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Publication date December 2022
Front cover: click to download the report

The Department for Education (DfE) has published a final overview report1 by researchers from the Universities of East Anglia and Birmingham, of the nine government-commissioned periodic overviews of serious case reviews (SCRs) in England. The periodic overviews were published from 1998 until 2019, when SCRs were replaced by a new system of local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs).

This CASPAR briefing gives a summary of:

  • changing understandings of harm and the profile of SCRs
  • key practice issues
  • context and systems
  • characteristics and critiques of the review reports
  • messages for policy and practice.

References

Dickens, J et al (2022) Serious case reviews 1998 to 2019: continuities, changes and challenges (PDF) London: Department for Education (DfE)
Summary of Serious case reviews 1998 to 2019: CASPAR briefing
Download the briefing (PDF)

CASPAR briefings

Our CASPAR briefings help people working or volunteering with children and young people understand changes to safeguarding and child protection policy and guidance. They also summarise key research and reports from independent bodies such as Ofsted or the Care Inspectorate.

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