Inquiries and serious case reviews are used when society fails its duty to protect children and young people from harm. The network of professional organisations, supported by legislation, policies and procedures fail to work. Causes need to be known and dealt with.
The Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) calls for a serious case review when a child dies from known or suspected abuse or neglect. The serious case reviews involve the local authority children’s service, the police, health professionals, education professionals and any other professional agencies known to be involved with the family. The services conduct individual reviews on the management of care and practices to identify any changes that should be made.
The LSCB commissions an independent reporter, who analyses the findings of the independent reports and makes further recommendations. Ofsted are notified of all incidents involving children that are grave enough to lead to a serious case review; this includes when, where, how it happened and information on when or if concerns have been previously raised.
Serious case reviews teach lessons about;
Clear planning and job roles
Keeping accurate event timelines
Accurate assessments of the child’s situation
Early recognition of children in need
Sharing information and communication
Partnership working and positive relationships
Overcoming hard-to-reach family problems
A public inquiry is an official review of events ordered by the government and is held after a