Quality of SCRs improves but one in six still "inadequate": Ofsted

The quality of serious case reviews (SCRs) continues to improve but nearly one in six are still judged to be “inadequate”, Ofsted said today.

The watchdog looked at 147 SCRs for its Learning lessons from serious case reviews 2009-2010 report. It found that 42% were judged good, 42% adequate and 16% inadequate.

Ofsted warned that many of the cases reviewed “reveal the persistence of some key issues in practice which have contributed to shortcomings in the protection of the children involved”.

The report found that:

• The most common characteristics of the incidents were physical abuse or long-term neglect
• A consistent finding was a failure to implement and ensure good practice “even though established frameworks and guidance were available”
• There was often insufficient consideration of the child’s individual views and needs
• Statements from parents or other family members were not sufficiently challenged.

Ofsted’s report also revealed that “too often” agencies failed to share early enough information that could have contributed to a better understanding of children and their families. “For example, some parents within these reviews were receiving support from adult social care, adult mental health, substance misuse, housing and probation,” it said.

The SCRs covered incidents affecting 194 children. Some 90 of the cases related to child deaths, with the rest involving serious incidents. 

Of the 194 children involved, 119 children were known to children’s social care services at the time of the incident. 90 children were receiving services as children in need, of which 49 were the subject of child protection plans. Some 31 of the children who had died were receiving children in need services.

Christine Gilbert, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said it was encouraging to see that more reviews were being judged good, with fewer reviews inadequate.

She added: “The case studies highlight the complexities of the situations which social workers and others are responding to. In undertaking these reviews, agencies have been able to reflect on what happened and learn from their experience. They have identified gaps in their approach and most important, have agreed actions to improve the protection of children and so reduce the chances of such serious incidents from happening again.”

Baroness Shireen Ritchie, chairman of the Local Government Association’s children and young people board, said: “The death of even one child is one too many. The number of cases of this type being reported to Ofsted is down by nearly 50% compared to the previous 12 months but there is no room for complacency.”

Ritchie stressed that social workers were part of the solution not the problem, and had protected tens of thousands of vulnerable children at a time when their workload has been growing.

She added: “It is the over-riding aim of every council in this country and indeed virtually every parent – that we do everything within our power to keep every child safe from harm.

“Councils are working tirelessly to improve how they identify and protect children at risk from neglect and abuse, and an outside perspective does help. When things tragically go wrong they need to be examined. There is important work to be done within the police and NHS as well as at a local government level, and Ofsted also has a role to play in making things better.”