County Durham Practice Framework: Single Assessment Procedure & Practice Guidance

County Durham Practice Framework: Single Assessment Procedure & Practice Guidance April 2014

Contents Page No 1.0 Introduction 1 2.0 The 0-19 Integrated Children s Services Pathway 3 3.0 The Single Assessment Framework - Early Help 6 4, The Single Assessment Framework - Procedures 6 5.0 The Swift Provision of Early Help 9 6.0 Assessment Under S17 The Children Act 1989/Assessment of Families - Step 4/5 on the Durham Staircase. 7.0 Children who may be Suffering or Likely to Suffer Significant Harm. 11 13 8.0 Criteria for Looked After and Permanence Team (16+) 14 9.0 Criteria for Children with a Disability and Families Team 14 10. Criteria for Internal Transfer Between Social Work Teams 15 Appendix 1: Levels of Need 16 Appendix 2: The Single Assessment 33 Appendix 3: Flowchart 1 - Single Assessment Procedure 43 Appendix 4: Flowchart 2 Escalation to Step 4/5 44 Appendix 5: Flowchart 3 - De-escalation from Step 4/5 45 Appendix 6: Guide for Professionals On Information Sharing 46 Appendix 7: Team Around the Family: Record of Meeting & Care Plan (For use at Steps 2 & 3) 53 Appendix 8: Care Plan (for use at Steps 4 & 5) 58 Glossary 64

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Safeguarding and early help is everybody s business. Making sure children and families are given extra help and support at the earliest opportunity when they need it is vital. 1.2 The County Durham Practice Framework: Single Assessment Procedure & Practice Guidance (hereafter referred to as The Single Assessment Framework ) has been developed in response to the Munro report and recommendations, current research and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013. This paper will guide workers through a single approach to assessment, planning and review from Early Help through to children in need care planning. 1.3 These procedures replace the former Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and Children in Need (CIN) processes into a Single Assessment process and procedure. The objective is to support the delivery of seamless services to children and their families throughout the continuum of need from early help provision to specialist services and back again when needs have been met. All practitioners working with children and families will be required to work within these procedures when identifying need to ensure needs are addressed and appropriate interventions put in place at the earliest possible opportunity. 1.4 The welfare of the child is paramount and the Local Authority has a statutory duty under the Children Acts of 1989 and 2004 to promote and safeguard the welfare of children in need and their families. The Children Act 1989 defines Children in Need as those children: Who are unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development; or Whose health or development is likely to be significantly impaired without the provision of services. 1.5 The new Practice Framework has been written to ensure the Local Authority delivers its statutory responsibilities whilst at the same time supporting the delivery of the requirements set out in the Early Help Strategy, as follows:- Strengthen joint working and offer a consistent approach to Early Help. Actively identify needs at the earliest possible opportunity and offer practical hands on support to our children, young people and families. Offer help that we know works, ensuring we offer high quality services improving outcomes and reducing costs. Have effective governance and accountability and information sharing that does not put up barriers to supporting children, young people and their families. 1

Develop a seamless, and efficient integrated pathway of services and proportionate single assessment to ensure there will be no wrong door in Durham and families receive the right help at the right time by the right service. 1.6 Early Help must include the concept of building resilience in children and families so that they are able to meet their own needs, are not reliant on services, and are able to sustain positive outcomes. Help must include reinforcing a child and family s own skills and strengths and empowering them to find their own long term solutions. The new practice framework puts the child at the heart of a whole family approach and emphasises strengths based and solution focused principles. 1.7 Early Help also involves all staff adopting a Think Family ethos at all levels of support and intervention and in all services. It means harnessing community resources as this will help to break cycles of dependency and improve outcomes in the long term for families as well as ultimately reducing costs 1.8 Underpinning these procedures are the following: Working Together to Safeguard Children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. March 2013 Durham County Early Help Strategy for Families Durham Stronger Families Programme Regional Assessment Framework Munro review of Child Protection 8 Golden Rules for Information Sharing Durham County Council Early Years Strategy Durham County Council Youth Support Strategy SEND Strategy 1.9 In addition to the above, this Single Assessment Procedure embraces fully the County Durham Think Family Strategy 2011, the purpose of which is:- to ensure that both parents and children are able to get the support they need, at the right time, to help their children achieve good outcomes. It means making sure that families receive integrated, co-ordinated, multiagency, solution focused support. By identifying problems early, all services can work closely together to help prevent a family s needs escalating and requiring more intensive intervention. 1.10 This document outlines the procedures for accessing services for children and families in County Durham whose needs cannot be met by universal services alone. It is underpinned by the philosophy and legislative Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need. It operates the within the statutory framework and in accordance with the principles established by the Children Act 1989 and the Children Act 2004. 1.11 These procedures support the early identification of need, the offer of early help to address those needs, and the provision of seamless services and support throughout. Through the single assessment, they emphasise the use of the Team Around the Family at all steps on the Durham Staircase and Continuum of Needs Model (see page 4) 2

1.12 Durham s Ambitions for Early Help are that:- Early help is everyone s business Support will be seamless for families We will offer help that we know works 1.13 The New Practice Framework that underpins the Single Assessment is based on the following principles: the welfare, safety and protection of the child is paramount; timely intervention; clear explicit objectives and targets that the family members understand; authoritative and assertive approaches; multi-agency approaches; the needs of adults will be addressed whilst at the same time focussing on outcomes and welfare of the child; all professionals must be ever mindful of risk. 2.0 THE 0-19 INTEGRATED CHILDREN S SERVICES PATHWAY 2.1 The Children and Families Partnership in County Durham is committed to achieving clear and seamless integrated services that will respond effectively to the needs of children, young people and their families. The 0-19 Children s Integrated Services Pathway ( the Pathway ) from pre-birth to the age of 19 years has been developed to acknowledge the importance of early intervention and prevention in delivering better outcomes for children, young people and their families. The Pathway document can be found here: http://www.countydurhampartnership.co.uk/pages/ct-integratedworking.aspx 2.2 The Pathway is based on meeting the needs of children and young people at the earliest possible opportunity to reduce the incidence of abuse and neglect, family breakdown, social exclusion and to avoid outcomes that would diminish rather than enhance their potential. The purpose is to promote the health and wellbeing of children, young people and families. Family circumstances may change over time, risks will impact differentially. Provision needs to be flexible to meet needs as and when they present, where they put children and young people at risk of adverse outcomes. Professional assessment of risk and protective factors should underpin decision-making regarding the actions required to address the needs and risks to secure good outcomes for children, young people and their families. 2.3 The Durham Staircase builds on the 0-19 Integrated Children s Services Pathway and the Levels of Need (Appendix 1 ) are aligned to the steps on the Durham Staircase as follows: 3

