Death or Serious Injury to a Child (Child in Care, 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 Chief Operating Officer, Health and Social Care, who will notify other 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;

Arrange to consider the circumstances of the death/serious injury, in accordance with the Island 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.

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 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;

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
   
   Enter an incident form on the Ulysses Risk Management System.
   
   
3. From this the Quality and Safety Team, Health and Social Care will notify the insures as necessary.

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

1. Inform the Chief Operating Office, Health and Social Care, who will come to a decision about whether to notify other Service 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 are also ascertained and addressed, and that any appropriate associated costs are met;
3. Arrange, in consultation with the Service Manager, Safeguarding and Quality Assurance, appropriate meetings under the Island’s Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures, including the need to hold a Rapid Review.

Death of Care Leaver Up to and Including the Age of 24

Recent legislative changes in the UK, set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, require that when a care leaver dies, up to and including the age of 24, a formal notification must be made. This requirement now applies in Guernsey.

In such circumstances, the Designated Manager must be informed without delay. Consideration should then be given to whether a Rapid Review is necessary. This decision will be made in consultation with the Service Manager for Safeguarding and Quality Assurance, and any subsequent meetings will follow the Island’s Safeguarding Children Partnership Procedures.

Safeguarding partners must also assess whether the incident meets the criteria for a serious child safeguarding case and respond accordingly. Where the deceased care leaver was under 18, and local partners believe that learning could be gained, even if the statutory criteria do not apply, a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review may be undertaken.