Statutory guidance for serious case reviews
August 2011
England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have separate guidance on the responsibilities of the local inter-agency group and guidance on when and how to carry out a serious case review.
Listed below is the statutory government guidance for each of the four nations and analysis reports on serious case review policy.EnglandNorthern IrelandScotlandWalesReviews of serious case review policy
England
In England and Wales the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) conduct a serious case review (SCR). The guidance for England is Chapter 8 of:
Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children (PDF).
Her Majesty's Government
Nottingham: DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) Publications, 2010.
There have been changes to the statutory guidance for England in two letters from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Tim Loughton.
Tim Loughton letter, 10 June 2010 (PDF) - states that all serious case reviews initiated after 10 June 2010 must be published in full.
Tim Loughton letter, 22 September 2010 (PDF) - changes the guidance as it relates to government offices.
Janet Pugh letter, 28 September 2010 - from the Director of the Safeguarding Group confirming "arrangements for the gathering of information on serious child care incidents and Serious Case Reviews and for handling of correspondence on child protection".
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the Area Child Protection Committees undertake a Case Management Review. The guidance from Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) is:
Chapter 10: Case Management Reviews (PDF).
In: Co-operating to safeguard children.
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS)
Belfast: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, 2003.
Scotland
In Scotland the Child Protection Committees conduct Significant Case Review. Guidance is:
Protecting children and young people: interim guidance for Child Protection Committees for conducting a Significant Case Review.
Scottish Executive
Edinburgh: Scottish Executive, 2007.
Wales
In Wales and England the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) conduct a serious case review (SCR). The guidance is in Chapter 10 of:
Safeguarding children: working together under the Children Act 2004 (PDF).
Welsh Assembly Government
Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government, 2006.
Reviews of serious case review policy
Learning from serious case reviews: report of a research study on the methods of learning lessons nationally from serious case reviews (PDF).
Sidebotham, P. et al
London: Department for Education, 2010.
Contains recommendations on how to improve approaches to learning from serious case reviews in England.
Child death and serious case review processes in the UK (PDF). CLiCP Briefing 5.
Vincent, Sharon
Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Centre for UK-wide Learning in Child Protection, 2009
Outlines, compares and contrasts the serious case review processes which have existed since 1989 in England and Wales, 2003 in Northern Ireland and 2007 in Scotland.
Improving practice to protect children in Wales: an examination of the role of serious case reviews (PDF).
Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW)
[Cardiff]: Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW), 2009.
Examination of the arrangements for carrying out serious case reviews and of the role of serious case reviews in improving child protection practice in Wales. Reviews procedures and processes, gives brief overview of arrangements in the rest of the United Kingdom and makes recommendations for future practice in Wales.
An evaluation of the case management review process in Northern Ireland: including a scoping exercise of adverse incident reporting and alternative investigative systems.
Lazenbatt, Anne, Devaney, John and Bunting, Lisa
London: NSPCC (and Queens University Belfast), 2009
Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the case management review (CMR) process and presents recommendations for improvement. Includes a literature review of incident systems and processes used nationally and internationally and their advantages and disadvantages.
Guidance on conducting a serious case review
For a reading list of guidance resources for conducting a case review, learning from the findings and implementing the recommendations see our page on Guidance on conducting a serious case review.
Contact the NSPCC Information Service for tailored information on serious case reviews or any child protection topic
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