Pan‑Cheshire Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP)
The Pan‑Cheshire Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) has been established by the Child Death Review (CDR) Partners for Cheshire, which comprise Warrington, Halton, Cheshire East and Cheshire West & Chester Councils, together with NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB).
The Pan‑Cheshire CDOP reviews the deaths of children under the age of 18 in accordance with the requirements of the Children Act 2004 and Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026).
What is the purpose of the Child Death Review Process (CDRP)?
The purpose of the Child Death Review Process is to collect information about the deaths of all children in the area so that the Child Death Overview Panel can:
- Document, analyse and review information in relation to each child who dies in order to confirm the cause of death, identify any contributing or modifiable factors, and determine learning that may help prevent future child deaths
- Make recommendations to relevant organisations where actions are identified that may prevent future deaths or promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children
- Contribute to local, regional and national initiatives to improve learning from child death reviews
What is the Child Death Overview Panel?
The Child Death Overview Panel (CDOP) is a multi‑agency panel responsible for reviewing information on all child deaths (up to the age of 18) across the Pan‑Cheshire area.
Who is on the Child Death Overview Panel?
The Panel is chaired by an Independent Chair and includes representatives from:
- Local Authority Children’s Services and Education
- Child Health Services, including paediatrics, nursing, general practitioners and midwifery
- Police
- Public Health
The Panel may, where necessary, co‑opt specialist or professional experts to support information gathering and analysis.
How do the reviews happen?
The Child Death Overview Panel meets six times a year.
All information presented to the Panel is anonymised, handled confidentially, and treated with sensitivity and respect.
How are parents and family members involved in the CDRP?
Following the death of a child, parents and carers are sent a letter along with an NHS England Child Death Review information booklet. These explain the Child Death Review Process and how parents and carers can share their views and contribute if they wish.
How does the Panel report its findings?
The Child Death Overview Panel produces an annual report which is submitted to the relevant Health and Wellbeing Boards across the Pan‑Cheshire area.
All reports are based on aggregated data only and do not include any personal or identifiable case information.
Statutory Framework
The statutory framework underpinning this work is set out in Chapter 5 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (2026).