Serious case reviews

August 2015

This Serious Case Review ^{(PDF, 382kb)} conducted by Southwark Safeguarding Children Board took place between April 2014 and February 2015. The SSCB has set out a response ^{(PDF, 206kb)} to the Serious Case Review, and there's an action plan to respond to the learning identified in this review (which will be monitored by the SSCB to further improve services to young people).

Serious case reviews

Serious case reviews are undertaken when a child dies (including by suicide) or is seriously injured, and abuse or neglect is known or suspected to be a factor. The purpose of reviews is to:

• identify and establish what lessons are to be learned from the case about the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
• identify clearly within what timescales any improvement and learning will be acted upon, and what is expected to change as a result
• improve single agency and partnership working to better safeguard and promote the welfare of children

The Southwark Safeguarding Children Board publishes local Serious Case Reviews and ensures an action plan is in place to respond to learning identified in the review. Further details can be found here.

For National learning relating to Serious Case Reviews, the NSPCC provides a series of at-a-glance briefings highlighting the learning from national case reviews that are conducted when a child dies or is seriously injured, and abuse or neglect are suspected. Each briefing focuses on a different topic, pulling together key risk factors and practice recommendations to help practitioners understand and act upon the learning from case reviews. You can find these briefings on the NSPCC site.

Archive Policy

Working Together 2013 requires that all serious case review of cases meeting the SCR criteria should result in a report which is published and readily accessible on the board’s website for a minimum of 12 months.

Learning from National Serious Case Reviews

The NSPCC provides a series of at-a-glance briefings highlighting the learning from national case reviews that are conducted when a child dies or is seriously injured, and abuse or neglect are suspected.

Each briefing focuses on a different topic, pulling together key risk factors and practice recommendations to help practitioners understand and act upon the learning from case reviews.

You can find these briefings on the NSPCC site.

Page last updated: 04 October 2018