Policy Briefing #19: |
(1st April 2011) |
Useful Links: The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths has added to its website new guidance in respect of Looked After children. It follows a Serious Case Review in Stoke-upon-Trent following the death of a young child who was found, aged three months, face-down on a sofa unconscious and not breathing, having been co-sleeping with the carer. The child died a few months later. At the time, the child was known to Children's Social Care and was being cared for by a substitute carer within the family. The Serious Case Review found that the baby was at a heightened risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the risk indicators being alcohol, deprivation among parents, smoking, young parents and co-sleeping. One of the Overview Report's Recommendations was that the Local Safeguarding Children Board considers how it can mitigate the risks of SIDS and co-sleeping in work with parents/carers who are least likely to heed professional advice and guidance, in particular where there are concerns about alcohol and drug use. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths say that the case has highlighted the fact that substitute carers of infants, such as foster carers, are not necessarily given the information on co-sleeping which is routinely given to birth parents. The Foundation stresses that this is not just an issue for health professionals, but for all agencies and especially for social workers, who may well be working with these higher-risk families – and their guidance has been produced for this purpose. |
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