Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel

About the Panel

No children should suffer harm, abuse or neglect, and reducing this is the  primary focus of the independent national Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel.

Set up by the UK Government in 2018, the Panel reviews all cases when children die or are seriously harmed, and abuse or neglect is suspected, to see what learning can be drawn from these tragic incidents.

The Panel brings together a range of professionals who have a strong understanding of the multi-agency safeguarding system, with experience working in child safeguarding across health, children’s social care, policing, and education.

The Panel has the power to commission national reviews of serious child safeguarding cases which it believes are complex or have issues of national importance. Improvements the Panel’s national reviews identify help the Government and those who work with children to better safeguard and promote their welfare.

About the role

The independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is looking to recruit up to eight new members.

Panel members are responsible for looking at serious child safeguarding cases notified to the Panel to determine whether learning could be identified through further analysis or a national review.

Under the leadership of a chair, Panel members are also responsible for leading national reviews, supervising fieldwork, undertaking analysis and disseminating learning to those working in child safeguarding.

We are looking for individuals with experience working strategically and on the frontline in child protection from the three safeguarding partners (local authority, police and health), as well as probation, education and other relevant sectors. However, panel members will be appointed to fill these roles as individuals acting in the public interest and not as representatives of their particular profession, employer or interest group.

All those recruited will need to understand the importance of listening to the voice experience of the child in child safeguarding cases.

We are keen to ensure the Panel has a diversity of expertise, so not all those recruited must have sector experience. In order to recruit a Panel with a balance of expertise, we welcome a truly diverse range of applicants with different backgrounds and experience.

Role Description

Role: Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel Member

Part-Time: Four – seven days per month (including meetings and prep time)

Renumeration: £400 per day for a maximum of 84 days per year

Term: 4 years

Location: UK wide

The independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel is looking for part-time panel members.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drawing on your professional expertise and experience to contribute to Panel decisions and analysis of cases at biweekly Panel meetings.
• Ensuring the Panel’s reviews identify any improvements that should be made by safeguarding partners or others to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
• Leading Panel reviews and other analytical activity supporting the Panel’s role and remit.
• Supporting the dissemination of learning identified by the Panel.
• To build and maintain positive relationships with multi-agency safeguarding partners and practitioners so that up to date understanding of child safeguarding and practice challenges informs your contribution to Panel debate and decisions.

​Person Specification

We want to ensure a diverse panel membership so are looking applicants from a wide range of backgrounds. Successful applicants will demonstrate the ability to: work collaboratively; critically analyse and synthesise evidence; draw on professional experience and knowledge in decision making; communicate effectively and confidently deal with difficult and sensitive situations.

The right candidate will also demonstrate a strong understanding of the multi-agency child safeguarding system.

Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria.  In your application you should demonstrate clearly how you meet each of the following requirements of the post.  Please don’t hesitate to draw on the full diversity of your experience as part of this.

Essential Criteria

• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others in a professional decision making committee or forum, constructively contributing to discussions, negotiating between conflicting opinions and values and generating options to reach consensus.
• The ability to objectively and critically analyse, synthesise and evaluate evidence from diverse sources and identify key issues, learning and messages.
• Being a skilled communicator and influencer, who can communicate their views or Panel messages concisely and clearly to others, including panel members, other professionals and stakeholders.
• The ability and confidence to deal with difficult situations sensitively.
• The ability and confidence to make and be accountable for impartial, effective and timely decisions using professional experience and knowledge.
• Knowledge and understanding of how the child safeguarding system operates and the challenges the system faces.

How to Apply

The closing date for applications is Friday 9th April at 10.00am

To find further information on this vacancy and how to apply please go to the Public Appointments Website.