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Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 [1] sets out the purpose and process of Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPRs). Reviews are undertaken where a child suffers abuse or neglect is known or suspected and the child has died or been seriously harmed.
Purpose of Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
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 policymakers. Understanding whether there are systemic issues, and whether and how policy and practice need to change, is critical to the system being dynamic and self-improving.
Reviews should seek to prevent or reduce the risk of recurrence of similar incidents. They are not conducted in order to establish or apportion blame to those working with children. For more information, please view the Pan-Dorset Multi-Agency Safeguarding Policies and Procedures Manual (proceduresonline.com) [2]
Responsibilities for reviews
The responsibility for how the system learns the lessons from serious child safeguarding incidents lies at a national level with the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (the Panel) and at local level with the safeguarding partners.
The Panel is responsible for identifying and overseeing the review of serious child safeguarding cases which, in its view, raise issues that are complex or of national importance. The Panel will also maintain oversight of the system of national and local reviews and how effectively it is operating.
Locally, the safeguarding partners will make arrangements to identify and review serious child safeguarding cases which, in their view, raise issues of importance in relation to their area. The Panel and the safeguarding partners have a shared aim in identifying improvements to practice and protecting children from harm.
Process for reviews
Please see 7-Minute Briefing [3], produced by the PDSCP, which outlines the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review process.
Professionals can also access this document [4] [5]for identifying serious child safeguarding incidents, undertaking rapid reviews and local child safeguarding practice reviews.
Dedicated guidance has also been developed for practitioners who may be directly involved with a child, young person and family subject to a rapid review, CSPR or local learning review to help them understand understand their role in the process. Please see here for Guidance for Practitioners for Rapid Reviews, LCSPRs and Local Learning Reviews document [6].
Local Serious Case Reviews/Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
Please see below for the overview reports, together with the synopsis of learning, for Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) and Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPRs), as they are now referred to, published in the last 5 years:
Dorset
- SCR Synopsis of Learning Family C20 (2017) [7]
- SCR Overview Report Family S25 (2017) [8]
- SCR Synopsis of Learning S25 (2017) [9]
- SCR Overview Report Family S26 (2018) [10]
- SCR Synopsis of Learning S26 (2018) [11]
- SCR Overview Report Family S31 (2018) [12]
- SCR Synopsis of Learning S31 (2018) [13]
- SCR Overview Report Family S33 (2020) [14]
- SCR Synopsis of Learning S33 (2020) [15]
- SCR Overview Report Family S39 (2020) [16]
- SCR Synopsis of Learning S39 (2020) [17]
- LCSPR Overview Report ‘Iris’ (2021) [18]
- 7 Minute Briefing – LCSPR ‘Iris’ (2021) [19]
- LCSPR Overview Report – Thematic Summary Intra-Familial Sexual Abuse (2022) [20]
- 7 Minute Briefing – Thematic Summary – Intra-Familial Sexual Abuse (2022) [21]
- LCSPR Overview Report – The Siblings (2022) [22]
- 7 Minute Briefing – LCSPR The Siblings (2022) [23]
- LCSPR Overview Report ‘Edie’ (2024) [24]
- 7 Point Briefing – LCSPR ‘Edie’ (2024) [25]
- Action Plan – LCSPR ‘Edie’ (2024) [26]
7 Minute Briefings for Rapid Reviews that have not progressed to a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review
Dorset
7 Minute Briefing Rapid Review (January 2023) [27]
7 Minute Briefing Rapid Review (March 2025) [28]
7 Minute Briefing Rapid Review (April 2025)
7 Minute Briefing Rapid Review (Safe Bathing) [29]
National Learning
- NSPCC Review of Parents who misuse substances (2013) [30]: learning from case reviews – Summary of risk factors and learning for improved practice around parents with substance misuse problems
- Pathways to harm, pathways to protection (2016) [31]: a triennial analysis of serious case reviews 2011-2014 analyses 293 Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) relating to incidents which occurred between 1 April 2011-31 March 2014
- Vulnerable Adolescents Thematic Review (2019) [32]– Thematic review of 60 vulnerable children (23 girls, 37 boys) aged between 10 and 17-years-old. Review instigated after five children died between July-December 2017 from stabbing (three), ingestion of drugs and a road accident
- It was hard to escape: safeguarding children at risk from criminal exploitation (2020) [33]This national review was undertaken by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. The review focused on whether adolescents in need of state protection from criminal exploitation got the help they need and how can services be designed to keep adolescents safe from criminal exploitation and be improved to prevent further harm. A poster [34] has been developed by the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership which helps to summarise this review and its key recommendations.
- Out of Routine (2020) [35] – This is the second national review that has been undertaken by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. This review focused on Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) in families where the children are considered at risk of significant harm. A 7- minute briefing for this review has been developed by the Dorset CCG – see the briefing here [36]
- The Myth of Invisible Men (2021) [37]– This is the third national review undertaken by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel. This review focused on safeguarding children under 1 from non-accidental injury caused by male carers. A poster [38] has been developed by the Pan-Dorset Safeguarding Children Partnership which helps to summarise this review and its key recommendations. Alternatively, please see the PowerPoint presentation [39], developed by the National Panel, regarding this review, which provides further detail on the findings and recommendations for local safeguarding children’s partnerships to take forward
- National Review (Full Report) into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson (2022) [40] There was palpable public shock just before Christmas 2021 when the unimaginably horrific deaths from abuse suffered by Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson became known. We will never know what their respective lives were really like in the weeks and
months leading up to their murders. What we must do is attempt to understand how and
why the public services and systems designed to protect them were not able to do so. That
is the primary purpose of this review, which has been undertaken by the national
independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel (the Panel). - Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson – Briefing Note for Child Protection Practitioners across England [41] This short briefing note aims to summarise the key learning points from the independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s national review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson. It outlines the main practice and systems issues that featured in Arthur and Star’s stories, which professionals might want to reflect on. It also sets out national recommendations for improving child protection across England.
- PDSCP Response to the National Review into the murders of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson [42]
- Unseen Men – Learning from Case Reviews [43] – This briefing is based on learning from a sample of case reviews published since 2020 that highlight the issue of professionals not identifying or assessing key men involved in the care of children who died or suffered harm.
- The National Panel have published their Annual Serious Incident Notification (SIN) data [44]. Please see the SIN Process Factsheet here [45]. The NSPCC Summary of the Annual Report can be accessed here [46].
- Safeguarding Children with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings (letter from Rt Hon Gillian Keegan) [47]– National safeguarding practice review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex needs in residential settings. Phase 1 and 2 reports here [48]. Government’s response here [49].
- “I wanted them all to notice [50]” – protecting children and responding to child sexual abuse within the family environment. Please see Summary Briefing from NSPCC here [51].
- National Review calls for urgent action to protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants [52]: A national child safeguarding review has called for urgent action to better protect vulnerable unborn babies and infants, following the tragic death of baby Victoria Marten.
- Protecting all vulnerable babies better [53]: National safeguarding practice review into the death of baby Victoria Marten.
Sign up to the National Panel CSPR Quarterly Newsletter here [54]
Other Child Safeguarding Partnership Reviews
Child ‘River’ CSPR Learning Summary – June 2022 [55]
7 Minute Briefing – River – 2022 [56]
You can view all the latest published Safeguarding Practice Reviews on the NSPCC Repository [57]
To view the latest Child Safeguarding Practice Review annual report click here [58]
