‘Disguised compliance’: learning from case reviews
Summary of risk factors and learning for improved practice around families and disguised compliance
Disguised compliance is a term used to describe the behaviour of parents or carers who appear to co-operate with professionals in order to allay concerns and stop professional engagement.1
This briefing looks at learning from published case reviews from 2022-2023 that involve practice issues relating to disguised compliance.
Case reviews highlight that the term ‘disguised compliance’ is used by professionals to describe a wide range of behaviours. Sometimes the term is used without reflection on what might be causing the behaviour or what can be done to address it.
Concerns around caregiver engagement and patterns of behaviour can divert professional attention away from potential concerns for a child’s wellbeing. This can lead to cases drifting and risks increasing or prolonging harm.2
Learning from these case reviews highlights the importance of:
- maintaining professional curiosity and reflective thinking
- staying child-centred
- sharing information and working together.
References
Reder, P., Duncan, S.and Gray, M. (1993) Beyond blame: child abuse tragedies revisited. London: Routledge.Ofsted (2014) In the child’s time: professional responses to neglect. London: Ofsted.
Browse our full series of learning from case reviews briefings
Our series of thematic briefings highlight the learning from case reviews conducted when a child dies, or is seriously harmed, as a result of abuse or neglect. Each briefing focuses on a different topic or learning for specific sectors, pulling together key risk factors and practice recommendations.
More about case reviews
We work with local safeguarding partners to ensure that learning from case reviews can be accessed and shared at a local, regional and national level.
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