Reviewing and investigating individual cases:
In accordance with the guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfES 2005), North Lincolnshire Local Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB) is responsible for reviewing individual cases where serious harm or death has occurred.
Serious Case Reviews:
When a child dies, and abuse or neglect is known, or suspected to be a factor in the death, local organisations should consider immediately whether there are other children at risk of harm who need safeguarding (such as siblings or other children in an institution where abuse is alleged).
Afterwards, organisations should consider whether there are any lessons to be learned about the ways in which they work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Consequently, when a child dies in such circumstances, the LSCB should always conduct a Serious Case Review into the involvement with the child and family of organisations and professionals. LSCBs should always consider whether a Serious Case Review should be conducted in the following circumstances:
- Where a child sustains a potentially life-threatening injury or serious and permanent impairment of health and development
- Has been subjected to particularly serious sexual abuse
- Their parent has been murdered and a homicide review is being initiated
- The child has been killed by a parent with a mental illness
- The case gives rise to concerns about inter-agency working to protect children.
The purpose of Serious Case Reviews:
The purpose of serious case reviews carried out under this guidance is to:
- Establish whether there are lessons to be learned 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, how they will be acted upon, and what is expected to change as a result
- As a consequence, to improve inter-agency working and better safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
The Local Safeguarding Children Board has a statutory duty to publish the findings from any Serious Case Reviews it has undertaken locally. The Local Safeguarding Children Board publishes all Serious Case Reviews completed for a period of 6 months following the approval of OFSTED for their publication.
For historic executive reports please contact North Lincolnshire's Children and Young People's Services Freedom of Information co-ordinator, Alan New on 01724 296401
Note: Reports are in Portable Document Format (PDF) and therefore require a suitable reader to view them. A reader can be downloaded free from the Adobe website (full instructions for downloading the reader are provided on the site).