The Durham Staircase & Continuum of Need GOVERNANCE NEED SERVICES TIERS INVOLVED ISSUES OUTCOMES Step 5 / Level 4 Need Continuous Assessment Resource Panels Eligibility Criteria Court Step 4 / Level 4 Need ICPC Pre proceedings / Resource Panels Eligibility Criteria Step 3 / Level 3 Need SAF Full Assessment Step 2 / Level 2 Need SAF Early Help Assessment Step 1 / Level 1 Need Children and Young People who have needs that cannot be met safely at home (Specialist practitioner/agency) Children and Young People who need support to live safely at home (Specialist Practitioner/Agency) Children and Young People with additional and complex needs (Multi Practitioner/Multi Agency Response) Children and Young People with additional needs (single or multi agency/practitioner response) All Specialist Targeted and Universal Universal and Targeted Universal and Targeted Looked After Children Child Protection & Child in Need Whole Family, coordinated multi agency response required Universal support unable to meet need Permanence Improve outcomes and keep child safely at home Improve outcomes and prevent escalation to Safeguarding TAF to address need and improve outcomes Statutory Early Support and Intervention Universal Providers Children and Young People with no additional needs Universal Voluntary and Community Sector Not making expected progress Universal support and monitoring 4

Step 5- Level 4 Need that cannot be managed safely at home Children and young people who require intensive help and support from a range of specialist services. These children will often need to be accommodated outside of their immediate family or may require admission into hospital. In most cases the multi-agency involvement would be led by Children s Social Care. Step 4- Level 4 Need - Services to keep the child safely at home (specialist practitioner/agency response) These are children who s needs and care is significantly compromised and they may be at risk of harm or at risk of becoming accommodated by the Local Authority. These families require intensive support often on a statutory basis. This may include support provided by Children s Social Care such as a social work assessment, support from the Family Pathfinder Service or Family Intervention Project or for example, through the provision of Direct Payments for a disabled child. The assessment and multi agency response is likely to be coordinated by a social worker in most cases and will be holistic (considering the needs of all family members) and multi agency. Step 3 Level 3 Need - Targeted Provision Children with Additional Needs (multi practitioner/agency response) These are children and families whose needs are not being met due to the range, depth and significance of their needs which makes them very vulnerable and at risk of poor outcomes. A multi agency response is required using the Single Assessment Full Assessment, as in most instances there will be issues for parents which are impacting on the children achieving positive outcomes. These families need a holistic and coordinated approach and more intensive intervention and help. Lead Professionals could come from a range of agencies as the key issue will be the quality of the relationship that exists between practitioner and family to assist them to make change and reduce the likelihood of moving into Level 4 services. Intensive support might come from One Point, Family Pathfinder Service; Family Intervention Service, Youth Offending Service. Step 2 Level 2 Need - Early Help Targeted Provision Children with Additional Needs (single practitioner/agency response) These are children and young people identified as having an additional need which may affect their health, educational or social development and they would be at risk of not reaching their full potential. At this level the Single Assessment Early Help Assessment - can be used to decide whether a Full Assessment is required. The Early Help Assessment should be used to identify additional need and plan help for the family. Step 1 - Level 1 Need - Universal Provision Children with no additional needs Children and young people who are achieving expected outcomes and have their needs met through universal service provision. Typically, these children/young people are likely to live in a resilient and protective environment. Families will make use of community resources. Universal services remain in place regardless of which level of need a child is experiencing. In general, children and young people with disabilities will have their needs met through early intervention and targeted services at steps 1, 2 and 3. However, some children with a high level of need related to severe disabilities may require specialist services at steps 4 and 5. 5

3.0 THE SINGLE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK - EARLY HELP 3.1 The Single Assessment Framework underpins the early identification of need and the provision of early help to support those needs. The Process, in its entirety, provides the tools necessary to make sure that need is effectively identified, understood and addressed in a timely way so that children get the help and support they need to achieve good outcomes. 3.2 The Framework includes the following: Early Help Assessment & Full Assessment to replace the pre CAF, Initial and Core Assessment Care Plan Team Around the Family meetings and reviews Lead Professional 3.3 The Single Assessment (Appendix 2) can be built upon over time and as needs increase. It replaces the pre-caf, CAF, Initial and Core Assessments. The aim is to prevent duplication for families and the need for multiple assessments. It is targeted at those children and families where unmet additional needs may place children at risk of poor outcomes. 3.4 The Framework has been developed for all practitioners working with children and families so that they can communicate and work together more effectively. It is suitable for use in all settings universal, targeted and specialist (e.g. early years, schools, primary health care services, youth support service, voluntary or community sector, children s safeguarding and social care services), to help identify and respond to problems quickly before they become serious. 3.5 The Framework aims to help practitioners and professionals working with children and young people to undertake assessments in a more consistent way. The expectation is that with the right knowledge, skills and training, practitioners in any agency will be able to undertake a Single Assessment and bring together the range of expertise, knowledge and skill to meet needs at the earliest possible opportunity to keep children and young people safe from the risk of adverse outcomes. 4.0 THE SINGLE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK - PROCEDURES 4.1 There are two parts to the Single Assessment Framework: Part 1 is the Early Help Assessment and Part 2 is the Full Assessment. The Assessment document is attached at Appendix 2. 4.2 The focus of the Framework and supporting procedures is on ensuring the clear and early identification of children and families with additional needs. 4.3 The criteria for considering a Single Assessment are: The worker or parent/carer is concerned about the progress of the child or young person. The child or young person s needs are unclear and requires further investigation. The support of more than one agency appears to be required. 6

There is not already a Single Assessment/Team Around the Family in place. The child, young person and their family give their consent to the Single Assessment and associated processes. Where consent is not provided please refer to section 4.15 and also the LSCB guidance at Appendix 4. Practitioners and Managers must consider whether an assessment should proceed without consent in the best interest of the child. 4.4 Part 1: Early Help Assessment: The starting point for most children and families identified will be the completion of the Early Help Assessment. For all children and families whose needs are on Step 2 or above of the Durham Staircase & Continuum of Need (see page 4 & 5 above). The Early Help Assessment should be sufficient to identify the key needs of the child/family and to provide the early help and/or to begin the Team Around the Family (TAF) process if it is required. 4.5 Part 2: Full Assessment: Where needs have been identified at Step 3 consideration should be given to the completion of a Full Assessessment in recognition that needs are becoming more complex and a fuller picture of the child and family s needs is required. Where needs are identified at Step 4 this will progress to the Assessment & Intervention team who will carry out further work to identify whether a Full Assessment is required. Where the child s needs are below level 4 and there are ongoing concerns the A&I Social Worker will contact the One Point Duty Officer to agree the most appropriate next steps. 4.6 Enquiries to First Contact can be made at: First Contact, Abbey Woods Business Park Pity Me Durham DH1 5TH E-mail: socialcaredirect@durham.gov.uk Phone: 08458505010 FAX: 0191 3835752 TEXT: 07786027280 4.7 Any enquiry to First Contact will have the following potential outcomes Pass to Step 1 Universal services (eg. Health Visiting, School Nursing, GPs, Schools, Voluntary & Community Sector Service) Pass to Step 2 or 3 Targeted services (eg. One Point Service, Family Pathfinder, Family Intervention Service, Youth Offending Service) Pass to Step 4 Specialist Services (eg Children s Care Assessment and Intervention Team, Integrated Services Disabled Children, Private Fostering Assessment Pass to Step 4 - Immediate Safeguarding Action (Child Protection Teams) Steps 1 to 5 - Nominate for Stronger Families 4.8 Within 1 working day the First Contact Service will: Gather any additional information from the caller and other agencies Consult existing records if available Use the Child Sexual Exploitation Screening Matrix, when appropriate Consider if the family meets the criteria for inclusion in the Stronger Families Programme 7

