Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel  

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is an independent national body responsible for commissioning and overseeing reviews of serious child safeguarding incidents in England where children have died or been seriously harmed as a result of abuse or neglect. 

The Children and Social Work Act 2017 provided for the creation of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, whilst the statutory Working Together guidance 2026 sets out how the panel operates and works with safeguarding partnerships. 

The panel’s role is to identify system-wide learning, strengthen professional practice, and improve outcomes for children and families across the safeguarding system. The following reports highlight key findings, recurring themes, and recommendations for change to help practitioners, organisations and government make this happen.  

More information about the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel can be found at their website: linked here  

 

New report: ‘Protecting all vulnerable babies better’

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel have published a national review on ‘Protecting all vulnerable babies better’. The review focusses on preventing harm and improving protection for all vulnerable unborn babies and infants. 

Key findings and recommendations include: 

• Earlier and stronger pre-birth safeguarding 

• The importance of trauma-informed practice  

• Better engagement with and support for parents before and after child removal 

• A preventative ‘Think Family’ approach 

• Stronger links between children’s social care and offender management services 

• Clearer arrangements when families move across geographical boundaries 

 The Panel have published a Practitioner Briefing, and the full report which are both available on their website. 

 Access Practitioner Briefing here 

 Access the full report here