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Case Review Group

The ESSCP Case Review Group (CRG) meets every month and is a well-established multi-agency group which reviews cases and, using the guidance set out in Working Together, makes recommendations to the Independent Chair and Partnership, about whether a Serious Child Safeguarding Practice Review is required. Cases considered by the group are referred in by group members, professionals from partner agencies, or are identified by the Pan Sussex Child Death Overview Panel. Agencies can refer cases or serious incidents to the Case Review Group for review using this form: ESSCP-CASE-REVIEW-Serious-Incident-Referral-Form

More details about the work of CRG can be found in this ESSCP – Learning from Serious Safeguarding Reviews presentation.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 made changes to the process. Chapter 4 states that:

“The purpose of reviews of serious child safeguarding cases, at both local and national level, is to identify improvements to be made to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Learning is relevant locally, but it has a wider importance for all practitioners working with children and families and for the government and policy-makers…Reviews should seek to prevent or reduce the risk of recurrence of similar incidents”.

From 29 June 2018 local authorities were required to notify the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (“the Panel”) of incidents where they know or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected and the child has died or been seriously harmed. Local authorities will be expected to notify the Panel of any serious incident within five working days of the incident, and safeguarding partners should undertake a rapid review of the case within 15 days. The local authority must also notify the Secretary of State and Ofsted where a looked after child has died, whether or not abuse or neglect is known or suspected.

See: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: practice guidance or Joint Communication from the Department for Education and the independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (September 2020)

Learning arising from case review work can be found on the Safeguarding Practice Reviews (previously Serious Case Reviews) – ESSCP webpage.