Recommendation LAMI-5: National Agency to conduct or oversee and publish serious child case reviews
From Laming Inquiry — Final Report, published 28 January 2003.
Recommendation
The National Agency for Children and Families should, at their discretion, conduct serious case reviews (Part 8 reviews) or oversee the process if they decide to delegate this task to other agencies following the death or serious deliberate injury to a child known to the services. This task will be undertaken through the regional offices of the Agency with the authority vested in the National Agency for Children and Families to secure, scrutinise and analyse documents and to interview witnesses. I consider it advisable that these case reviews are published, and that additionally, on an annual basis, a report is produced collating the Part 8 review findings for that year.
Government response
No government response to this recommendation is on the record yet.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from the addressee has been found in the sources searched (last checked 27 February 2026). This is separate from the response above.
What other bodies have found
In their own words. These do not change the delivery statement above.
Thirlwall Inquiry legal team (27 February 2026)
The Government accepted this recommendation in principle, stating: The Government accepts that the process for serious case reviews needs to be changed, and is consulting on proposals for a new system. Under this, all unexpected child deaths would be screened by local ‘screening groups’. These screening groups would decide which cases should be subject to a serious case review, and which should receive a smaller scale review. In addition, there will be a national overview to ensure serious case reviews are carried out on the right cases, to the correct standards, and a periodic overview report on these reviews will be published (paragraphs 117-121).
Site note: The Thirlwall Inquiry legal team's own notes on implementation, from its Review of Implementation of Recommendations from Previous Inquiries into Healthcare Issues (version dated April 2025, published 27 February 2026). The review does not colour its Extent of Implementation cell for this recommendation green; it leaves the cell uncoloured where a recommendation was rejected, where evidence of implementation was insufficient, or where steps had been taken but implementation was not yet complete. Table row: section 7.2 No. 5, PDF page 160-161.
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Thirlwall Inquiry legal team
Finding