CHAPTER 35: Notification of Serious Child Care Incidents (Revised February 2011)

AMENDMENTS

Paragraphs 1.4 and 1.5 of this chapter were revised in September 2009.

This chapter was also updated in November 2009 to take account of LAC (2007)25.

All of these changes are highlighted in blue.

This chapter was further updated in February 2011 to include the references to the Department for Education.

1.1	LAC (2007)25 updated the arrangements for local authorities to provide statutory notifications of serious incidents affecting children on a form supplied to each local authority.
1.2	Notifications with respect to children in relation to: Incidents that are serious enough that they may lead to a Serious Case Review (see Serious Case Review Procedure) Incidents that involve a child death and will automatically require a Serious Case Review Incidents that should be brought to the attention of OFSTED and the Government Office because of concern about professional practice or implications for government policy Incidents that raise issues about a council’s professional practice that may need to be considered further in the context of performance assessment; and Incidents that have attracted or are likely to attract media attention Should be sent to OFSTED; National Business Unit 3rd floor Royal Exchange Buildings St. Anne's Square Manchester M2 7LA
1.3	Immediately following the making of a decision to hold a Serious Case Review, the local authority should inform OFSTED (at the above address) and OFSTED will pass this information to the Department for Education.
1.4	Deaths of looked after children and deaths of children in regulated settings should be notified to OFSTED and the Department for Education. In all cases the information provided should include: the name and date of birth of the child concerned; her/his address and statutory status at the time of death; the circumstances of death; and a named contact person in the responsible local authority.

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