Case Reviews
Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
The Safeguarding Children Partnership (SCP) is responsible for initiating a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) in circumstances where there has been a death or serious injury to a child, abuse or neglect is known or suspected, and there are opportunities for learning in relation to inter-agency working. The purpose of the Review is to:
- Establish whether there are any lessons to be learnt from the case and from the way in which local professionals and organisations worked together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Identify clearly what those lessons are, how they will be acted on, what is expected to change as a result and within what timescale; and
- As a consequence, improve inter-agency working to better safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
A Rapid Review is the multiagency review of a case that is carried out in response to a serious child safeguarding incident. The Safeguarding Children Partnership has developed a Rapid Review Pathway (PDF, 285KB)
Published Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
Please be advised that case reviews that are published will remain on the SCP website for a period of one year. Reviews older than one year are still available upon request to scp@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk
Historical reviews undertaken by the SCP include themes around neglect, non-accidental injury under 1, Elective Home Education, families who avoid services, safeguarding adults with care and support needs, childhood obesity and harassment and bullying.
Child Safeguarding Practice Review – Child N (Published 3rd March 2025)
Learning Summaries
Learning Summary Reports are published by the Safeguarding Children Partnership when our Rapid Review Meeting has concluded that the circumstances leading to the serious harm, or death of a child, meet the criteria for a Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) but a fuller independent review is not deemed necessary or when publication of a full Safeguarding Practice Review is pended whilst parallel processes conclude.
Archived Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews
- Case Review Learning Summary – Child F – Themes: Sexual Abuse
- Cheshire West and Cheshire East Joint Thematic Review of Contextual Safeguarding
- Thematic Review into Non-Accidental Injuries to Children under 1 year – Themes: Non-accidental injury (NAI)
- Family X – Themes: Neglect, Elective Home Education, Families who avoid services, Safeguarding Adults with Care and Support Needs, Childhood obesity.
- Lauren – Themes: Harassment and bullying.
- Thematic Review of Child Suicide or Death Through Undetermined Intent
Practice Learning Reviews (PLRs)
Cheshire West and Chester SCP undertakes ‘Learning Reviews’ for cases that do not meet the criteria for a Local Safeguarding Child Practice Review, but that nonetheless offer an opportunity for investigation to ascertain facts and lessons to be learnt.
Making a referral for a case review
The Quality Assurance and Scrutiny Group of the SCP will consider referrals for Learning Reviews. A Rapid Review Panel is convened, made up of members from the Quality Assurance and Scrutiny Group, when a referral is for a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review. There are statutory timeframes in respect of holding the Rapid Review meeting and therefore it is important that referrals are submitted in a timely fashion. Please complete and return the referral form:
NSPCC Learning – National Case Review Collection: Repository of published reports
The national case review repository launched in November 2013 and has developed into the National Case Review Collection, the most comprehensive collection of case reviews in the UK. It provides a single place to access and share learning at a local, regional and national level. The repository has over 2,000 case reviews from across the UK dating back to 1945, and thematic analysis reports from all four nations.