Learning from every child death, preventing future loss and supporting families

The Association of Child Death Review Professionals (ACDRP) is an independent, multi-agency network of child death review professionals, supported by NHS England.

The objectives for the group are:

To influence national guidance by providing a central point through which CDR professionals can make representations and recommendations to national bodies and professionals Eg. Department for Education, NHS England, Department of Health and Social Care, UK Health Security Agency and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, police, coroners, medical examiners, Local Government Association, academic institutions and professional bodies such as RCPCH, RCM, RCOG, RCGPs, NNDHP, HVA etc.
To develop a network of expertise on child death review processes, including the joint agency response to unexpected deaths, hospital child mortality review and Child Death Overview Panels.
To support the development of national professional standards for effective reviews of child deaths.
To establish training opportunities for CDR professionals and continuous professional development for those involved in the CDR process.

The aims for the ACDRP are:

Raising the standards and consistency of CDR processes across the country.
Providing support and guidance for child death review professionals. This will include sharing tools / frameworks of good practice e.g. self-assessment framework; Memorandum of Understanding; Risk Register etc.
Working in partnership with other agencies, organisations and networks to advocate changes to policy affecting potential deaths in children

Click to view the full list of Executive Committee Member June 2022

Click to view the ACDRP Articles of Association – DRAFT

If you are a professional working within child death review please follow this link to join the ACDRP NHS futures webpage. CLICK HERE

If you would like to become a member of ACDRP and you are a professional/volunteer working in child death review or have done so in the last 5 year, please complete the ACDRP MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

NEWS

ACDRP Annual Conference 2026

We’re excited to announce that the 2026 ACDRP Annual Conference will be taking place on Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th November 2026 at Kings House Conference Centre, Manchester

This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with insightful sessions, engaging speakers, and meaningful opportunities to connect. While we’re still finalising the agenda, we encourage you to save the date and get ready for two days of collaboration and education.

Visit our event page to find out more and register ACDRP CONFERENCE 2026

To pay by invoice, please register here

ACDRP Finance Information

Speaker Biographies

The Association Of Child Death Review Professionals Annual Conference

The ACDRP committee were delighted to see over 200 professionals from multi agency join them for one or both days of their two day conference on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st November 2025 at Millennium Point, Birmingham.

The conference provided a variety of workshops and keynote talks covering aspects of Joint Agency Response, SUDIC, Child Death Overview Panels and Child Death Review meetings.

Keynote Speakers:

Joint working – Coroner’s and CDR Team working together – Mr Simon Danvers, Bereaved Parent, Sarah Ashburn, Designated Nurse Safeguarding Children (Lead for Child Death)/CONI Co-ordinator, NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board
The Role of a Coroner’s Investigation alongside the Child Death Review – Emma Brown, Area Coroner, Louise Hunt, Senior Coroner, Birmingham & Solihull
Role of the Joint Agency Response in Deaths from Childhood Trauma – Joined up Care Derbyshire
Nic Medd, Designated Doctor, Derby & Derbyshire, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS FT & DCI Claudia Musson, Major Crime, East Midlands Special Operations Unit & DCI Joshua Parker, Derbyshire Police, Kayleigh McMahon, Lead Nurse Child Death Reviews, Derby & Derbyshire ICB
Child Death Research Project Update – Jo Garstang, Chair, ACDRP
Understanding complex grief after SUDI – Anne-Sophie Darlington, Professor of Child and Family Psychological Health Deputy Head of School Research & Katherine Hunt, University of Southampton

‘Do We Really Listen to Families and Implement Change’ – Donna Ockenden, Nurse, Midwife and Independent Review Chair
NCMD data on Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Children over one year; Are children whose deaths are unexplained different from those whose deaths are fully explained? – Peter Fleming, Emeritus Professor of Infant Health and Developmental Physiology, and Honorary Consultant Paediatrician, Centre for Academic Child health, University of Bristol
‘10 things that can make all the difference’ Parent’s perspective on bereavement care – Samantha Cowley, Parent
Learning from child deaths without causing harm – Jonathan Cusack, Consultant Neonatologist, Clinical Director for Women’s & Children’s, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Workshops include:
‘Bella’s story’ – Neonatal HSV and working with parents to prevent future harm
A Police Perspective of Investigating Apparent Suicide in Children
Learning for patient safety & improving care – mortality review based
Improving Practice: Strengthening Reviews to Prevent Premature Deaths in Children with Complex Needs and Learning Disabilities
Pathology & Clinical Correlation
A Seamless Pathway of Care: How a children’s hospice works with child death review teams to support families after SUDI and SUDIC (an award-winning model)
Deprivation & ethnicity – understanding cultural differences & risks involved / learning from migrant experiences of accessing care/how to advocate for better outcomes for migrant families & children
Supporting family involvement with the Child Death Review Process
NCMD thematic report on Life Limiting Conditions
Complex issues that the Coroners Service faces when dealing with Child death cases
Understanding how parents interpret safer sleep advice
Investigation of infant deaths that may be due to accidental suffocation or overlay; police, pathology and paediatric perspectives

If you attended the conference and would like to revisit slides please visit the NHS futures page for to access slides we have been permitted to share.