Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews

Darlington Safeguarding Partnership is the key statutory mechanism for agreeing how relevant organisations in Darlington will co-operate to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in its area. A key function is to undertake reviews of serious cases to understand the learning from serious child safeguarding incidents. 

The purpose of a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is to:

  • Establish whether there are lessons to be learned from the case about the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children
  • Identify clearly what those lessons are both within and between agencies, how they will be acted on, and what is expected to change as a result
  • Improve intra and inter-agency working to ensure better safeguards and promote the welfare of children.

Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 [PDF Document] sets out the statutory process to be followed. 

Local process for child safeguarding practice reviews

The local process for undertaking a child safeguarding practice review is outlined in the Safeguarding Partnership's Child Safeguarding Practice Review and Serious Child Safeguarding Incident Procedure Revised October 2024 [PDF Document]

Notifiable (Serious) Incident Referral Form July 2023 [Word Document]

NSPCC - Child Safeguarding Practice Review Quality Markers [External Link]

Published Reviews

Statutory guidance Working Together 2023 states safeguarding partners must publish LCSPR's. Below are the published Local Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews undertaken by Darlington Safeguarding Partnership:

February 2025

Child J LCSPR Full Report [PDF Document]

Child J LCSPR Executive Summary [PDF Document]

November 2023

Family H LCSPR Full Report [PDF Document]

Family H Executive Summary [PDF Document]

7 minute briefing on findings of Family H review [PDF Document]

You may also find additional information on other published LCSPR's & Serious Case Review's on the NSPCC website.  A full list of all published reviews can be searched - serious case reviews [external Link]

Learning from National Reviews & Reports

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel have published a number of National Reviews, click on the links below to review full published report: 

Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Briefing Papers

Annual Reports