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Serious Case Reviews

• Serious Case Reviews
  Chapter 8 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010) sets out the purpose and process of serious case reviews (SCRs). SCRs are undertaken when a child dies (including suicide), and abuse or neglect is known or suspected to be a factor in the death. Additionally they can be undertaken where:
  • a  child sustains a potentially life-threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development through abuse or neglect; or
  •  a  child has been subjected to particularly serious sexual abuse; or
  •  a  parent has been murdered and a domestic homicide review is being initiated; or
  •  a child has been seriously harmed following a violent assault perpetrated by another child or adult
  •  the case gives rise to concerns about inter-agency working to protect children form harm.

The purpose of SCRs are to:
•  Establish whether there are lessons to be learned from the case about the way in which local professionals and agencies work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
•  Identify clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result
•  As a consequence, improve inter-agency working and better safeguard and promote the welfare of children

Local Safeguarding Children Boards have a duty to publish the final report of SCRs conducted.

This page was last updated on the 14th of December 2011 and is scheduled for review on or before the 10th of June 2012