Analysis of Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) for the education sector (2020)
This is a summary of the learning for the education sector from the report: Complexity and challenge: triennial analysis of SCRs 2014-2017, (Department for Education (DfE), 2020). The analysis brings together key trends and emerging themes arising from reviews that were conducted following the death of a child, or instance of a child coming to serious harm, as a result of abuse or neglect.
Education professionals who should understand this learning include:
- leaders and trustees of multi-academy trusts
- leaders and governors of schools and settings
- Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) and Designated Teachers for Looked After children
- staff working directly with children in early years and foundation stage provision, primary and secondary schools, alternative provision settings and colleges.
Introduction
This section defines Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) and walks through some evidence and emerging themes.
Neglect
Neglect is the most common initial category of abuse for children on a child protection plan. See case examples and key considerations.
Adolescents
Explore signals to look out for through focused topics and case examples, as well as the types of issues are likely to appear.
Multi-agency working
Understand the role of multi-agency working and its importance in successfully safeguarding children.
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References Open
- Children Act (HM Government, 2004)
- Pathways to harm, pathways to protection: a triennial analysis of Serious Case Reviews 2011 to 2014 (Department for Education, 2016)
- Working together to safeguard children (Department for Education, 2018)
- Complexity and challenge: a triennial analysis of SCRs 2014-2017 (Department for Education, 2020)
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Further reading Open
- Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges (Department for Education, 2019)
- Boys and young men at risk of sexual exploitation: A toolkit for professionals (The Children’s Society, 2018)
- Children and young people presenting with harmful sexual behaviours. A toolkit for professionals (The Children’s Society, 2018)
- Protecting children from harmful sexual behaviour (NSPCC, 2019)
- Learning from Serious Case Reviews for education (Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2019)
- Safeguarding children in education: children missing education (Social Care Institute for Excellence, 2020)
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Support from SCIEOpen
SCIE’s knowledge and experience of safeguarding means that we are well placed to support your organisation on your safeguarding journey.
Our collaborative approach provides organisations with the tools to learn from safeguarding incidents and put in place the right measures to improve safeguarding in the future.
Drawing on extensive experience of using our Learning Together approach, we conduct audit, independent incident reviews and consultancy with multi-academy trusts and schools to improve safeguarding provision and governance.
Work with SCIE:
- SCIE has worked with a range of schools, trusts and education organisations and has developed a deep understanding of the context, sensitivities, issues and concerns relating to safeguarding.
- SCIE knows that safeguarding applies to both children and adults, but also the site and the existing health and safety provisions in place.
- Co-production is fundamental to what we do and we understand the importance of involving children, families, staff and others who use services in that safeguarding journey.
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SCIE works with education organisations to support them through tailored programmes of learning and development with audit and review. We can work with your organisation to embed good safeguarding practice through:
- developing and updating policies and procedures that reflect latest legislation, learning, good practice and your context
- Learning Together, a systems-based approach to support with audit, review and consultancy
- CPD-accredited, tailored classroom and e-learning courses for staff and designated safeguarding leads
- free online resources for safeguarding children and adults.
