Source: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel
Date: 14 May 2021
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published its second annual report looking at how effectively the system of national and local child safeguarding practice reviews is operating in England. The Panel received notification of 482 serious incidents between 1 January and 31 December 2020, relating to 514 children. Of those notifications, 206 were in relation to child deaths and 267 related to serious harm. Of the 206 fatal incidents, 17% were caused by maltreatment within the family, 8% were extra-familial assaults or homicide, 31% were sudden unexpected deaths in infancy (SUDI) and 20% were suicides. Notifications relating to serious harm notifications show that: physical abuse was the main form of harm recorded in 38% of non-fatal cases; domestic abuse was recognised in 42.6% of non-fatal incidents; and parental mental ill-health was a characteristic in 27.3% of non-fatal incidents. The report identifies six key practice themes to make a difference in reducing serious harm and preventing child deaths caused by abuse or neglect. A briefing summarising learning from this report will be published by NSPCC Learning next week.
Read the press release: Safeguarding system needs to tackle “stubborn challenges”
Read the report: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel: annual report 2020