A new task force will be set up in Norfolk to improve safeguarding across the county.
The Norfolk Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) has agreed to develop the multi-agency task force following a ‘thematic’ serious case review of six children harmed by their parents over a three-year period.
This included the death or a six-month-old baby and one case that would not normally meet the criteria for a serious case review.
It is the first time the partnership has linked together this number of cases to identify common themes and ways to improve safeguarding.
David Ashcroft, independent chairman of the NSCP said: ‘This review has given us a really useful insight into what supports good practice and the pressures that can impact on practice. We all need to be alert to the indications where parents may need extra help in keeping small children safe, and to minimise the risks they may face.’
Mr Ashcroft added: ‘Much of the learning identified in this review is not exclusive to Norfolk and there is no magic wand, in the form of a series of recommendations, that provide an easy answer.’