Determine what course of action should follow 4.9 Within 2 working days the First Contact Service will feed back to the caller the next course of action. 4.10 If the caller is dissatisfied with the decision made by First Contact in relation to their concern he/she should contact the First Contact Team Manager using the contact details above to discuss. Escalation to the appropriate Operations Manager and Strategic Manager should only be made in exceptional circumstances if the issue cannot be resolved following discussion with the Team Manager. 4.11 0-19 Levels of Need: The 0-19 Levels of Need (Appendix 1) is an important reference tool linked to these procedures and has been developed to support practitioners and managers identify and assess the needs of children and families. The document identifies the range of indicators which may be present in children and their families at different ages and stages of development. Four levels of need are described. Each level of need links with the relevant step on the Durham Staircase. All practitioners and managers should use this document to assist them to determine the most appropriate course of action prior to and during contact with the First Contact Service and whilst carrying out assessments with children and families. 5.0 A STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO THE PROCEDURES: 5.1 The following provides a step-by-step guide to the application of these procedures once a concern or an additional need has been identified. Stage 1: In all cases, where a concern or additional need has been identified, the practitioner should first of all contact the First Contact Service to check whether an assessment is already in place for that child and/or family. If an assessment is in place, the practitioner will be put in touch with the existing Lead Professional so that appropriate information can be shared and agreement can be reached about what additional support may be required for the family. In most cases the practitioner will be invited to join the Team Around the Family (TAF) if one is in place. You can check if an assessment is in place or register an Early Help Assessment by contacting the First Contact helpline on 0845 850 5010 Stage 2: If an Assessment and/or TAF is not already in place, First Contact will register the assessment and discuss the level of need with the caller. This dialogue will triage the level of need and identify whether the Part 1 Early Help Assessment or Part 2 Full Assessment is required. The Early Help Assessment form will be used to record the discussion and register the assessment. If the level of need is not clear at this stage, and further information is required to inform a judgement, the call and the assessment will be transferred to a One Point Duty Officer for the purposes of gathering further information and agreeing next steps. 8

Stage 3: If the level of need is initially assessed as at Steps 4 or 5, arrangements will be made by First Contact for allocation to the most suitable Assessment and Intervention Team in Children s Services. The Early Help Assessment will be shared. (see Section 7 for more detailed information of next steps at this stage) Stage 4: If the level of need is initially assessed as at Steps 2 or 3, or if the level of need is unclear at stage 2 above, the call will be handled by the One Point Service Duty Officer who will take any further details necessary. Through this discussion, the most appropriate next steps will be agreed to provide support for the family. Stage 5: At steps 2 or 3, where a Team Around the Family is identified as necessary to coordinate the range of support required to meet the needs identified, the One Point Service will coordinate the establishment of the TAF, arrange for invitations to be sent to relevant parties and identify the One Point Service representative to that meeting. A flowchart setting out the above stages is attached at Appendix 3 5.2 In all stages, where appropriate, the caller will be considered the Lead Professional until the Team Around the Family meeting is convened and an agreed Lead Professional identified or until the Social Worker has been appointed. If a TAF is not required, actions will be agreed with the caller and reviewed by the One Point Service within 6 weeks to ensure progress has been made and needs have been met. 5.3 If the caller is a parent and/or family member or a member of the public, the First Contact Service will identify the most appropriate practitioner to carry out the assessment, dependant on the level of need identified. 5.4 Child Protection: Contact should be made immediately with the First Contact Service (FCS) where there are concerns that the child is at risk of immediate significant harm and requires protection, or if a family crisis has arisen that requires urgent action. Reference should be made by the caller to the Local Safeguarding Children Board Procedures. The caller should make clear why he or she believes that the significant harm threshold is met. http://www.durham-lscb.gov.uk/procedures/procedures.shtml 5.5 Consent: Where a parent/carer and/or child refuses to consent to engage with the Single Assessment process, then the 8 golden rules shall apply and reference should be made to the LSCB Briefing Paper Consent and the Public Interest Test (Appendix 4). Where practitioners have concerns about the welfare of the child specifically, a TAF shall be convened without consent and agencies should be asked to contribute to a single assessment and to develop a shared plan to improve outcomes for the child/young person. The parent/carer and child/young person should be informed of this decision and any actions agreed. 9

5.6 All refusals to consent should be notified to the First Contact Service who will monitor consent refusals. Lead professionals or callers must make every effort record and to re-engage parents/carers and children/ young people in Single Assessment processes where unmet needs are impacting on outcomes for children and young people. All services will work continuously to engage parents/carers and children in actions to address needs. 5.7 In some cases refusal may be judged to indicate deliberate avoidance and this in itself may raise safeguarding concerns. There needs to be careful analysis and monitoring of refusals to engage so that an informed assessment of the level of risk can be made. The First Contact Service will be responsible for escalating concerns and determining appropriate action where it is required. 6.0 THE SWIFT PROVISION OF EARLY HELP: 6.1 When carrying out a Request for Early Help and where additional needs have been identified, the practitioner should put in place the support required by the child and their family. It is not necessary to wait for a full completion of the early help element to be carried out or a TAF to be convened if immediate actions can be taken that will ensure the child and family is supported. 6.2 The timescale for the completion of the Early Help or Full Assessment and the convening of the Team Around the Family is 10 working days. The Team Around the Family meeting will in most cases contribute to the assessment. 6.3 Team Around the Family: If the assessment indicates the need for the support of more than one service/agency/practitioner to meet the needs identified, a Team Around the Family should be convened within 10 working days. 6.4 If required, the One Point Service will provide administrative support to the practitioner who has identified the need to convene a Team around the Family (TAF). The TAF should include the child, young person and parent(s)/carer(s). 6.5 The first TAF meeting should agree the Lead Professional and develop the Care Plan with agreed outcomes jointly with the child and family (the TAF Care Plan is attached at Appendix 5). The Care Plan will be solution focussed and have clear measurable actions agreed and understood by all family members. 6.6 A critical function of the TAF is to drive progress and ensure outcomes are being achieved. TAF members will be required to deliver relevant aspects of the Care Plan in between TAF meetings. They will be expected to comply with the plan developed and be able to identify their contribution to improving outcomes. The TAF should set a date for a review meeting to take place between 4-6 weeks following the date of the first meeting and at regular 4-6 weekly intervals thereafter. The TAF should check progress and consider whether actions have been delivered and whether they have been effective in achieving the outcomes agreed at the outset. Barriers to the achievement of progress should be identified and actions reviewed. 10

