The impact of safeguarding children peer reviews

Client: LGA | NFER Contact: Claire Easton

The LGA have commissioned the NFER to undertake an evaluation of the Safeguarding Peer Review programme. The study aims to provide evidence of the impact of safeguarding peer reviews for local authorities who are in intervention. In particular, the study will:

• gather reflections on the safeguarding children peer review process and its impact from councils receiving a review

• discover what has changed locally as a result of undergoing a safeguarding children peer review within the context of the overall journey and exploring how the peer review took the authority in a particular direction in order to achieve the overall desired outcomes around improvement

• highlight the peer review approach required for local authorities in intervention, demonstrating how this might differ compared with LAs who are not in intervention.

The findings will be of use to colleagues in the LGA and Children’s Improvement Board who are planning future peer to peer support programmes. LA Lead Members, Chief Executives, DCSs, Head of Service and others embarking on a peer review will also find the report valuable.

Timescale: December 2011 - March 2012

NFER Project Code: LGIS