Child Death Overview Process
Each unexpected death of a child is a tragedy for his or her family, and subsequent enquiries/investigations should keep an appropriate balance between forensic and medical requirements and the family's need for support.
Click here to view the Child Death Overview Panel's Annual Report for 2010 - 2011, covering the work carried out in Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire.
How can I find out more about Child Death Review Processes?
Who can I contact if I need to know more?
Directory of Bereavement Support
Why Review Child Deaths?
From April 2008 all Local Safeguarding Children Boards have had a statutory duty to hold a review whenever a child dies. These are called ''Child Death Reviews''
Coventry Safeguarding Children Board aim to ensure that by doing this there is a full understanding of what happened and of whether anything would help to prevent similar deaths in future for other children in our area.
What is the Review for?
Every child's death is a tragedy. Through completing a full review valuable lessons can be learned that could help children and families in the future.
Who will do the Reviews?
A Child Death Review panel is made up of professionals from a number of agencies and chaired by John Forde, Consultant in Public Health. The panel will meet every 2 months.
Twice a year the data collected by Coventry Child Death Review Panel will be considered by a Regional Overview Panel consisting of members of Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Safeguarding Children Boards.
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How can I find out more about Child Death Review Processes?
The West Midlands Regional LSCB Group has published a ‘Best Practice Protocol for the Management of Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infants (SUDI), Click here to access the document.
Also, Chapter 7 in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' (2010) gives a detailed overview of Child Death Review Processes. It describes particularly the Child Death Review Process being:
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A rapid response by a group of key professionals who come together for the purpose of enquiring into and evaluating each unexpected death of a child.
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An overview of all child deaths in the area, undertaken by a panel.
It describes the purpose of the Child Death Overview as being the collecting and analysing of information about each death with a view to identifying:
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Any case giving rise to the need for a Serious Case Review
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Any matters of concern affecting the safety and welfare of children in the area of the authority
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Any wider public health or safety concerns arising from a particular death or from a pattern of deaths in the area.
Principles underlying the reviewing of all child deaths:
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Every child death is a tragedy for the family and the wider community
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By reviewing child deaths we can learn lessons to prevent future child deaths
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Joint agency working draws on the skills and particular responses of each professional group
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Child Death Reviews should lead to positive action to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
Who can I contact if I need to know more?
Dara Lloyd-
Child Death Review Manager
Safeguarding Quality Assurance & Service Development
Warwickshire County Council
Building 3
Saltisford Park
Ansell Way
Warwick
CV34 4UL
Tel: 019 2674 2279
Email: daralloyd@warwickshire.gov.uk
Directory of Bereavement Support
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like additional support, click here to view the Directory of Bereavement Support and Counselling Services
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