6.7 Lead Professional: The Lead Professional will act as a central contact point for the child and the family and other members of the TAF and will make sure the agreed actions of the TAF are delivered in a timely way and to the satisfaction of the child and family. 6.8 The Lead Professional will take responsibility for developing a chronology of significant events. 6.9 It is the responsibility of the Lead Professional to inform their line manager of their status as Lead Professional and for the manager to review the progress of the case and the quality of the work being delivered, in line with their own governance arrangements. 6.10 Escalation: It is important that the Care Plan is given time to achieve progress. However, if the TAF are concerned that the child and their family s needs are not being met or are escalating and are becoming more pronounced or complex, then discussion and agreement at the TAF should take place and the following must be considered prior to escalation:- The inclusion of different agencies in the TAF to meet the changing needs identified; The purpose of escalation what could be achieved at step 4 that cannot be achieved at step 3 6.11 If the TAF agree the case requires escalation, and are clear about the purpose of escalation, the Lead Professional will contact the First Contact Service. To assist in this process the Lead Professional will share the assessment and TAF action plans and reviews with the First Contact Service. The First Contact Service will confirm with the Lead Professional the most appropriate response. A flowchart setting out the escalation process is attached at Appendix 4 7.0 ASSESSMENT UNDER S17 THE CHILDREN ACT 1989/ASSESSMENT OF FAMILIES STEP 4/5 ON THE DURHAM STAIRCASE 7.1 Assessments under s17 of the Children Act 1989 will be carried out by the Assessment and Intervention Team where the child is resident or the Disabled Children and their Families Team or Looked After and Permanence 15+ team for intervention and assessment. See page 38 for clarification. 7.2 The purpose of the assessment at Step 4 or above is to determine if the child is a child in need as defined by s17 of the Children Act 1989, if there is reasonable cause to suspect that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm or if the child is disabled. If the assessment demonstrates that the child meets at least one of the above categories, then consideration needs to be given to what services and action needs to take place to address the assessed needs. 7.3 Working Together 2013 (page 30) requires the involvement of the appropriate multi-agency partners in completing the assessment and participation in the multi-agency care plan. In most cases the existing Team Around the Family will continue to work with the family with the social worker taking the Lead Professional role. In addition it is expected that the social worker and other 11

professionals will work together in order to ensure that comprehensive intervention and assessment is carried out. This could include liaison with housing services, anti-social behaviour services, domestic abuse service, mental health, alcohol and substance misuse services and others as relevant. 7.4 Once the case is allocated to a social worker, consideration should also be given to what immediate support the child and family would benefit from during the course of the assessment. A range of evidence based tools are commended to supplement the social worker s assessment. These include:- Motivational interviewing techniques Solution focused techniques Eco maps/genograms Scales and questionnaires Three Houses 7.5 The social worker should ensure that the appropriate interventions are in place, lead the assessment, ensure that partner agencies contribute timely and relevant information and ensure that the multi-agency chronology of significant events is completed within the single assessment. 7.6 The timescale for the completion of the Full Assessment will be determined by the Team Manager on allocation. There are a series of checkpoints built into the system. The first checkpoint is 10 days from referral. By this time, the social worker will have carried out all preliminary inquiries with partner agencies, met the child and the family and put in place key interventions pending the outcome of the assessment. Where there is an existing Team Around the Family, the Social Worker should convene this team within 10 working days of the escalation. If there is no pre-existing TAF, key partners will be identified and the TAF convened by the social worker within 10 working days of the referral. The Team Around the Family should consist of child/young person as appropriate, relevant family members and the professionals who play a key role in addressing the needs of the children and adults in the household. 7.7 At day 10 the social worker and team manager will confirm that the assessment is progressing and identify any outstanding actions. Further checkpoints should take place at day 28 and day 40 as necessary. It may be determined that fewer than 40 days is required to complete the assessment. This will be agreed by the Team Manager. However no assessments should take longer than 40 days to complete from referral. 7.8 Where a Care Plan has been developed by a pre-existing TAF, the Social Worker will review and revise the Care Plan as required and bring to the TAF meeting for agreement. Where there is no pre-existing TAF the social worker will develop the Care Plan for agreement at the first TAF meeting. 7.9 The minimum frequency of Team Around the Family meetings is every 4-6 weeks following the first TAF. A written record of all TAF meetings should be recorded on the Care Plan (Appendix 5), and shared with the family and other TAF members and placed on the child s file. 12

7.10 After 6 months if the Care Plan outcomes have not been achieved, the Team Manager should chair a TAF meeting to formally review the plan and determine what action if any needs to take place to ensure progress is achieved. 7.11 De-escalation: Whenever the care plan is reviewed by the Team Around the Family, consideration should always be given to stepping down to the early help services at Steps 2 or 3. When this is agreed, a timescale for transfer to a Lead Professional from universal or targeted services will be agreed and a Lead Professional identified. This will take place within the Team Around the Family. 7.12 The social work case can then be formally closed once this transfer to the Lead Professional has taken place. It is to be expected in these circumstances that the social worker will continue to offer advice to the new Lead Professional and the TAF as required. A flowchart setting out the de-escalation process is attached at Appendix 5 7.13 If a dispute arises in relation to ceasing social work involvement, representation should be made to the team manager in the first instance. If matters cannot be resolved at this stage then escalation in such circumstances can be made to the Operations or Strategic Manager. 8.0 CHILDREN WHO MAY BE SUFFERING OR LIKELY TO SUFFER SIGNIFICANT HARM: 8.1 Children and families should not routinely be subjected to formal child protection investigations if these are not necessary. An important function on the social work or First Contact Service assessment is to determine if there is reasonable likelihood that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. 8.2 This may be a very brief assessment where there is an obvious and evident need for immediate safeguarding action required on receipt of referral. Reference should be made immediately to the appropriate part of the LSCB Safeguarding Procedures. http://www.durham-lscb.gov.uk/procedures/procedures.shtml 8.3 In other cases the information about the potential safeguarding concern may be less explicit. As the assessment progresses, information may emerge to suggest a child protection concern. In such cases it would be appropriate to swiftly gather information from a range of partner agencies. If required a multi-agency information sharing meeting should be convened in order to reach an early determination if there is reasonable cause to believe that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Early contact with the child and/or family should take place if appropriate in order to clarify the concerns. 8.4 Where a key purpose of the assessment is to clarify if there is reasonable cause to suspect that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm (as described above) it is essential that a prompt timescale is agreed for 13

