The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is an independent panel commissioning reviews of serious child safeguarding cases. They want national and local reviews to focus on improving learning, professional practice and outcomes for children.
What they do
The panel meets regularly to decide whether to commission national reviews of child safeguarding cases that are notified to it. The panel’s decisions are based on the possibility of identifying improvements from cases which it views as complex or of national importance.
Local authorities should notify the national review panel:
- if a child dies or is seriously harmed and abuse or neglect is known or suspected:
- in their area
- outside of England, but they’re normally resident in their area
- to report the death of children looked after by a local authority whether or not abuse or neglect is known or suspected
Responsibilities
The Children and Social Work Act 2017 provided for the creation of the independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.
The panel is responsible for:
- supervising reviews they commission
- ensuring they are of a satisfactory quality
- ensuring reports are completed in a suitable timeframe
- identifying improvements that should be made by safeguarding partners
The panel:
- has its own statutory powers
- is independent of government
- can make its own decisions
The statutory guidance on ‘Working together to safeguard children’ sets out how the panel operates and works with safeguarding partnerships.
The Department for Education provides administrative support for the panel.
Research and analysis from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings
Safeguarding children with disabilities in residential settings review (linked to a pdf on gov.uk website) sets out recommendations and findings for national government and local safeguarding partners to protect children at risk of serious harm.
The phase 1 report examines allegations of abuse and neglect to children living in three private residential settings located in Doncaster and operated by the Hesley Group.
The phase 2 report sets out recommendations to improve the safety, support and outcomes for children with disabilities and complex health needs living in residential settings.
Safeguarding children in elective home education
This review (linked to a pdf on gov.uk website) explores common themes and patterns identified across reviews and highlights practice issues raised by safeguarding partners from across England.
National review into child sexual abuse within the family environment
The national review analysed 136 serious child safeguarding incidents, and 41 related serious case reviews (SCRs) and local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs).
It explores the specific challenges which feature in the identification, assessment, and response to child sexual abuse within the family environment.
The National Review into Child Sexual Abuse Within the Family Environment "I wanted them all to notice" (linked to a pdf on gov.uk website) sets out recommendations and findings for national government and local safeguarding partners to protect children at risk.
Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Annual Report 2023 to 2024
The focus of this report (linked to a pdf on gov.uk website) is on serious incidents where children have died or suffered serious harm. It seeks to understand the patterns in practice that can be discerned through analysis of the 330 rapid reviews with incidents falling between April 2023 and March 2024, and 82 Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews considered by the Panel in this same period. Importantly, careful analysis of multi-agency practice when things have gone so catastrophically wrong in children’s lives can shed light on the experiences of the broader group of children who need safeguarding.