PUBLICATION OF TWO SERIOUS CASE REVIEWS BABY PETER

PUBLICATION OF TWO SERIOUS CASE REVIEWS BABY PETER



Publication of the two Serious Case Review overview reports – Peter Connelly


Updated: 26 October 26th

On 26 October 2010 the Government published the two Serious Case Review (SCR) overview reports relating to Peter Connelly.

The first SCR was commissioned in August 2007 by Haringey Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB), under the chairmanship of Sharon Shoesmith, and the executive summary was published by the LSCB in
November 2008. This SCR was evaluated as ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.

In December 2008, the then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families directed the appointment of a new LSCB Chair, Graham Badman, and asked the Haringey LSCB to begin a new SCR on the case of
Peter Connelly. This second SCR was evaluated as ‘good’ by Ofsted and
the executive summary was published in May 2009.

The tragic case of Peter Connelly, and other recent high profile cases in Edlington, Birmingham and Kirklees, shocked the nation. They also prompted public concern that vital information needed to be made
available so that agencies could be properly held to account and all
the lessons properly learned. The Coalition Government therefore
confirmed on 10 June 2010 its intention that the overview reports
(together with the executive summary) of all these SCRs would be
published, appropriately redacted and anonymised. Birmingham
Safeguarding Children Board published the SCR overview report relating
to Khyra Ishaq on 27 July 2010.

The Coalition Government also confirmed on 10 June its commitment to ensuring that all SCR overview reports, anonymised and with identifying details removed, are published. The Government amended statutory
guidance so that the overview report and the executive summary of all
new SCRs initiated from 10 June should be published.

The key purpose of undertaking SCRs is to enable lessons to be learned from cases where a child dies or is seriously harmed and abuse or neglect is known, or suspected, to be a factor. In order for these
lessons to be learned as widely and thoroughly as possible,
professionals need to be able to understand fully what happened in each
case, and most importantly, what needs to change in order to reduce the
risk of such tragedies happening in the future.

The publication of SCRs is a sensitive and complex matter. SCR overview reports contain personal information and it is vitally important that published SCRs are appropriately redacted and anonymised
to protect the privacy and welfare of vulnerable children and their
families. There is an important balance to be struck between
transparency and openness so that lessons can be learned, and the
privacy and welfare of individuals protected.

The SCR overview reports relating to Peter Connelly were written by independent authors commissioned by Haringey LSCB. The only editing undertaken by the Department prior to publication by the Department is
the redaction of information that it is not appropriate to put into the
public domain. An explanation of the redactions is set out in the
beginning of each report.

The SCR overview reports for Peter Connelly are available for download from this page:

The following related documents are also available to download from this page.

  • Press notice on the publication of the Serious Case Review overview reports for Peter Connelly.
  • The executive summary for the first Serious Case Review overview report dated November 2008 relating to Peter Connelly.
  • The executive summary for the second Serious Case Review overview report dated February 2009 relating to Peter Connelly.
  • A copy of the letter of 10 June 2010 sent to DCSs and LSCB chairs by Tim Loughton, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, to
    confirm new arrangements and amended guidance for publication of SCRs.

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