Bury Safeguarding Children Partnership are seeking an independent reviewer to undertake a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR).

Child A25 lived in their home address with parents and seven children in total.  A25 is the youngest of the children, and at the time of this Review all others are now adults. Concerns around A25’s mental health and suicidal ideation escalated, alongside a disclosure that she had been sexually abused by her siblings during her childhood. There is significant history of CSA within the family and the concern is that A25 has suffered serious harm in the form of sexual abuse on multiple occasions over a number of years. This abuse as occurred whilst support was ongoing for the family by statutory services including Child Protection Planning under the category of Child Sexual Abuse in relation to concerns relating to both her father and a sibling. One of her siblings was convicted of rape and serious sexual offences against her other siblings and later disclosed sexual activity with both perpetrators of A25s abuse. Despite these concerns, no sustained attempts appeared to have been made to remove any children from the family home for significant periods of time within CP planning, and it is clear that the experience of CSA has had a significant impact on A25’s mental health leading to suicidal ideation, self-harm and suicide attempts during 2025.  In addition, A25 also reported misuse of alcohol to help cope with her experiences. At the time of the referral, A25 was suffering with significant mental health difficulties that she had been found with suicidal ideation and required detention under the Mental Health Act.  At the time of the Rapid Review meeting A25 detained in a secure Mental Health facility under s.3 MHA.

Key themes:

• Equity, Equality, Diversity and inclusion considerations, spotlighting intersectionality (family background, dynamics and demographics)
• Similar thematics on two previous reviews for intrafamilial sexual abuse
• Lack of holistic risk assessment and planning relating to all children potentially at-risk following information pertaining to intra-familial sexual abuse.
• Lack of inclusion of previous risk indicators in subsequent Child Protection planning.
• Lack of consideration/understanding regarding the impact of older sibling offending on younger children within the household.
• Potentially erroneous application of criminal burden of proof to safeguarding opportunities and risk management planning
• Lack of professional challenge or escalation when interventions were closed both without any measurable improvement for the children in the family and following parental refusal to engage.
• Potential cultural difficulties in terms of non-engagement with mainstream public services by family in favour of reliance on faith-based groups, and lack of professional awareness to challenge this if appropriate.
• Potential information sharing difficulties between faith-based groups and schools with mainstream public services.