Recommendation SP53: GMMH and Alder Hey joint SMART audit
From The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1, published 13 April 2026.
Recommendation
At the local level, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust should by no later than 13 October 2026 carry out and report on a joint audit to ensure that for cases involving both Trusts, the action points from multi agency meetings, healthcare meetings, discharge plans and management plans after risk assessments are being recorded in a SMART-compliant (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) way.
In brief (written by this site)
In July 2026, HM Government reported that Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust had confirmed work had begun and were "on track to meet the implementation deadline of 13 October 2026" (Home Office response, Jul 2026). Earlier, in April 2026, Lisa Cooper informed its Safety and Quality Assurance Committee that initial data extraction was underway and a meeting had been arranged with the Director of Forensic CAMHS to scope the audit methodology (Lisa Cooper, Apr 2026). The record holds no update since the government's response of July 2026 (Home Office response, Jul 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
DHSC has limited powers to direct NHS Foundation Trusts to implement recommendations 51 and 53. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has written to Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust to encourage implementation of recommendations aimed at them. Trusts have already confirmed that work has begun in relation to recommendation 53, and that they are on track to meet the implementation deadline of 13 October 2026.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
The government's response to Phase 1 (CP 1623, 2 July 2026) agreed with all 67 recommendations in one sentence, and names only 39 of them individually. Where a recommendation is not named, the response shown is the passage the response gives for the group it belongs to (the recommendations for organisations outside central government, or the recommendations to policing bodies), which is not a response to that recommendation alone; the response does not list the members of any group. The 10 recommendations for Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider show no response: the response introduces them (paragraph 20) but answers none of them. The government accepts the recommendations that are for central government to deliver. Where a recommendation is for an organisation outside central government, the government's agreement is not that organisation's acceptance.
Delivery
Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust says in progress (22 April 2026)
LC provided an update on Recommendation 53, which requires: A joint audit with the Forensic CAMHS service; focus on children and young people who pose a risk to others. An Initial data extraction is underway a meeting had been arranged with the Director of Forensic CAMHS to scope audit methodology.
From: Board of Directors public meeting pack, 4 June 2026 (containing the Safety and Quality Assurance Committee minutes of 22 April 2026), Lisa Cooper, Divisional Director, Community & Mental Health Division
Site note: These are the minutes of Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust's Safety and Quality Assurance Committee meeting of 22 April 2026, as reproduced in the papers for the Trust Board meeting of 4 June 2026. The row is dated to the committee meeting. The minutes record an update given at the meeting in the minute-taker's words.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Department of Health and Social Care
Response - Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust
Delivery statement