completing the preliminary inquiries. Once the assessment has commenced and it becomes clear that there is reasonable cause to believe that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm, a strategy meeting should be convened within the timescales referenced in the LSCB Safeguarding Procedures. http://www.durham-lscb.gov.uk/procedures/procedures.shtml 8.5 In addition, in a significant number of cases, the analysis of the information gathered by the TAF and/or in the course of a social worker s assessment will indicate that the child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm. Reference to the LSCB Safeguarding Procedures (link above) should be made and a strategy meeting convened under the LSCB Procedures. 8.6 In all the situations described above, the local authority should hold a strategy meeting to enable it to decide whether to initiate inquiries under s47 of the Children Act 1989. 8.7 The purpose of the s47 inquiry is to undertake further assessments, alongside partner agencies. The s47 should determine whether and what type of action is required to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child who is suspected of or likely to suffer significant harm. 8.8 The social worker should: lead the assessment carry out enquiries in a way that minimises distress for the child and family; see the child who is the subject of concern to ascertain their wishes and feelings; assess their understanding of their situation; assess their relationships and circumstances more broadly; interview parents and/or caregivers and determine the wider social and environmental factors that might impact on them and their child; systematically gather information about the child s and family s history; analyse the findings of the assessment and evidence about what interventions are likely to be most effective with other relevant professionals to determine the child s needs and the level of risk of harm faced by the child to inform what help should be provided and act to provide that help; 8.9 All other agencies should contribute to the assessment in accordance with their professional roles and as stated in the LSCB Child Protection Procedures. 8.10 All practitioners should seek guidance from the LSCB Child Protection Procedures for further clarification of the procedures and their roles and responsibilities in the child protection process. 14

9.0 CRITERIA FOR LOOKED AFTER AND PERMANENCE TEAM (16+): 9.1 If a child is 16 and has completed Year 11 and is determined to be a potential child in need by First Contact, the case will be allocated to the Looked After and Permanence 16+ Team for intervention and assessment. 9.2 In the event of a young person presenting as homeless, the multi-agency joint protocol will be convened with a key emphasis on early help and resolution. The relevant Team Manager will determine if a social worker is required to attend the joint protocol meeting. 10.0 CRITERIA FOR CHILDREN WITH A DISABILITY AND FAMILIES TEAM 10.1 The Disabled Children and Families Team will work with children and young people who have a substantial learning or physical disability or a diagnosed serious health condition that will impact significantly on his/her development. The Team is responsible for undertaking all assessments, interventions and care planning relating to these children and young people. 10.2 The team will retain responsibility for all looked after children with a disability and those subject to child protection inquiries and care proceedings. 10.3 Where the Disabled Children and Families Team and an Assessment and Intervention or Child Protection Team are both working with the same household, joint planning meetings should be convened in order to coordinate activity between the two teams. 10.4 Referrals for children with disabilities should always be made to First Contact who will carry out the same screening functions as for all other referrals. 10.5 The Disabled Children and Families Team Manager will liaise with the appropriate Assessment and Intervention or Child Protection Team Manager if there are possible child protection issues in respect of other children in the household in order to agree a collaborative approach 11. CRITERIA FOR INTERNAL TRANSFER BETWEEN SOCIAL WORK TEAMS: 11.1 A transfer protocol has been developed for the transfer of cases between First Contact, Assessment and Intervention, Child Protection and Looked After and Permanence Teams. 15

Appendix 1 0-19 LEVELS OF NEED Level 1 Need Step 1: Durham Staircase No identified additional needs Pre birth 0-4 years 5-11 years 11-18 years Foetus growing and developing well Mother attending all prenatal check ups and appointments Parents preparing for birth of child Health Appropriate height & weight Physically healthy Developmental checks and immunisations up to date Adequate & nutritious diet Regular dental & optical care Good state of mental health Health Appropriate weight and height Physically healthy Adequate & nutritious diet Regular dental & optical care Good state of mental health Health Appropriate weight and height Physically healthy Adequate & nutritious diet Regular dental & optical care Good state of mental health Sexual activity appropriate for age No misuse of substance Education Acquired a range of skills/interests Experience of success/achievement No concerns around cognitive development Access to books, toys, as appropriate Enjoy and participates in educational activities and school life Sound home/nursery/school link Education Acquired a range of skills/achievement Experiences of success/achievement Access to books, toys as appropriate Enjoys and participates in educational activities and school life Sound home/school link Education Acquired a range of skills/achievement Experiences of success/achievement Access to books, games, activities as appropriate Enjoys and participates in educational activities and school life Sound home/school link Planned progression beyond statutory education 16

Emotional & behavioural development Demonstrated appropriate responses in feelings and actions Good quality early attachments Able to adapt to change Able to demonstrate empathy Identity Positive sense of self and abilities Demonstrates feelings of belongingness and acceptance Family & social relationships Stable and affectionate relationships with caregivers Good relationship with siblings Positive relationship with peers Social presentation Appropriate dress for different settings Good level of personal hygiene Confident in social situations, but sufficiently discriminating between safe and unsafe contacts Emotional & behavioural development Demonstrated appropriate responses in feelings and actions Good quality early attachments Able to adapt to change Able to demonstrate empathy Identity Positive sense of self and abilities Demonstrates feelings of belongingness and acceptance Family & social relationships Stable and affectionate relationships with caregivers Good relationship with siblings Positive relationship with peers. Social presentation Appropriate dress for different settings Good level of personal hygiene. Confident in social situations, but sufficiently discriminating between safe and unsafe contacts Emotional & behavioural development Demonstrated appropriate responses in feelings and actions Good quality early attachments Able to adapt to change Able to demonstrate empathy Identity Positive sense of self and abilities Demonstrates feelings of belongingness and acceptance Family & social relationships Stable and affectionate relationships with caregivers Good relationship with siblings Positive relationship with peers Social presentation Appropriate dress for different settings Good level of personal hygiene Confident in social situations, but sufficiently discriminating between safe and unsafe contacts 17

Self-care skills Growing level of competencies in practical and emotional skills, such as feeding, dressing and independent living skills Self-care skills Growing level of competencies in practical and emotional skills, such as feeding, dressing and independent living skills Self-care skills Growing level of competencies in practical and emotional skills, independent living skills 18

