As I watched Martin Reeves responding to the independent report in respect of Daniel Pelka, I could not help thinking that once again a tragedy – which has national significance – has resulted in a review that will have many lessons.

But, will we end up in the same place again in the future?  In such times it is natural to look at the failures of the systems and try to identify how the tragedy could have been prevented.

It is also easy to become focused on an outcome of a report which produces an action plan relying on systems, procedures and documentation, rather than promoting behaviour change within agencies, building trust and empowering staff.

It remains a constant fact that through our services we are often the eyes and ears of the community as the only agency to have regular access, contact and interaction with family groups.

The significance we have is sometimes not recognised and it frustrates me that we can become silo-led or challenged to work within a multi-agency environment built around rigid systems, working within professional views, processes and procedures.

I often draw upon my previous experience.  This resulted in encouraging a colleague to follow their instinct when they rang me at home on a Friday evening, concerned that they thought they had seen a child in danger, but unable to get support from another agency because the office day was over!

We immediately involved the police and as a result, a child was taken to hospital and the parents were taken into custody.  My colleague's job was a benefit fraud investigator and it could have been argued that they were working outside the confines of their role.

However, by being brave and not being put off by the systems, they prevented a possible tragedy from happening.

The services of housing, leisure, refuse collection and benefits provide a meaningful insight into people's lives and we are now seeing how these services can support and inform the work of the troubled families' agenda.

If we are focused on the community we are trying to protect, there is an opportunity to work together and promote all agencies to share intelligence and take action, to observe, act and review, where necessary.

We have to raise the bar of trust and empowerment for our front-line staff to act, rather than promoting a culture of seeking permission before taking action.

Allen Graham is chief executive of Rushcliffe BC