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In the event of a death, serious injury, serious accident or illness (e.g. the outbreak of any infectious of Notifiable Disease) of a Child in Need, the following people must be notified:

• The child’s social worker and his/her Line Manager;
• If the Child is Looked After, the Manager of the home and his/her Line Manager;
• The Service Manager

The Service Manager will decide what actions to take e.g.

• Notify the Director of Children’s Services, who will decide whether the Chairman of Children and Families Committee needs to be informed.
• Obtain advice from Legal Services;
• Notify/consult the Insurance Section of the Finance Department;
• Notify/consult the Press Office e.g. if the nature of the death is such that it might warrant public attention
• Following advice from the Press Office and Legal Services, inform/consult the parents and siblings/relatives;
• Notify/consult the child’s school and other agencies/professionals known to the child;
• In consultation with the parent(s)/carers, make arrangements for the funeral (in the event of sudden, unexplained deaths arrangements for the funeral may need to be delayed);
• Agree any necessary expenditure including reasonable travel expenses to assist the family in attending the funeral where it appears there is financial hardship;
• Whether a Serious Case Review is required (See London Child Protection Procedures); or whether it is necessary to conduct a Management Review;
• In the event of a serious case review, the Service Manager must make arrangements for the child's file to be secured and sealed.
• If the Child has been living in a Children’s Home or Foster Care, report the death to the Regulatory Authority. The report should be written under the headings listed below.
• The Health and Safety Executive Incident Contact Centre & Health Authority

The matters that should be included in the report to the Regulatory Authority are:

1. The name of the Local Authority
2. Child’s Name
3. Date of Birth
4. Date of Death
5. Child’s Legal Status
6. Type of Placement (if residential, the name and type of Children’s Home should be included)
7. Address of Placement
8. Cause of Death as on Death Certificate
9. Dates, if any, when child was subject to a Child Protection Plan
10. The date and findings of the Inquest and any criminal proceedings initiated. It may be necessary to notify these details at a later date
11. Brief details of the case including care history, and action being taken including funeral arrangements. Please indicate if parents have been notified of the death and the support being made available to them

End