Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews

A function of the Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership (OSCP) is to consider if a serious incident referred into the OSCP meets threshold for undertaking a Child Safeguarding Practice Review as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 

A Serious Incident is where the local authority knows or suspects that a child has been abused or neglected and:

• the child dies (including suspected suicide) or is seriously harmed in the local authority’s area
• while normally resident in the local authority’s area, the child dies or is seriously harmed outside England

When a serious incident becomes known the Local Authority should notify the OSCP and the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel within five working days of becoming aware that the incident has occurred. 

On receipt of a referral a virtual panel, made up of representatives from the Statutory Safeguarding Partners will be convened. The purpose of the virtual panel is to consider the referral against the criteria for Rapid Review using this guidance document: Virtual Panel guidance 

If the virtual panel agrees that the referral meets the criteria for Rapid Review the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel of the Partnership will promptly undertake a Rapid Review of the case. The aim is to enable the OSCP to    

• gather the facts about the case, as far as they can be readily established at the time
• discuss whether there is any immediate action needed to ensure children’s safety and share any learning appropriately
• consider the potential for identifying improvements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
• decide what steps they should take next, including whether to commission a Child Safeguarding Practice Review.

As soon as the rapid review is complete, the OSCP will send a copy to the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. They should also share with the Panel any thoughts they have had on whether the case may raise issues which are complex or of national importance such that a national review may be appropriate, and on whether they plan to carry out a local child safeguarding practice review. They may also do this if, during the course of a local review, new information comes to light which changes their judgement and suggests a national review may be appropriate. 

When a local review has been agreed a review panel will be established. 

If the case does not meet the criteria for a child safeguarding practice review the Panel must consider whether any of the following are appropriate:    

• Serious Offence Review  
• Brief Learning Review
• Single Agency Review
• Multi Agency Audit

The following explains the process of a rapid review referral in Oldham: 

Practice Review Guidance Oldham - V5 2024.docx

Practice Review Activites and Timescale Flowchart.docx

To refer a serious incident to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review subgroup please complete the referral form below and send securely to: OSCP.group@oldham.gov.uk

Greater Manchester Serious Child Safeguarding Case Notification Form

Published Reviews will remain on the OSCP website for 12 months. Where a 7 minute briefing has been developed this will remain on the website to support Partnership learning and improvement.

OSCP learning from reviews 23-24

7MB SCR - Child G 
7MB SCR - Child H
7MB SCR - Child K
7MB SCR - Child L
7MB SCR - Child M

Serious case review Child 'O' - Video

National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel

The National CSPR panel is an independent panel commissioning reviews of serious child safeguarding cases. 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.

Link to website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/child-safeguarding-practice-review-panel

NSPCC National Repository of Serious Case Reviews

The national repository of published case reviews is a collaboration between the NSPCC and the Association of Independent LSCB Chairs. The aim is to hold all case reviews in a central location, so the learning contained within them is easier to access. Access to the electronic versions of the case review reports stored by the NSPCC is available by accessing the National case review repository