‘Lessons learned’ from serious case review
SHEILA Lock, independent chair of the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Partnership, said the Serious Case Review was commissioned after the twins were abused to look into the support provided and examine agency involvement in relation to the abusive couple’s two older children.
She said: “The purpose of the review was to understand agency involvement with this family and to identify further work that could be done to strengthen professional practice in the wider children’s system. The review recognises that, at the time the injuries occurred, local safeguarding practices had been assessed by Ofsted as inadequate. At the same time, and very importantly, it is also clear that a great deal of work has taken place in the intervening period and that this is bringing ‘rapid, significant and sustained improvement’.
“Safeguarding arrangements in Kirklees were re-inspected in
2019 and are no longer the subject of intervention. Our work to support and safeguard children has developed tremendously, including the way in which neglect within families is identified, assessed and handled. We can confirm that steps have already been taken to implement all of the learning from this Serious Case Review. However, as a partnership, it remains our absolute priority to continue improving and to achieve the highest possible standards in keeping children and young people safe from harm.”