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Child Death Review Process - New WSCB Function to Review All Unexpected Child Deaths
Why Review Child Deaths?
From April 2008 all LSCB’s have a statutory duty to hold a review whenever a Child dies. These are called ‘Child Death Reviews’
WSCB aim to ensure that by doing this there is a full understanding of what happened and of whether anything would help to prevent similar deaths in future for other children in our area.
What is the Review For?
Every Child’s Death is a tragedy. Through completing a full review valuable lessons can be learnt that could help children and families in the future.
Who will do the Reviews?
A Child Death Review Panel made up from professionals who already sit on WSCB Special Cases Sub Committee. Additional professionals will be co-opted to join the panel when necessary if specialist advice is needed. WSCB Panel sat for the first time in April 2008 and will meet every 2 months there after.
Twice a year the data collected by WSCB Child Death Review Panel will be considered by a Regional Overview Panel consisting of Members for Coventry Safeguarding Children Board, Solihull Safeguarding Children Board and Warwickshire Safeguaridng Children Board.
How can I found out more about Child Death Review Processes?
Chapter 7 in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006) gives a detailed overview of Child Death Review Processes. It describes particularly the Child Death Review Process being:
- A Rapid response by a group a key professional who come together for the purpose of enquiring into and evaluating each unexpected death of a child.
- An overview of all child deaths in the area, undertaken by a panel.
It describes the purpose of the Child Death Overview as being the collecting and analysing information about each death with a view to identifying:
- Any case giving rise to the need for a serous case review.
- Any matters of concern affecting the safety and welfare of children in the area of the authority.
- Any wider public health or safety concerns arising from a particular death or from a patters of deaths in that area.
Principles underlying the reviewing of all child deaths:
- Every Child death is a tragedy for the family and for the wider community.
- By reviewing child deaths we can learn lessons to prevent future child deaths.
- Joint agency working draws on the skills and particular responses of each professional group.
- Child Death Reviews should lead to positive action to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
What about Training to Raise Awareness of Child Death Review Processes?
- The Child Death Review Panel have already successfully completed initial training to enable them to carryout their new statutory duties.
- WSCB 5th Annual Conference had a key theme of WSCB Child Death Review Processes. This was a high profile means of raising awareness among WSCB members; associate members as well as the wider Children’s workforce of these new statutory responsibilities.
- There will be more information about the development of Child Death review functions in the WSCB news letter and on this website.
- Any training will also be advertised on the training pages on WSCB web site.
Who can I contact if I need to know more?
Dara Lloyd is the Child Death Review Manager and can be contacted by writing to:
Safeguarding Quality Assurance and Service Development
Directorate for Children, Young People and Families
Warwickshire County Council
Building 3, Saltisford Park
Ansell Way
Warwick
CV34 4UL
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