Child Safeguarding Practice

Request Number: FOI/15754

Category: Organisational Information & Performance - Branch/Departmental Performance

Subject: Child Safeguarding Practice

Request and Answer: 
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold information to which your request relates. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.

Question 1
Please provide details of the mechanisms, policies, or processes your force had in place from 1 January 2021 to the present for receiving and reviewing findings, recommendations or learning from Serious Case Reviews, Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews or equivalent reviews concerning children

Answer
PSNI do not have Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews, our equivalent is Case Management Review (CMR) Recommendations are managed by the child abuse Detective Chief Inspector, Detective inspector and Detective Sergeants via an internal working group of stakeholders across the service. We do have a number of recommendations that we are progressing. There is guidance on the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland Website about the CMR process. Public Protection Arrangements Northern Ireland (PPANI) manual of practice has a separate chapter re completion of PPANI Serious Case Reviews in respect of managed offenders who have committed a further serious offence.

Question 2
Disseminating and embedding this learning internally within the force, including between departments, teams or officers

Question 3
Sharing or embedding this learning externally with partner agencies or multi-agency safeguarding partnerships

Question 4
Monitoring or evaluating whether this learning has been implemented effectively in practice

Answer 2, 3 & 4
Learning is reviewed at annual PPANI Special Interest Seminar and implementation is reviewed during quarterly PPANI audits. Serious Case Reviews are a standing item at quarterly Policy & Practice Sub group meetings and each agency representative disseminates recommendations/action plan within their respective agencies. 

Question 5
If possible, please provide copies of any relevant policies, procedures, frameworks or guidance documents that were in place during this period

Question 6
If policies or processes have changed since 1 January 2021, please provide information on the current version and any revisions during this period

Answer
Please see below links provided. 

PPANI manual of practice
https://www.publicprotectionni.com/app/uploads/2023/11/PPANI-Manual-of-Practice-November-2023-Final.pdf 

DHR guidance (Domestic Homicide Review – DoJ document – Multiagency approach)
https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/justice/multi-agency%20dhr%20guidance.pdf 

CMR guidance (Case Management Review – SBNI document - Multiagency approach)
https://www.safeguardingni.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/SBNI%20%27Learning%20from%20Practice%20Case%20Management%20Review%20Process%20Multi-Agency%20Guidance%20final%20version_0.pdf