Reviews / 2011
The Munro Review of Child Protection
Professor Eileen Munro · work from 2010 · published 2011
What this was
Review of child protection after a decade of procedural reform. It argued that the system had become too focused on compliance and not enough on whether children were safer.
Why it sits in the hub
It is the clearest statement that more guidance is not the same as more safety. Kirkup made a similar argument about maternity recommendations in 2022, and Dash made it about the patient-safety landscape in 2025.
Findings
Finding 1
Rules and recording had grown to the point that they crowded out time with families.
Recommendations in this hub
Paraphrase of the public recommendations, not the official text.
- 1Partly doneGovernment and local authorities
Judge the system by whether children are safer, not by whether process was followed.
- 2Partly doneLocal safeguarding services
Restore professional judgement and skilled supervision.