Making the most of mandatory case reviews: An examination of serious injury and death reviews for youth receiving intervention services in Alberta

Case Reviews for injuries and deaths of youth receiving protection services are supposed to increase accountability and improve circumstances for children and youth. However, the form that reviews take and the associated recommendations can contribute to a blame culture that undermines public trust and negatively impacts decisions made by protection workers. Balancing accountability with a focus on learning can increase the positive gains from case reviews and allow reviews to highlight effective case work that can provide context to perceived failures of child protection services. This paper examines the impact of increased case review requirements in Alberta, Canada and considers policy options for future development. Mandatory reviews in Alberta can increase opportunities to learn from tragedies. A searchable database of findings gained from case reviews could increase the value of Alberta’s existing focus on industry learning, by making information more accessible to case workers and clinicians.