Rapid Review Process

Rapid Review Process

Purpose

The rapid review process is designed to quickly gather the facts about a serious child safeguarding case, decide on immediate actions, and determine whether a more detailed local or national review is necessary.

Key Steps

1. Notification – Serious incidents must be notified to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel within five working days of the local authority becoming aware of the incident.
2. Following notification to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Business Unit instigate a 15-day rapid review of the case.
3. The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Manager also notifiy the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Executive (North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council and Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board including the Chair.
4. On receipt of a referral the North Yorkshire Children Safeguarding Partnership’s Safeguarding Practice Review Group will meet to discuss the referral and whether it will be notifiable resulting in a 15 day timeline or a local review whereupon timescales are slightly longer.

Conducting the Rapid Review

• The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group which consists of named representatives from key organisations responsible for children and young people’s services in North Yorkshire must undertake the rapid review promptly.  Additional participants are invited if deemed appropriate.  The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group will:
  • Gather the facts about the case.
  • Discuss whether any immediate actions are needed to ensure children’s safety.
  • Consider the potential for identifying improvements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
  • Decide on the next steps, including whether to undertake a local child safeguarding practice review.

Timeline of the rapid review

• The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group convene an Initial Case discussion Meeting to agree the key lines of enquiry, develop the rapid review timeline and decide which organisations to request the information from.
• The collated information is shared with the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group ahead of the Rapid Review Meeting.
• The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group convene a Rapid Review Meeting where they review and discuss the available information.  The North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group Chair and the NYSCP Business Unit then finalise the Rapid Review Report which should include whether North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group recommend a further review if needed.

Reporting

The outcomes are shared and agreement is sought from the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Executive Strategic Partners (North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council and Humber and North Yorkshire ICB) and notified to the Executive Chair.

On agreement by the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Executive Leads, a copy of the final report is sent to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel, including a recommendation about whether a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review is required and whether the case raises issues that are complex or of national importance such that a national review may be appropriate.

Once the rapid review is complete, the findings must be sent to the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

Criteria for Review

• The panel considers whether the case highlights improvements needed, raises issues requiring legislative change, or involves recurrent themes in child welfare.
• The panel also looks at circumstances involving significant harm or death, especially in institutional settings or where multiple types of abuse are involved.

Communication

• The panel informs the safeguarding partners of its decision promptly, including the rationale and next steps.
• If a national review is deemed necessary, the panel will notify the Secretary of State and discuss the scope and methodology with the safeguarding partners.
• Once a response is received, the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Business Unit will share it with the Chair of the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group, North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Council, Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Partnership Independent Scrutineer and North Yorkshire Safeguarding Practice Review Group membership.

Outcome

• The rapid review helps ensure that immediate actions are taken to protect children and that lessons are quickly identified and shared to prevent future incidents.
• Recommendations are shared with the Partnership Practice and Learning subgroup and ongoing actions for the group are agreed.
• Learning and recommendations are shared with partners through briefing documents and in partnership training.

By following this structured approach, the rapid review process ensures a swift and effective response to serious child safeguarding incidents, promoting continuous improvement in safeguarding practices.

Link to Safeguarding Practice Review Group OMG

Page reviewed: January 2025