Child O Serious Case Review

On 5 October 2018, Child O was taken by his parents to the local hospital where he was found to have suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage indicative of abusive head trauma. Child O was subsequently transferred to the nearest tertiary hospital for specialist treatment. Child O recovered in hospital but has been left with a debilitating condition and permanent impairment.

Following hospital discharge, Child O was accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989.

Recommendations

The resulting learning and recommendations are:

• To promote restorative safeguarding supervision practice for health professionals who are involved in the care planning of complex and vulnerable adolescents;

• To ensure that restorative safeguarding supervision  is available for GPs, community health professionals, hospital staff and other health professionals involved in case work;

• To provide information, advice and guidance for non-case holding professionals on what to do and who to turn to if they are worried about any of their cases;

• To hold a series of learning seminars and develop a training module on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma. To include:

  1. the complexities of obtaining consent;

  2. trauma informed approaches for positive engagement with early help and statutory services;

  3. context, culture and past and present circumstances when planning interventions for children and young people;

• To seek assurance that health and social care agencies have undertaken practice developments to increase their knowledge and understanding about the importance of including fathers; in the context of early interventions as well as safeguarding;

• To seek assurance about multi-agency involvement in the case closure of all cases that have been subject to a Child in Need Assessment.