Representative’s Report – Update #14 – Critical Injuries and Deaths: Reviews and Investigations

March 14, 2012

RCY’s review of critical injuries or deaths from Oct. 1, 2011-Jan. 31, 2012.

Purpose

The purpose of the Representative for Children and Youth’s reviews and investigations of child deaths and critical injuries is to identify and thoughtfully analyze issues – particularly in service delivery. The intent is to help prevent similar deaths or injuries in the future, and to inform improvements to services. Independently reviewing, investigating and reporting out on these deaths and critical injuries are essential elements of public accountability and promoting public confidence in the child serving systems. These reviews and investigations are done in a timely, fair, respectful and thorough manner.Reporting Period: October 1, 2011 – January 31, 2012

During this reporting period 123 critical injuries and 39 deaths of B.C. children and youth who were in care or receiving reviewable services within the previous year were reported to the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth (RCY).

These have all had an initial screening by the Representative and staff to determine whether the injury or death meets the criteria for an RCY Review (defined on page 6). A summary of these initial screenings is on the following pages.

The Representative released a Special Report, Reporting of Critical Injuries and Deaths to the Representative for Children and Youth, on Dec. 6, 2010. The report was issued as a result of an ongoing and growing concern that the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) was not reporting all of the critical injuries to the Representative that should have been as outlined in the Representative for Children and Youth (RCY) Act. The Representative recommended that MCFD develop and implement a Critical Injury and Death Notification Policy that would ensure the practice of reporting injuries and deaths is consistent, timely and effective and that the policy be finalized, communicated to all MCFD staff, delegated Aboriginal agencies, and service provider partners or public bodies, and be fully implemented by Mar. 1, 2011.

At present, MCFD has adopted an interim measure to better meet reporting requirements. Although that policy has not yet been finalized, since March 2011 MCFD has been complying by reporting critical injuries in a number of areas that were not historically reported to the Representative when they should have been. The number of critical injuries reported each month is approximately three times more than before this
change.

To view this report, click here.