Child Deaths
The Board recognises that the death of a child is a tragedy for family and friends and is a loss to the wider community. We encourage agencies, likely to be involved at the point of death of a child, to ensure that, whenever possible, they will support parents, carers and relatives, enabling them to express their grief and, if they so wish, to have appropriate contact with the deceased child.
The Board, through its Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP), will review the information in respect of every child death and will identify any case to be referred to the Serious Case Review Panel (SCRP) (if not already identified); any matters of concern affecting the safety and welfare of children in the area; and any wider public health or safety concerns arising from a particular death or from a pattern of deaths in the area.
The operational procedures of the Panel are available in the document library. The West Mercia Protocol to which the Board is a signatory, is also available in the document library.