The LSCB brings together all the main organisations who work with children and families in Kingston, with the aim of ensuring that we work together effectively to keep children safe.
Kingston Safeguarding Children Board (KSCB) is required to carry out a Serious Case Review when a child has died, and abuse or neglect is thought to have been a factor. Sometimes, it will carry out a Serious Case Review when a child has been seriously or permanently harmed and abuse and/or neglect is thought to have been a factor along with possible issues about how organisations have worked together.
What is a Serious Case Review?
A Serious Case Review looks at how local professionals and organisations worked together to look after the child or young person at the centre of the Review. A Serious Case Review may also look at how they have worked with other children in the immediate family.
A Serious Case Review considers what was done, what lessons can be learned for the future and what changes may need to be made. It is not a Criminal Investigation or Public Enquiry and its aim is not to blame but to learn from what has happened.
Who Will Carry Out the Review?
The Serious Case Review Sub-group oversees Serious Case Reviews (SCRs), with a membership of very experienced senior managers drawn from LSCB agencies. They make a recommendation as to whether a Serious Case Review should take place and define the initial terms of reference for the review. Each agency or organisation will provide full details of what services they gave you and your family, over a certain period of time. The panel will meet to review the information and prepare a report.
The aim of this report is to identify whether any lessons can be learned about the way organisations work together to keep children safe, in order to improve services to children and families.
What Will I / We Have To Do?
You do not have to do anything. However, you will have the opportunity to give your views about the services if you would like to. We will make sure that there is someone who can help you to do this (please see back page). We can learn a lot from parents and also from children and young people who are old enough to contribute.
Who Will See the Report?
Normally the report will be kept confidential to those senior managers who represent their organisations on the Board or those organisations who have contributed to the review. We are also required to share the report with Ofsted who ensure that it is of good quality.
Your personal contact and/or the Chair of the Review will usually meet with you and discuss what is in the report.
We are required to produce an Executive Summary, which outlines the key findings and recommendations of the review without giving any personal details. The report is fully anonymised. It is available to anyone who wants to read it through the LSCB Manager. We will give you a copy of this executive summary before giving it to anyone else in the public.
How Long Will the Review Take?
In practice, we have found that it usually takes six to nine months from the event that leads to the Serious Case Review to publication of the Executive Summary.
In this leaflet we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions families have about Serious Case Reviews. Of course, each case is different and you may have other questions you would like to ask. Please feel free to ask these or seek further information by contacting:
Service Manager
Safeguarding Services
Guildhall 2
Kingston
KT1 1EU
Telephone: 020 8547 4721
Email: safeguarding.children@rbk.kingston.gov.uk
If you want to know more about Serious Case Reviews, you can look at Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2010 – Chapter 8, which has been attached below.
Related Document
- Serious Case Reviews: Information for Parents and Carers (leaflet containing the information set out above)
- 'Working together to Safeguard Children Guidance'
