback? When the IMR is completed a debriefing and feedback session for staff involved with the child and family is arranged. This might be on a one to one basis or a group meeting as appropriate. Organisations might also offer a second feedback session after the full SCR report is completed.
Who decides whether there should be a serious case review? The SCR Standing Panel, involving representatives from the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), Children and Young People’s Social Care, health, education and police meet on a regular basis and consider cases brought to their attention. They will analyse the information gathered about the case and make a recommendation about whether a SCR should be undertaken or not. The SCR panel are then asked to follow the process to undertake a review and will appoint a chair, set clear terms of reference and request each agency involved This recommendation is reported to the independent Chair of the Safeguarding Children Board, who holds the ultimate responsibility for deciding. It is generally expected that the SCR will be produced within four to six months.
Will the child’s family be involved? Since the publication of ‘Working together to safeguard children 2006’ there is an expectation that family members will be invited to contribute to the review in all but the most exceptional cases. The panel will arrange for this after due consideration of the most appropriate way for the family to contribute to the review and how they will be supported.
Will I get to see a copy of the reports? If you are involved in the SCR you will be able to see copies of reports in a controlled manner. This means that you will not be able to have your own copy
of the report and might not be able to read all of the report.
Will the review be reported in the media? The panel will always consider how to manage any public and media interest. This will vary on a case by case basis A letter from Tim Loughton MP wrote to all LSCB Chairs and Directors of Children’s Services, on 10th June 2010, instructing that all serious case reviews initiated after this date should have the Overview Report published. When published the reports will be accessible on the Safeguarding Children Board Website: www.kirkleessafeguardingchildren.com www.calderdale-scb.org.uk
Serious Case Reviews
Where can I get more information? If you want to know more, please contact your lead professional for safeguarding children or; Gill Poyser Young Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children Calderdale Tel: 07904653331 Christina Fairhead Designate Nursed Safeguarding Children Kirklees Tel: 07881956314 You might also wish to read the relevant chapter (chapter 8) in ‘Working together to safeguard children 2010’, or the bi-annual reviews of SCRs, both of which can be accessed at www.education.gov.uk Ref: GPY & CF 3299 • Date of publication: Dec 2012 © NHS Calderdale, Calderdale CCG, NHS Kirklees, North Kirklees CCG & Greater Huddersfield CCG
Information Leaflet for Health Professionals