Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department provides to agencies and professionals outside of the Department of Work and Pensions 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.

Internal Process Reviews (IPRs) are internal retrospective investigations, focussed on organisational learning – they are not published or shared externally. When deciding whether to undertake an IPR, we look at the information available to us and consider it against the criteria outlined below such as Safeguarding Adults Boards or inquests. Information pertinent to commencing an IPR can arise internally, from an external agency or professional, or from the claimant themselves or their family. Whilst there is no formal route for external agencies to recommend that we undertake an IPR, we continuously engage with these stakeholders (on a local and organisational level) and remain alert to individual cases that would merit investigation.

IPRs are conducted in all cases where:

• a customer has suffered serious harm, has died (including by suicide), or where we have reason to believe there has been an attempted suicide
• AND there is a suggestion or allegation that the Department’s actions or omissions may have negatively contributed to the customer’s circumstances.
• OR the Department is asked to participate in a local authority-led Safeguarding Adults Board or is named as an Interested Person at an Inquest (regardless of whether there is an allegation against the Department).