Level 2 Need: Step 2 - Durham Staircase Additional needs (single practitioner/ agency response) Complete Early Help Assessment Pre Birth 0-4 years 5-11 years 11-18 years Some concerns identified about growth and development of foetus Parental vulnerability identified (e.g. young parents, separation of parents, parents unduly anxious/fearful) Mother has missed some pre-natal check ups and appointments Young, inexperienced prospective parent(s) Concerns that food, warmth and the basics will not always be available Health Weight and height not increasing at rate expected Child being overweight/obese/ underweight Slow in reaching developmental milestones Not attending routine appointments Persistent minor health problems Limited diet (e.g. no breakfast) Dental care not sufficient, poor attendance for checks/treatment Vulnerability to mental health problems (e.g. acrimonious divorce of parents: unduly anxious, angry or defiant) Health Child being overweight /obese/underweight Slow in reaching developmental milestones Not attending routine appointments Persistent minor health problems perhaps resulting in less than 80% school attendance Limited diet e.g. no breakfast and limited money for school lunch Dental care not sufficient in attendance for checks/treatment Vulnerability to mental health problems e.g. acrimonious divorce of parents, unduly anxious, angry or defiant Health Excessive or low weight gain not proportional to height growth Not attending routine health appointments Persistent minor health problems Limited diet e.g. no breakfast and limited money for school lunch Dental care not sufficient in attendance for checks/treatment Vulnerability to mental health problems e.g. acrimonious divorce of parents, unduly anxious, angry or defiant Early sexual activity Experimenting with tobacco/alcohol/drugs at a young age. 19

Education Poor punctuality Occasional school absences without explanation Not always engaged in learning (e.g. poor concentration, low motivation, easily distracted) Not thought to be reaching his/her educational potential Home/nursery (school) link not well established Subject to mild bullying Bullying other children Emotional & behavioural development Some difficulties with family relationships Some difficulties with peer group relationships Some evidence of inappropriate responses and actions Child can find managing change difficult Not always able to understand how own actions impact on others Education Has an assessed SEN Poor punctuality Occasional school absences without explanation Not always engaged in learning e.g. poor concentration, low motivation Not thought to be reaching his/her educational potential Home/school link not well established Emotional & behavioural development Some difficulties with family relationships Some difficulties with peer group relationships Some evidence of inappropriate responses and actions Child can find managing change difficult Not always able to understand how own actions impact on others Education Has an assessed SEN Poor punctuality Occasional school absences without explanation Not always engaged in learning e.g. poor concentration, low motivation Not thought to be reaching his/her educational potential Home/school link not well established Limited evidence of progression planning At risk of making illinformed/inappropriate decision about progression Emotional & behavioural development Some difficulties with family relationships Some difficulties with peer group relationships Some evidence of inappropriate responses and actions Child/young person can find managing change difficult 20

Child is unduly apprehensive about new experiences, appears unhappy Child has experienced loss or bereavement and their support needs do not appear to be met within the family network Child is living in an environment where there is a history of domestic violence Identity Some insecurities around identity expressed Limited self-confidence Child subject to discrimination e.g. racial or due to disabilities Child has experienced loss or bereavement and their support needs do not appear to be met within the family network Child is living in an environment where there is a history of domestic violence Identity Some insecurities around identity expressed e.g. low self-esteem for learning, low aspirations for the future Limited self-confidence Child subject to discrimination e.g. racial, sexual or due to disabilities Not always able to understand how own actions impact on others Child/young person has experienced loss or bereavement and their support needs do not appear to be met within the family network Child/young person is living in an environment where there is a history of domestic violence Identity Some insecurities around identity expressed e.g. low self-esteem for learning, low aspirations for the future Limited self-confidence Child subject to discrimination e.g. racial, sexual or due to disabilities 21

Family & social relationships Some inconsistencies in relationships with family and friends Child has lack of positive role models Unresolved issues from parents divorce, step parenting or death of carer Child has some difficulties sustaining relationships Social presentation Clothing may be ill fitting e.g. too tight shoes Child may not always be clean may suffer from teasing at school about being smelly Child can be either overfriendly or withdrawn Self-care skills Disability limits amount of self-care possible Not always adequate selfcare e.g. poor hygiene Child slow to develop ageappropriate self- care skills 22 Family & social relationships Some inconsistencies in relationships with family and friends Child has lack of positive role models Unresolved issues from parents divorce, step parenting or death of carer Child has some difficulties sustaining relationships Social presentation Lack of school uniform impacting on progress/relationships in school Clothing may be ill fitting e.g. too tight shoes Child may not always be clean may suffer from teasing at school about being smelly Child can be either overfriendly or withdrawn Self-care skills Disability limits amount of self-care possible Not always adequate selfcare e.g. poor hygiene Child slow to develop ageappropriate Family & social relationships Some inconsistencies in relationships with family and friends Child/young person has lack of positive role models Unresolved issues from parents divorce, step parenting or death of carer Child/young person has some difficulties sustaining relationships Social presentation Lack of school uniform impacting on progress/relationships in school Clothing may be ill fitting e.g. too tight shoes Child/young person may not always be clean may suffer from teasing at school about being smelly Child/young person can be either overfriendly or withdrawn Self-care skills Disability limits amount of self-care possible Not always adequate selfcare e.g. poor hygiene child / young person slow to develop ageappropriate self-care skills

Parenting Capacity Basic care is not always provided Food, warmth and other basics not always provided Parent struggling without support and/or adequate resources Young inexperienced parent(s) Regular accidental injuries to child Haphazard supervision and attention to safety issues Many different carers Inappropriate frequent visits to doctors/casualty Conflict indicating couple (particularly in pregnancy) or family relationship difficulties Inconsistent responses to child/young person by parents Child/young person unable to develop other positive relationships Parents have their own emotional needs which on occasion impact on the emotional warmth given to the child Child/young person often spends considerable time alone Child/young person is not often exposed to new experiences No constructive leisure time or activities No access to leisure facilities Lack of appropriate equipment/toys Parent/carer offers inconsistent boundaries Family & Environment Parents have some conflicts or difficulties that can involve the child/young person Child/young person has experienced loss of significant adult, e.g. through bereavement Parent/carer has physical disabilities which impact on their ability to parent fully Acrimonious divorce/separation Limited support from family and friends Family has poor relationship with extended family or little communication Destructive/unhelpful involvement from extended family critical rather than supportive Inadequate/poor housing Basic facilities lacking Parents have limited formal education Poverty Family new to the area Some conflict within the community Parents socially excluded Poor access to universal resources and targeted services Extreme rurality/isolation 23

