Somerset’s first non-accidental injury (NAI) awareness week – 1st to 5th July 2024
What learning from reviews tells us about ways to work with pregnancies, infants and families
Nationally, babies under 12 months are the single largest age group within Rapid Reviews (reviews completed after a child dies/is seriously harmed and has experienced abuse or neglect).
This is also reflected in Somerset, where babies are also the largest age group represented within the Rapid Reviews we have completed locally. Babies are a particularly vulnerable group and are entirely dependent on their caregivers, whilst being unable to voice their experiences.
You can find out more about national learning about supporting babies in the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s annual report
Some key learning which has been highlighted in local and national reviews include the following:
Identifying and supporting parental stress:
By identifying stressors (including parental vulnerabilities like trauma, relationship breakdown or mental health) and signposting/providing support for this, family crisis can be reduced or avoided and professionals can have a good understanding of the risks to the baby.
A whole family approach:
Using genograms and listening to the perspectives of everyone who lives in the child’s house/an important part of their family network helps to support professional curiosity and a better understanding of the strengths and risks around the baby.
Information sharing:
Seeking out and sharing information between agencies helps to make the right decisions to safeguard babies. This includes asking the right questions to understand family’s experiences, and making sure that when there is contact between agencies, everyone understands what the next steps will be.
