Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs)

When a child dies or is seriously harmed as a result of abuse or neglect, a review may be carried out.  Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (CSPRs) or Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) play a vital role in helping practitioners and organisations to continually improve the way they work, individually or together, to keep children and young people safe and free from harm.

Safeguarding Partnerships (formerly Local Safeguarding Children Boards) have a duty to publish an anonymised version of the Review Report. This will include an overview of the case, the terms of reference, conclusions drawn and any recommendations made.

Reviews are led by an independent reviewer who has no connection to the case, or to the organisations whose actions are being reviewed.

Practitioners involved with the child or family in the case are fully involved in Reviews. They are invited to contribute their perspectives without fear of being blamed for actions they took in good faith.

Families are also invited to contribute to Reviews. We work hard to make clear to them how they are going to be involved and mange their expectations appropriately and sensitively. This is important for ensuring that the child is at the centre of the process.

Review reports are published for a minimum of twelve months; all reports published prior to this should be available from the NSPCC library catalogue

MSP SCR Referral Process