Response to an Unexpected Death of a Care Leaver

1. Introduction

Being a Care Leaver is a protected characteristic in Sussex. This protected status provides organisations with greater authority to put in place policies and programmes to promote better outcomes for care experienced young people.

The Sussex Safeguarding Children Partnerships operate under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Children and Social Work Act 2017, Children’s Act 1989 legislation, Working Together Guidance 2023 and notification of care leaver death.

This guidance is aligned to the legal definition of “Former Relevant Children” termed care leavers:

Former Relevant Children are aged between 18 and 21 or between 18 and 25 if still in full-time education. Were previously an eligible child and/or a relevant child, who are entitled to: a Personal Advisor, a Pathway Plan, kept under regular review, assistance with employment, education and training, assistance with accommodation, help with living costs. Or any qualifying care leaver currently receiving support from the Care Leavers Service.

Care leavers are a priority group as part of the national suicide prevention strategy on children and young people. A study by Rodway et al, Children and young people who die by suicide: childhood-related antecedents, gender differences and service contact (Rodway et al, 2020), indicated that 8% of deaths of young people under 20 had experience of the care system. The national strategy reports that people with experience of the care system have been found to be four to five times more likely to attempt suicide in adulthood than their peers, and that bereavement (including by suicide) is a risk factor for suicide.

This policy aims to put in place additional support to improve outcomes for care experienced young people, to increase support for those affected including access to bereavement support. This policy works alongside national guidance regarding care leavers death notification (see Working Together to Safeguard Children, Department for Education). Details of the guidance as follows:

The local authority should also notify the Secretary of State for Education and Ofsted of the death of a care leaver up to and including the age of 24. This should be notified via the Child Safeguarding Online Notification System. The death of a care leaver does not require a rapid review or local child safeguarding practice review. However, safeguarding partners must consider whether the criteria for a serious incident has been met and respond accordingly, in the event the deceased care leaver was under the age of 18. If local partners think that learning can be gained from the death of a looked after child or care leaver in circumstances where those criteria do not apply, they may wish to undertake a local child safeguarding practice review.

There are well established national and local statutory Child Death Review procedures in place for responding to suspected suicides by children. However, given the impact of a suspected suicide on the emotional and mental health of others, including increased risk of subsequent suicide, there are a number of additional actions necessary to reduce risk. It is important to stress that the procedures below should be referred in addition to, and not in any way replace, those outlined in Sussex Child Death Review Practice Guidance Multi-Agency Guidance for Responding and Reviewing Child Deaths – Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures Resource.

This procedure should be initiated when there is an unexpected death of a Former Relevant care leaver or other qualifying care leaver currently accessing support from the Care Leaver Service (including all those who are care experienced) aged 18 up to 25 (18-24 inclusive). This includes response to a suspected suicide.

2. Multi-Agency Response Group

Formal notification of an unexpected death is communicated to Head of Service for Care Leavers, Head of Safeguarding and Service Manager for Care Leavers who will notify practitioners involved.

Following notification of the unexpected death, a multi-agency information sharing meeting will be held within 72 hours chair by Head of Service / Safeguarding.

The multi-agency response group has the aim of:

• assessing any safeguarding risks;
• the rapid mitigation of any additional risks;
• identifying those affected by the death;
• ensuring appropriate support is offered to those affected by the death;
• to identify any possible links to other unexpected deaths, including those from completed or suspected suicide;
• consideration to further multi-agency meetings to continue to review any ongoing support needs for those affected by the death.

The Head of Safeguarding will complete a Serious Incident Notification to the National Safeguarding Panel within five days of the incident.

Frequency of the meeting – the group should meet as required until there is an agreed decision to step down the response.

It is recognised that in the first few days and weeks, the situation and response may evolve rapidly, and new information may come to light. Response and timely communication between partners will be essential.

3. Membership of the Multi-Agency Response Group

Membership of the group should include, but not limited to:

• Head of Service Leaving Care or CYPL Safeguarding (Chair) or designate;
• Police representative;
• Adult Social Care;
• Public health consultant, WSCC;
• Designated Nurse for Children in Care and Care Leavers;
• Head of Safeguarding NHS Sussex;
• Local authority communications lead;
• Mental health trust lead (suicide prevention, care leaver and safeguarding leads);
• GP;
• Coroner.

Additional membership may be required dependent on the circumstances of the death, such as placement provider college / university.

It is important to recognise that not all members of the multi-agency response group work in safeguarding day to day, e.g. accommodation provider. Therefore, there needs to be careful consideration about the level of detail shared about the death.

Staff should be proactive in sharing information as early as possible to help identify, assess and respond to risks or concerns about the safety and welfare of young care leavers and young people affected.

4. If there is a Suspected Suicide

If suicide is suspected, the multi-agency response group should oversee actions in the following areas:

• cluster identification
• identification, assessment and support of vulnerable / at-risk individuals;
• bereavement and specialist support;
• online activity and social media;
• family support;
• next of Kin, important people, peer support particularly peer care leavers;
• support to school, college, education institution and or employer;
• community support;
• staff support;
• communications;
• events;
• environmental modifications;
• letters / gifts;
• crossing geographical and operational boundaries;
• closure / step-down.

Follow the principles for Responding to a Potential Cluster of Suicides for Children and Young People aged under 18 – Sussex Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures Resource.