Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Looked After, Child in Need or Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24)

The child's social worker or, if not previously known to Children's Social Care, the duty worker receiving the information will:

1. Immediately inform their line manager;
2. Obtain as much information as possible on the circumstances surrounding the cause of death / serious injury and pass this to the line manager.

The line manager will immediately inform the Designated Manager (Death or Serious Injury to a Child) by telephone and provide follow-up information in writing as soon as possible afterwards.

The Designated Manager (Death or Serious Injury to a Child) will:

1. Inform the Director of Children's Services, who will notify local authority members as necessary;
2. Ascertain as full details as possible from the Police and any other source;
3. Request their administrative staff to check Children's Services records on the child and family and print out any information held;
4. Collect any files held on the child and family and secure them in the correct office location;
5. Arrange to inform relevant agencies about the death / serious injury and remind them to secure their files;
6. Arrange to consider the circumstances of the death / serious injury, in accordance with the Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures, including the need to hold a Rapid Review and, where the child has died, a referral to the Child Death Overview Panel.

Where a Child Safeguarding Practice Review is to be held, this must be conducted in accordance with Chapter 4 in Working Together to Safeguard Children and the Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures.

The child's social worker will:

1. Immediately inform their line manager;
2. Notify the parent(s) immediately and in person, if possible;
3. In the event of a child's death, discuss with the parent(s) and reach on agreement regarding the arrangements for the funeral (in the event of sudden, unexplained deaths, arrangements for the funeral may need to be delayed);
4. In the event of a serious injury to the child, arrange with the parent(s) to visit the child in hospital;
5. Obtain as much information as possible on the circumstances surrounding the cause of death / serious injury and pass this to their line manager; and
6. Discuss with the line manager any necessary expenditure including reasonable travel expenses to assist the family in attending the funeral or visiting the child in hospital, where it appears there is financial hardship;
7. Where the child was in a long-term foster placement, discuss with the line manager any possible conflict between the carers and the parents regarding arrangements for the child's funeral.

The line manager will:

1. Immediately inform the Designated Manager (Death of a Child) by telephone and provide follow-up information in writing as soon as possible afterwards;
2. Advise Legal Services initially by telephone, then confirm details in writing; and
3. Contact the Insurance Section of the Finance Department, initially by telephone and then in writing.

The Designated Manager (Death or Serious Injury to a Child) will:

1. Inform the Director of Children's Services, who will come to a decision about whether to notify the local authority Members;
2. Ensure that the parents' wishes concerning the funeral are discussed (by the social worker or the team manager), that any possible conflict with the wishes of the carers is also ascertained and addressed, and that any appropriate associated costs are met;
3. Arrange, in consultation with the Safeguarding Manager, appropriate meetings under the Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures, including the need to hold a Rapid Review;
4. When a Child Looked After dies, the local authority must notify the  Secretary of State for Education and Ofsted. To do so, submit online notifications using the DfE’s Child Safeguarding Incident Notification System child safeguarding incident report, This must be done whether or not abuse or neglect is known or suspected.
   
   While all such cases, including deaths by suicide, accidents and medical causes must be notified, unless abuse or neglect was known or suspected to have contributed directly to the death, these cases do not need a rapid review. 

In the event of a Child Safeguarding Practice Review being required, the steps outlined in Section 4, Needs of Social Workers / Team / Manager / Carers, should be followed.