Thematic review based on rapid reviews for four young infants presented with suspected non-accidental injuries (NAI). The infants were presented with injuries during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns in 2020.
Key Findings
- Reflections include: how to support universal services in exercising professional curiosity, appropriate information sharing and onward referral; how to ensure that universal services, such as health visiting and midwifery, retain technological advances developed during the pandemic, whilst also ensuring that opportunities for direct contact remain the primary source of insight into a child's daily life; how to address issues around potential diminutions of workplace peer-to-peer support and reflection if remote working is retained for safeguarding professionals; issues of inter- and intra-agency professional communication and data sharing being complex and problematic; if the pandemic impacted on the quality of case management record keeping, and implications this holds for professional reflection, supervision and assessment of risk; how to reassert the unique perspective and value of universal services like health visiting and midwifery.
- Makes no recommendations, but reflects on three main issues: the adaption and transition of services through the pandemic and lockdowns; mental health issues unique to the circumstances of the pandemic, particularly for expectant and young mothers and families; new arrangements for continuance of services sometimes 'removing' men in families from professional view.
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