Child Death Review and Rapid Response Procedures
From 1st April 2008 Local Safeguarding Children Boards are required to be notified of the death of any child under 18 years whether from natural, unnatural, known or unknown causes, at home, in hospital or in the community. The purpose is to:
- collect and analyse information about all local childhood deaths (0-18) with a view to identifying:
- cases requiring serious case review
- matters of concern affecting the safety and welfare of children
- wider public health or safety concerns arising from a particular death or from a pattern of deaths
- undertake a co-ordinated agency response to all unexpected deaths of children
For the purposes of this process Essex will be divided into five localities with a local child death review panel operating in each:
- North East (incorporating Colchester General Hospital)
- West Essex (Princess Alexandra Hospital)
- Mid Essex (Broomfield Hospital)
- South East (Southend Hospital)
- South West (Basildon Hospital)
There will also be a strategic child death overview panel operating across the county as a whole
The lead agencies in the review process for most deaths will be health, the police and in some cases, social care. All agencies that have had contact with a child who has died will be asked to share information on the child for the purposes of informing the professional response and work of the review panels. Most agencies / organisations should expect to be involved in this work at some stage. Information will be collated using form B and the relevant sub form B.
The purpose of the process is to provide better support and information to the families of children who have died and to ensure that the death of their child is properly investigated. It will also help us understand the reasons for child deaths across the county and therefore contribute to their future prevention.
The lessons learnt from the local and strategic child death overview panels should inform the strategic planning processes for children's services.
Further information is available from the SET Child Death Review Officer at cdr@essex.gov.uk.
Notification of a child death to the LSCB
From 1st April any agency becoming aware of:
- a child death occurring in Essex
- a death of a normally resident Essex child occurring elsewhere
should make a notification of this fact to the SET Child Death Review Officer via their nominated Child Death Review lead.
Notification should be made on Form A - Notification of Child Death.
Once completed the form can be delivered in three ways:
By post to: SET Child Death Review Officer, ESCB & ESAB Support Team, New Bridge House, 60-68 New London Road, Chelmsford, CM2 0PD.
By fax: 01245 506649
By e-mail: cdr@essex.gov.uk.cjsm.netProcedure Documents
The following documents have been agreed by the Local Safeguarding Children Boards for Essex, Southend and Thurrock and should be followed by all relevant agencies.
- SET Procedure for Responding to Deaths in Childhood
- Protocol for the Initial Assessment of an infant or child presenting unexpectedly dead or moribund
Supporting Paperwork
A suite of data collections forms together with Notes for Users are now available to download.
National Guidance
Every Child Matters website: Child Death Review Procedures
CEMACH: The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health
Training
To access Child Death Review Panel Training and Rapid Response Training please view the information in Training Dates
