Children and Social Work Act 2017

17 Local child safeguarding practice reviews E+W

After section 16E of the Children Act 2004 (inserted by section 16 of this Act) insert—

“16F Local child safeguarding practice reviews

(1) The safeguarding partners for a local authority area in England must make arrangements in accordance with this section—

(a) to identify serious child safeguarding cases which raise issues of importance in relation to the area, and

(b) for those cases to be reviewed under the supervision of the safeguarding partners, where they consider it appropriate.

(2) The purpose of a review under subsection (1)(b) is to identify any improvements that should be made by persons in the area to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

(3) Where a case is reviewed under the supervision of the safeguarding partners, they must—

(a) ensure that the reviewer provides a report on the outcome of the review;

(b) ensure—

(i) that the reviewer makes satisfactory progress, and

(ii) that the report is of satisfactory quality;

(c) provide the report to the Secretary of State and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

(4) The safeguarding partners must publish the report, unless they consider it inappropriate to do so.

(5) If the safeguarding partners consider it inappropriate to publish the report, they must publish any information relating to the improvements that should be made following the review that they consider it appropriate to publish.

(6) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

(a) criteria to be taken into account by the safeguarding partners in determining whether serious child safeguarding cases raise issues of importance in relation to the area;

(b) the appointment or removal of a reviewer by the safeguarding partners, including provision for a reviewer to be appointed by the safeguarding partners from a list provided by the Secretary of State;

(c) the time when a report is to be provided to the Secretary of State or the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, or published;

(d) the procedure for a review;

(e) the form and content of a report.

(7) In this section “reviewer” means any one or more persons appointed to review a case under the supervision of the safeguarding partners for a local authority area.”

Commencement Information

I1 S. 17 in force at 19.3.2018 for specified purposes by S.I. 2018/346, reg. 3(c)

I2 S. 17 in force at 29.6.2018 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2018/497, reg. 3(f)