PART 3Local Reviews
Local review criteria
11. The criteria to be taken into account by the safeguarding partners(1) for the purpose of section 16F(1) of the Act include whether the case in question—
(a)highlights or may highlight improvements needed to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, including where those improvements have been previously identified;
(b)highlights or may highlight recurrent themes in the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare of children;
(c)highlights or may highlight concerns regarding two or more agencies working together effectively to safeguard and promote the welfare of children;
(d)is one which the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel have considered and concluded a local review may be more appropriate.
Appointment of a reviewer
12. The safeguarding partners must appoint a reviewer to conduct a local review.
Removal of a reviewer
13. The safeguarding partners may remove a reviewer from a review at any time prior to the report of the review, or information relating to improvements, being published.
Procedure for a review
14.—(1) The safeguarding partners must monitor the time being taken to conduct a review and the quality of the review at regular intervals during the course of the review.
(2) The safeguarding partners may, for the purpose of assessing the progress and quality of a review, request specified information or a draft report from the reviewer.
(3) Such a request must be made in writing.
Form and content of report
15. The report must include—
(a)a summary of any recommended improvements to be made by persons in the area to safeguard and promote the welfare of children; and
(b)an analysis of the systemic or underlying reasons why actions were taken or not taken in respect of matters covered by the report.
Provision of a report and information to the Secretary of State and the Panel
16.—(1) The safeguarding partners must provide a copy of the report to the Secretary of State and the Panel no later than 7 days prior to the date of publication of that report.
(2) Where the safeguarding partners decide, further to section 16F(5) of the Act, not to publish the report but only to publish information relating to improvements to be made, they must provide a copy of the report and the information to the Secretary of State and the Panel, no later than 7 days prior to the date of publication of that information.
Publication of the report and information
17. Where the safeguarding partners publish a report or information relating to improvements to be made following the review, the safeguarding partners must ensure that the report or information published remains publicly available for a minimum of one year following publication.
See section 16E(3) of the Act under which a “safeguarding partner” in relation to a local authority area in England is defined as: “(a) a local authority; (b) a clinical commissioning group for an area any part of which falls within the local authority area; (c) the chief officer of policy for a police area any part of which falls within the local authority area.”