Child Death Overview Panel

Overview

Child deaths are tragic, and thankfully uncommon, and it is important that we take the opportunity to learn from these devastating events. Comprehensive reviews of child deaths undertaken by the Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) serve an invaluable public health function. They investigate what happened and why and identify common trends or themes to help inform and improve the quality of health and social care. This in turn links to multi agency child safeguarding and promotes child welfare, ultimately with the aim of preventing future child deaths.

The CDOPs were historically managed under the four Local Children’s Safeguarding Partnerships (LCSPs) and they now work together under one CDOP covering all of Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, the HIPS CDOP. This is an equal partnership for the mutual benefit of all children and young people involved and provides an oversight and assurance of the whole Child Death Review (CDR) processes in accordance with the National Child Death Review Statutory and Operational Guidance 2018 and Local CDR policies.

Further information