The overview report:
- Brings together and analyses the findings of the individual management reviews and any independent professional reports and information from the child death review process
- Contains all the facts available in chronological order
- Makes recommendations for future action.
The overview report must be commissioned from a person who is independent of all the agencies/professionals involved and who is not the chair of the LSCB, a Serious Case Review Sub Group or the Serious Case Review Panel. The appointment must be approved by the Chair of the LSCB.
The Serious Case Review Panel Chair will ensure the individual management reviews and independent professional reports are collated and passed to the overview report author for analysis and evaluation within an agreed timeframe.
The Overview Report author will compile an integrated chronology of involvement with the child and family by all the agencies/organisations and individuals as part of the overview report.
An outline format for the overview report can be found in Working Together 2010 Chapter 8 Para 8.40
The overview report and individual management reports should be used to produce an executive summary that accurately represents the full Serious Case Review and includes information about the review process, key issues arising from the case, the recommendations made and the full action plan. The overview report and executive summary must be published unless there are compelling reasons related to the welfare of any children directly involved in the case for this not to happen.
An outline format for the executive summary can be found in Working Together 2010 Chapter 8 Para 8.42
Both the overview report and the executive summary should be prepared for publication by being anonymised (except for the names of the LSCB Chair, SCR Panel Chair and the overview author, and the job titles and the employing organisations of all the SCR Panel members) and by removing any details that would identify the subjects, family members or participants in the Serious Case Review. Publication needs to be timed to coincide with the conclusion of any related court or legal proceedings, and a media strategy should be considered.
