Commissioners of reviews

Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) has brought in new requirements for local safeguarding children board to comply with specific principles of a systems approach to organisational learning. Guidance to support safeguarding adults boards is likely to follow a similar direction of thinking. No particular model of a systems approach has been made mandatory. Boards are therefore free to choose what approach to use.

Learning Together provides a range of options depending on what you need - whether it’s to build capacity or to access independent experts to lead specific commissions.

Benefits

Now that there is more flexibility to decide what type of case review you need to support your local learning and improvement activities, it is important to make the right choice and that you are clear about the benefits.

A Learning Together review will:

  • Build internal capacity and expertise in using a system approach
  • Be proportionate to your needs to ensure value for money
  • Apply a rigorous analytic process that is based on a tried and tested methodology across the sector
  • Provide findings that will impact on the wider safeguarding system and help answer not just what happened but why
  • Provide a report that is agreed and owned by the commissioning Board/agency and be suitable for publication
  • Be consistent with the requirements of government; Ofsted, CQC and other inspectorates; and with other standards and guidance for the conduct of case reviews.

SCIE’s Learning Together approach includes the following elements:

  • A tried and tested methodology
  • Two independent reviewers who are accredited and supervised
  • The benefit of being able to draw on existing learning from our bank of completed reports
  • Access to a professional development network

Governance, accountability and expertise

SCIE take very seriously their responsibility to ensure high quality, facilitated reviews. . Included in the cost is the provision of additional scrutiny and support for the lead reviewers through supervision and oversight of the analysis and findings. This ensures that the finished report is faithful to systems thinking and fit for publication where required.

All SCIE reports will summarise the systemic issues and findings from the case in order that learning can be integrated in a range of learning and improvement activities.

How to commission Learning Together

What to consider before you commission a Learning Together review.

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Learning Together review options

Flexible options to meet your needs and budgets.

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Courses

Introductory sessions and foundation courses to support capacity and learning.

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Mentoring

Find out how our mentoring scheme will help you become a lead reviewer.

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  • I commend this Learning Together report for its robust analysis and transparency. The report attempts to move beyond a description of what happened and when, and addresses the fundamental questions of why certain decisions and actions were taken, based on the situation at the time, rather than looking back with hindsight.

    Independent Chair, Local Children’s Safeguarding Board, North East Lincolnshire