Reviews and learning

Child protection in England is a complex multi-agency system with many different organisations and individuals playing their part. Reflecting on how well that system is working is critical as we constantly seek to improve our collective public service response to children and their families.

Sometimes a child suffers a serious injury or death as a result of abuse or neglect. Understanding not only what happened but also why things happened as they did can help to improve our response in the future.

The purpose of Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews (LCSPR)

The purpose is for agencies and individuals to identify improvements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children at both local and national levels and learn lessons that improve the way in which they work, both individually and collectively, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Reviews are not conducted to hold individuals, organisations or agencies to account, since other processes have this function (employment law, disciplinary procedures, professional regulation and in exceptional cases, criminal proceedings).