Level 3 Need: Step 3 Durham Staircase Additional needs (multi-practitioner/ agency response) Complete Early Help Assessment & consider whether Full Assessment required Pre Birth 0-4 years 5-11 years 11-18 years Significant concerns identified about growth and development of foetus Mother has failed to access any pre-natal care Significant parental vulnerability identified (e.g. parental learning disability, some alcohol and/or drug misuse, mental health concerns, domestic violence) Large family with several young children Parents have struggled to care for previous children Health Weight gain becoming a cause for concern below 25 th centile of medically obese Child has chronic health problems Concerns about developmental progress (e.g. overweight/underweight) Limited/restricted diet, no breakfast Dental decay Education Poor pre-school attendance Poor home/nursery/school link Has an assessed SEN Subject to serial bullying Child is persistently bullying Slow to meet milestones Health Weight gain or weight loss becoming a cause for concern Child has chronic health problems Concerns about developmental progress e.g. overweight/underweight/ neurosis Limited/restricted diet, no breakfast, no lunch money Dental decay Education Achievement is significantly below the child s academic potential Has an assessed SEN Not achieving as anticipated Poor school attendance and punctuality Some fixed-term exclusions Poor home/school link Not educated at school (or at home by parents) Health Chronic health problems Concerns about developmental progress e.g. overweight/underweight/ neurosis Learning significantly affected by health problems Limited/restricted diet, no breakfast, no lunch money Dental decay Smokes, substance/alcohol misuse Unsafe sexual activity Education Achievement is significantly below the child s academic potential Has an assessed SEN Not achieving as anticipated Poor school attendance and punctuality Some fixed-term exclusions Poor home/school link Not educated at school (or at home by parents) Limited participation in education, employment and training post 16 24

Emotional & behavioural development Poor peer relationships Child finds it difficult to cope with anger and frustration Disruptive/challenging behaviour at nursery/school or in neighbourhood Child withdrawn/unwilling to engage Limited ability to understand how activities impact on others Children of parents where there is or has been domestic violence Identity Child experiences persistent discrimination e.g. on the basis of ethnicity or disability Demonstrates significantly low self-esteem in a range of situations Poor self confidence Emotional & behavioural development Poor peer relationships Starting to offend and reoffend Child finds it difficult to cope with anger and frustration Disruptive/challenging behaviour at school or in neighbourhood Child withdrawn/unwilling to engage Limited ability to understand how activities impact on others Children of parents where there has been domestic violence Identity Child experiences persistent discrimination e.g. on the basis of ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability Demonstrates significantly low self-esteem in a range of situations Poor self confidence May be victim of crime Signs of deteriorating mental health Emotional & behavioural development Poor peer relationships Starting to offend and reoffend Child/young person finds it difficult to cope with anger and frustration Disruptive/challenging behaviour at school or in neighbourhood Child/young person withdrawn/unwilling to engage Limited ability to understand how activities impact on others Children/young people of parents where there has been domestic violence Identity Child experiences persistent discrimination e.g. on the basis of ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability Demonstrates significantly low self-esteem in a range of situations Poor self confidence May be victim of crime Signs of deteriorating mental health Few, if any achievements 25

Family & social relationships Relationships with carers characterised by inconsistencies Misses 80% or more of school Peers also involved in challenging behaviour Involved in conflicts with peers/siblings May have periods of LA accommodation Social presentation Child may be provocative in behaviour Clothing is regularly unwashed and frequently ill fitting Child s poor hygiene leads to alienation from peers May not discriminate effectively with strangers Presentation significantly impacts on all relationships Family & social relationships Relationships with carers characterised by inconsistencies Misses 80% or more of school Misses leisure activities Peers also involved in challenging behaviour Involved in conflicts with peers/siblings May have periods of LA accommodation Few if any achievements Social presentation Child may be provocative in behaviour/appearance Clothing is regularly unwashed and frequently ill fitting Child s poor hygiene leads to alienation from peers May not discriminate effectively with strangers Presentation significantly impacts on all relationships Family & social relationships Relationships with carers characterised by inconsistencies Misses 80% or more of school Misses leisure activities Peers also involved in challenging behaviour Involved in conflicts with peers/siblings May have periods of LA accommodation Social presentation Child/young person may be provocative in behaviour/appearance Clothing is regularly unwashed and frequently ill fitting Child/young person s poor hygiene leads to alienation from peers May not discriminate effectively with strangers Presentation significantly impacts on all relationships 26

Self-care skills Disability prevents selfcare in a significant range of tasks Child takes little or no responsibility for self-care tasks in comparison to peer group 27 Self-care skills Disability prevents selfcare in a significant range of tasks Child takes little or no responsibility for self-care tasks in comparison to peer group Self-care skills Disability prevents selfcare in a significant range of tasks Child takes little or no responsibility for self-care tasks in comparison to peer group Parenting Capacity Basic routines and care levels often inconsistent Food, warmth and other basics not available Large family with several children under five Very young inexperienced parents(s) Parents have struggled to care for previous child/young persons Parent(s) have previously been a looked after child Frequent accidental injuries to child requiring hospital treatment Poor supervision and attention to safety issues Succession of carers Inappropriate child care arrangements Parent/carer alcohol or substance misuse compromises the care of the child Parental instability affects capacity to nurture Parents own emotional needs compromise those of the child/young person Child/young person receives little positive stimulation despite appropriate toys being available Child/young person under undue parental pressure to achieve/aspire Child/young person has multiple carers, but no significant relationships with any of them Family life is chaotic Pregnant woman where there is a suspicion of current, or a known history of significant domestic abuse Family & Environment Incidents of domestic violence between parents is a growing concern Limited extended family support Parent/carer has mental health difficulties which cause concerns re: parenting ability Parent/carer/family is socially isolated Destructive/unhelpful involvement from extended family critical rather than supportive Poor state of repair, temporary or overcrowded housing, poor domestic standards Rent arrears put family at risk of eviction Chronic unemployment that has severely affected parents own identities Family unable to gain employment due to significant lack of basic skills or long term difficulties

Level Family 4 Need & Environment Step 4 & 5 - Durham Staircase Children with complex needs Complete Full Assessment Pre No Birth expectation that young 0-4 person years will work 5-11 years 11-18 years Low income plus adverse additional factors, e.g. borrowing limit of Social Care Fund Severe Generally disability isolated Health Health Health identified Negative pre-natally relationships Child s within development community as Child s development as Child/young person has Incidents of domestic measured violence by weight between AND parents measured is a growing by weight concern AND severe disability Previous Limited child/ren extended height family both support under the 10 th height both under the 10 th Refusing medical care have been Parent/carer removed has centile mental health difficulties which centile cause concerns re: parenting endangering ability life/development from parent(s) Parent/carer/family Child is has socially severe isolated disability Refusing medical care Refusing routine health Destructive/unhelpful Refusing involvement medical care from extended endangering family critical rather than appointments supportive Parents Poor own state needs of repair, endangering temporary or overcrowded life/development housing, poor domestic standards Lack of Rent food arrears may be put linked family mean they at risk will of not eviction life/development Developmental milestones with neglect be able Chronic to keep unemployment their Developmental that has milestones severely affected unlikely parents to be own met identities and/or Dental decay and no access child safe Family unable to unlikely gain employment to be met and/or due to significant missing lack routine of basic health skills or long of treatment term difficulties No expectation that missing young routine person health will work appointments Behaviour issues emerging Low income plus appointments adverse additional factors, e.g. Lack borrowing of food limit may of be Social linked Care conduct Fund disorder, ADHD, Generally isolated Lack of food may be linked with neglect autism, anxiety, eating Negative relationships with neglect within community Dental decay and no disorder Dental decay and no access access of treatment Persistent substance misuse of treatment Behaviour issues emerging Risk taking sexual activity Behaviour issues emerging conduct disorder, ADHD, and/or early teenage conduct disorder, ADHD, autism, anxiety, eating pregnancy autism, anxiety disorder Emerging acute mental health problems threat of suicide, psychotic episode, severe depression Self harming Heavy end substance misuse Sexual exploitation 28

