CHSBC

Serious Case Reviews

A Serious Case Review (SCR) is undertaken when abuse or neglect of a child is known or suspected; and either the child has died; or the child has been seriously harmed and there is cause for concern as to the way organisations worked together.

The CHSCB has a sub-committee which oversees and quality assures all the SCRs undertaken by the Board, and provides advice on whether the criteria for conducting a review have been met. The sub-committee has developed local procedures for Serious Case Reviews in conjunction with Chapter 8 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government, 2010).   Any professional or agency may refer a case to the CHSCB if the criteria is met for a SCR. The independent chair makes the decision of whether to instigate a SCR.

The prime purpose of a SCR is for agencies and individuals to learn lessons to improve the way in which they work both individually and collectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.  After the completion of each review the CHSCB will publish an anonymised Executive Summary which will include information on the review process, key issues arising from the case, the recommendations and the action plans. For all SCRs initiated on and after 10th June 2010, the government has instructed all local safeguarding children boards to also publish anonymised Overview Reports. Please see downloads on the right-hand side for published Executive Summaries.

Additional information and guidance in relation to Serious Case Reviews can be found in Chapter 8 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (March 2010)