The Munro Review
From Key Messages to Local Implementation
Marion Davis
SSCB Conference
27.03.2012
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The Munro Review of Child Protection : Final Report.
A child-centred system
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Context :
• Review commissioned by Secretary of State in June
2012 - very early in life of coalition government
• Strong follow on to Social Work Task Force/ Reform
Board
• Access to Laming reports and documents
• Link to other reviews (Allen, Tickell, Field and Family
Justice Review)
• NOT in response to a child death
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Structure of the Review
8 Sub Groups
• Early Help
• Rules & Guidance
• Children & Young People
• Courts
• ICT
• Learning from Practice
• Media & Public Confidence
• Performance & Inspection
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Munro Review
3 reports :
Part 1 “A Systems Analysis” (Oct. ‘10)
Part 2 “The Childs Journey” (Feb. ‘11)
Final Report “A Child-Centred System” (May ‘11)
15 recommendations
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Drivers of the system in recent years :
The child protection system in recent times has been shaped by four
key driving forces:
• the importance of the safety and welfare of children and young people
• a belief held by many that uncertainty in child protection work can be
eradicated
• A tendency in inquiries to focus on professional error and a tendency to
blame, without examining the causes of any error
• the undue weight given to performance information and targets
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Remember……..
• The child protection system in England has good multi- agency
working to protect and help children
• By international comparisons England has a low level of child
deaths attributable to abuse and neglect.
• There is substantial research and knowledge about effective
interventions, and a growing use of the evidence base by
practitioners.
….. you just wouldn’t know that from the media.
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Key Messages :
• Children and young people not sufficiently seen and heard
• Continuity of relationships not valued highly enough
• Bureaucratic processes drive and dominate professional practice
• Over-use of central prescription to improve practice, and cumulative effect is
negative
• The system is weighted towards responding to serious abuse and neglect with
insufficient preventative, early help
• There is a vital role for universal services in the provision of early help – it is a
shared responsibility for all those working with children, young people and families
in local areas
• Some of the best places are innovating despite the rigidity around them. There is
good practice to be learned from them.
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Themed Recommendations
• Valuing Professional Expertise (Recs 1, 2, 3 and 4)
• Sharing responsibility for the provision of early years help
(Recs 8, 10 and 13)
• Developing social work expertise and supporting effective
practice (Recs 11, 12, 14 and 15)
• Strengthening accountabilities and creating a learning system
(Recs 5, 6, 7 and 9)
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No cherry picking!
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If this review was fully implemented,
what would it look like?
• A system that learns whether children are being helped, and how
they have experienced the help, innovating in response to feedback
• A system free from unnecessary central prescription over
professional practice but with clear rules about where and how to
co-ordinate action to protect children and young people
• A system where professional practice is informed by research and
evidence, competent judgement informing action when the work is
too varied for rules
• A system that expects and recognises errors and so tries to catch
them quickly
• A system that is ‘risk sensible’
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The Government’s Initial Response (Jul. ‘11)
• DfE welcomed Professor Munro’s thorough analysis.
• Response was to be phased and implemented with the sector.
• Ministers established an implementation working group drawing together
key individuals from the social work profession, local government, health,
police, education and the voluntary sector.
• 9 recommendations were accepted (Recs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14)
• 5 recommendations were accepted in principle (Recs 6, 7, 8, 10, 15)
• 1 recommendation needed to be considered further (Rec 9)
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Then what happened?
• “Working Together” review (began Sep. ‘11)
• Implementation Group convened and continues
• Revision of statutory guidance on role of DCS and Lead
Member
• Revision of Ofsted inspection framework produced, consulted
on for implementation May ‘12 (Role of other inspectorates
being considered.)
• Ofsted evaluation of SCRs “streamlined”
• Pilots of revised SCR methodologies being undertaken
• Work of 8 LAs trialling more flexible approaches to
assessment extended
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• National e-CAF decommissioned
Then what happened? (continued…)
• A new statutory duty to deliver early help has been deemed
unnecessary (existing legislation to be clarified)
• Children’s safeguarding national performance information
dataset produced for consultation (Jan. – Apr. ‘12) and local
performance information has been developed
• Workforce reform issues in respect of child and family social
work are being picked up by CWDC/SWRB and TCSW
• Discussions have taken place with groups of LSCB chairs
regarding strengthening of their role
• “Safeguarding Children in the Reformed NHS” published and
draft accountabilities framework being consulted on.
A summary of progress was given to the House of Commons by
Tim Loughton on 13.12.11
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Next Steps
• Eileen Munro has been asked by DfE to report on progress
one year on (May ‘12)
• Sector-led improvement (nationally through the Children’s
Improvement Board and locally through regional
arrangements) is available to support LAs in learning and
developing their approach to safeguarding in the light of
Munro
• Individual LAs/LSCBs/regional groups are starting to
implement parts of the Munro Review (but in some areas
there is still a “wait and see” response)
• What is needed to deliver the system change and culture shift
required by the Review?
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Local Implementation of Munro
• Evidence is being gathered of excellent examples of
implementation
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Early help
Social work reform and practice developments
Front door responses
Engagement of universal services
Listening to children and families
• West Midlands regional conference has been held and
collaboration between LAs agreed
• LSCBs are considering their strengthened role and their links
to Health and Well-Being Boards and Children’s Trusts
• Implementation is taking place in a challenging context –
budgetary, workload, agency changes.
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Questions for SSCB
• Are you monitoring your progress in response to Munro?
• Is implementation happening as a whole systems approach
(or might there be “cherry picking”)?
• Are front-line workers, particularly social workers perceiving
changes?
• How are children, young people and families involved in
change – does it feel like the focus is on the child’s journey?
• How is the leadership challenge of developing a “Munro
appropriate” culture across the whole system being taken
forward?
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