Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) - Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton

What is the Child Death Overview Panel?

The death of a child is a devastating loss that profoundly affects bereaved parents/carers as well as siblings, grandparents, extended family, friends, and professionals who were involved in caring for the child in any capacity. CDOP has the responsibility for reviewing the deaths of all live-born children up to their 18th birthday whether they were expected or unexpected. The CDOP panel operates within the Child Death Review Statutory and Operational Guidance (HM Government 2018).

CDOP is an information gathering service which all services, when requested have a Statutory obligation to feed into. In practice, CDOP conducts the independent multi agency scrutiny on behalf of the local child death review partners, responsible for ensuring that a review of the death takes place. 

The over-riding purpose of reviewing all child deaths is to reduce the risk of future deaths or harm to children, with a view to reducing child deaths across Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton footprint. 

What we do?

The team undertake multiple workstreams to support partnership working and system wide CDOP responsibilities.

• We work with multiple professionals on a day to day basis including Public Health, Primary Care, Acute and Community Trusts including Maternity, Nursing, Medical and Therapy teams
• CDOP holds a themed panel once a month aiming to review 6 - 8 cases per meeting. The current themed panels consist of Joint Agency Response (for unexpected deaths), Life Limiting, Neonatal and Previable
• CDOP review and analyse to identify any matters relating to the death, or deaths, that are relevant to the welfare of children in the area or to public health and safety, and to consider whether action should be taken in relation to any matters identified
• Collect and collate information about each child death, seeking relevant information from professionals. To ensure all cases are heard at CDOP within an appropriate timeframe
• Make recommendations to all relevant organisations where actions have been identified which may prevent future child deaths or promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children
• Work with eCDOP and the National Child Mortality Database to provide accurate clear data
• Attend (JAR) Joint Agency Response meetings, to ensure a quick response following an unexpected death, making immediate enquires into the circumstances of the death
• Participate in relevant internal and external working groups/projects, services and initiatives to provide project, information and analytical advice and expertise

Contact us:

• 07795126305
• hiowicb-hsi.hips.cdop@nhs.net

Sian Motyer – CDOP Manager & Interim Deputy Designate Nurse Safeguarding Children 
Olivia Richardson – CDOP Coordinator