Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance is given to her Department’s staff on the (a) circumstances in which incidents of death and serious harm should be referred to be considered for an internal process review and (b) process for making a referral of that kind.

The Department commissions Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) in response to a range of circumstances or events. The IPR process involves bringing together a range of relevant subject matter experts to make recommendations at either local or national level.

The Department has created an IPR Focal Point to provide advice and assist colleagues when making a referral. A specific IPR electronic referral form is available to all colleagues and when completed is sent direct to the IPR team. The referral form prompts the colleague for the claimant’s details together with the reason for referral.

The criteria for conducting an IPR is as follows:

o a customer has suffered serious harm, has died (including by suicide), or where we have reason to believe there has been an attempted suicide.

o AND there is a suggestion or allegation the Department’s actions or omissions may have negatively contributed to the customer’s circumstances.

o OR the Department is asked to participate in a local authority-led Safeguarding Adults Board or is named as an Interested Party at an Inquest (regardless of whether there is an allegation against the Department).