Summary and Download of the Final Munro Report

Final Report of the Munro Review: 'child protection work must be freed from box-ticking'

The Final Report of the Munro Review of Child Protection makes 15 key recommendation that Eileen Munroe believes will ?help shift the child protection system from being over-bureaucratised and concerned with compliance to one that keeps a focus on whether children are being effectively helped and protected?.

She also wrote that although ?This move from compliance to a learning culture will require those working in child protection to be given more scope to exercise professional judgment in deciding how best to help children and their families?. She is confident the considerable interest in the review shows that ?there are many people working in the sector who are capable and eager to take on this responsibility?.

The review's final report key finding are:

• Local authorities should be given greater freedom to develop their own approaches to handling case work, rather than being bound by statutory guidance.
• Councils should develop ways of keeping experienced senior social workers in front line work so they can better supervise junior practitioners.
• The excessive burden of inspection on child protection departments should be lifted, and the inspectorate, Ofsted, should not evaluate serious case reviews into child deaths.

it was also recommended that the social work profession be more open and transparent in talking about the pressures and dilemmas faced by safe-guarders, particularly at times of crisis, such as the Baby P case.