Working Together to safeguard Children 2006 introduced new child death review processes and procedures to be followed when a child dies. The focus of the panel will be on all child deaths.

West of England Child Death Overview Panel

Bath and North East Somerset Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) has joined with North Somerset, South Gloucester and Bristol Councils to form the West of England Child Death Overview Panel.

The Role of the CDOP is as follows;

To have an overview of all child deaths in the LSCB area. This will be carried out by the panel that:

• Has a fixed core member ship to review these cases, with flexibility to co-opt other relevant professionals as necessary
• Meets on a regular basis to enable each child’s case to be discussed
• Reviews the appropriateness of professional’s responses to each unexpected death of a child, their involvement before the death, and relevant environmental, social health and cultural aspects of each child, to ensure a thorough consideration of how such deaths might be prevented in the future and
• Identifies any patterns or trends in the local data and reports these to the LSCB

The panel will also provide a monitoring and advisory role regarding the effectiveness and appropriateness of response by professionals to an unexpected death of a child, reviewing reports produced by the Rapid Response Team (see below) and support provided to families of children who have died.

The CDOP will identify any public health issues and refer cases to the LSCB as appropriate where it considers a Serious Case Review should be undertaken.

Rapid Response Team (RRT)

The Rapid Response Team will be a core group of key professionals who come together for the purpose of enquiring into and evaluating each unexpected death of a child.

Definition of an unexpected death of a child

In the Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 guidance an unexpected death is defined as the death of a child that was not anticipated as a significant possibility 24 hours before the death, or where there was a similarly unexpected collapse leading to or precipitating the events that led to the death.

The work of the team convened in response to each child’s death will be co-ordinated, usually, by a local designated paediatrician responsible for unexpected deaths in childhood. The professionals who come together as a team will carry out their normal functions in response to the unexpected death of a child in accordance with the WT guidance. They will also work according to a protocol agreed with the local coronial service. The joint responsibilities of these professionals include:

• Responding quickly to the unexplained death of a child
• Making immediate enquiries into and evaluating the reasons for and circumstances of the death, in agreement with the coroner
• Undertaking the types of enquiries/investigations that relate to the current responsibilities of their respective organisations when a child dies unexpectedly. This includes liaising with those who have ongoing responsibilities for other family members
• Collecting information in a standard, nationally agreed manner
• Following the death through and maintaining contact at regular intervals with family members and other professionals who have ongoing responsibilities for other family members, to ensure they are informed and kept up-to-date with information about the child’s death.

The Rapid Response Team will be in place from 1st April 2008 and key staff are being trained in the new guidance on responding to child deaths.

For further information on the Child Death Overview Panel and the Rapid Response Team, please contact your Local Safeguarding Children Board representative (see below) or Nicola Bennett, Integrated Safeguarding Officer.

Bath and North East Somerset LSCB Members –

B&NES PCT - stephanie.bailey@banes-pct.nhs.uk

Avon and Somerset Police - Michael.Carter@avonandsomerset.police.uk

Youth Offending Team -Sally_churchyard@bathnes.gov.uk

The Mineral Hospital - Esther.crawley@rnhrd-tr.swest.nhs.uk

Avon West Partnership -Mark.Dean@awp.nhs.uk

Barnardos -jon.doble@barnardos.org.uk

Schools - Sue_East@bathnes.gov.uk

Connexions and Youth Service - chounsell@ConnexionsWest.org.uk

Paediatrics and Child Health -Simon.Lenton@banes-pct.nhs.uk

NSPCC - Lmorris@nspcc.org.uk

Children’s Social care - liz_price@bathnes.gov.uk

Education Service -gail_quinton@bathnes.gov.uk

CAFCASS -Trevor.Simpson@cafcass.gov.uk

RUH John.Travers@ruh-bath.swest.nhs.uk

Avon Probation Service Mair.Wise@avon-somerset.probation.gsi.gov.uk Integrated Safeguarding Officer - Nicola_bennett@bathnes.gov.uk

Associate Members

Adult Learning Difficulty Services - chris_east@bathnes.gov.uk

Adult Social Care Services - mike_maccallam@bathnes.gov.uk

Housing Services - graham_sabourn@bathnes.gov.uk;

Avon Ambulance Service - Paul.Underwood@avonambulance.nhs.uk

Avon Fire Service - Kevin.Keeler@avonfire.gov.uk