Education Puts peers at risk through behaviour Poor home/nursery/school link Has an assessed SEN and/or and EHC Plan Achievement is significantly below the child s academic potential Emotional and behavioural development Cannot maintain peer relationships e.g. is aggressive, bully, bullied etc. Unable to connect cause and effect of own actions. Unable to display empathy. Education Puts peers at risk through behaviour Alienated Has an assessed SEN and/or and EHC Plan Second permanent exclusion from school or imminent second exclusion No school placement Poor home/nursery/school link Achievement is significantly below the child s academic potential Truant from school Emotional and behavioural development Cannot maintain peer relationships e.g. is aggressive, bully, bullied etc. Puts self and others in danger e.g. missing. Unable to connect cause and effect of own actions. Prosecution for offences - resulting in court orders, custodial sentences, ASBOs etc. Regularly involved in anti social/criminal activities. Unable to display empathy. Education Put peers at risk through behaviour. Alienated Has an assessed SEN and/or and EHC Plan Second permanent exclusion from school or imminent second exclusion. No school placement. Poor home/nursery/school link. Achievement is significantly below the child's academic potential. Not in education, employment or training post 16. Truant from School Emotional and behavioural development Cannot maintain peer relationships e.g. is aggressive, bully, bullied etc. Puts self and others in danger e.g. missing. Unable to connect cause and effect of own actions. Prosecution for offences - resulting in court orders, custodial sentences, ASBOs etc. Regularly involved in anti-social/criminal activities. Unable to display empathy. 29

Identity Child has internalised discrimination and behaviour reflects poor self image Child is socially isolated and lacks appropriate role models No self-confidence Child s self image is distorted and may demonstrate fear of persecution by others Family & social relationships Relationships with family experienced as critical and/or negative Rejection by a parent and/or step parent Other relationships characterised by rejection Family breakdown threatened Family no longer want to care for child Suffering physical, emotional or sexual harm or neglect Family have abandoned child Identity Child has internalised discrimination and behaviour reflects poor self image Child is socially isolated and lacks appropriate role models No self-confidence Child s self image is distorted and may demonstrate fear of persecution by others Mental health problems becoming manifest Family & social relationships Relationships with family experienced as critical and/or negative Child does not want to be with family Rejection by a parent and/or step parent Other relationships characterised by rejection Family breakdown threatened Family no longer want to care for child Family have abandoned child Suffering physical, emotional or sexual harm or neglect Identity Child has internalised discrimination and behaviour reflects poor self image Child is socially isolated and lacks appropriate role models No self-confidence Child s self image is distorted and may demonstrate fear of persecution by others Mental health problems becoming manifest Family & social relationships Relationships with family experienced as critical and/or negative Child/young person does not want to be with family Rejection by a parent and/or step parent Other relationships characterised by rejection Family breakdown threatened Family no longer want to care for child Suffering physical, emotional or sexual harm or neglect Family have abandoned child/young person 30

Social presentation Child s appearance reflects poor care poor hygiene, dirty clothes, ill fitting shoes, lack of appropriate hair and skin care Rejection or taunting by peers Alienated or alienates self from school Child unconfident, watchful or wary of carers/people Child unable to discriminate and likely to put self at risk Self-care skills Severe disability child relies on other people to meet care needs that would normally be met by self-care Social presentation Child s appearance reflects poor care poor hygiene, dirty clothes, ill fitting shoes, lack of appropriate hair and skin care Rejection or taunting by peers Alienated or alienates self from school Child unconfident, watchful or wary of carers/people Child unable to discriminate and likely to put self at risk Self-care skills Severe disability child relies on other people to meet care needs that would normally be met by self-care Child engaged in activities which impact on self-care e.g. substance misuse Offending/substance/alcoh ol misuse/sexual activity prevent self-care and impact on vulnerability to exploitation Social presentation Child/young person s appearance reflects poor care poor hygiene, dirty clothes, ill fitting shoes, lack of appropriate hair and skin care Rejection or taunting by peers Alienated or alienates self from school Child/young person unconfident, watchful or wary of carers/people Child/young person unable to discriminate and likely to put self at risk Self-care skills Severe disability child relies on other people to meet care needs that would normally be met by self-care Child/young person engaged in activities which impact on self-care e.g. substance/alcohol misuse Child/young person s selfcare neglected because of other priorities e.g. substance misuse Offending/substance misuse/sexual activity prevent self-care and impact on vulnerability to exploitation 31

Parenting Capacity Parents have or may have abused/neglected the child/young person Food, warmth and other basics frequently not available Supervision is reckless and dangerous Parent s mental health problems significantly affect care of child/young person Previous child/young persons have been removed from parent s care Parents own needs mean they cannot keep child/young person safe Parent unable to restrict access to home by dangerous adults Child/young person left in care of an adult known or suspected to be at risk to children Parents/carers substance misuse directly impacts on the safety of the child Low warmth, high criticism is an enduring feature of the parenting style Parents persistently apathetic towards child/young person Parents own emotional needs/experiences persistently impact on their ability to meet the child s/young person s needs No age appropriate stimulation Child/young person beyond parental control regularly absconds from home and places self in danger Child/young person has no one to care for him/her No effective boundaries Child/young person out of control in the community Parents/carers behaviour is persistently disruptive, belligerent or anti social Family & Environment There is a history of suspicious child death in the family Family characterised by serious, chronic relationship difficulties Poor/abusive sibling relationships History of rejection Parent/carer has unresolved mental health difficulties which affect the well being of the child Any domestic abuse where the child is in the house or involved; or where there have been two or more incidents regardless of whether the child was present or not Members of the wider family are known to be, or suspected of being, a risk to children Homelessness or imminently so House dangerous or seriously threatening health Family seeking asylum or refugees Extreme financial difficulties impacting on ability to have basic needs met Family chronically socially excluded Significant levels of conflict, volatility within neighbourhood Community are persistently hostile to family Pregnant woman who is suffering domestic abuse 32

Appendix 2 SINGLE ASSESSMENT PART 1 Early Help Assessment 1. IDENTIFYING DETAILS (for Unborn Baby, Infant, Child or Young Person, include contact name for Parent/Carer Please use continuation boxes for further children Name of Child/Young Person AKA Date of birth or EDD Age: Gender M F Unknown GP Parent / Carer Name School/College/Employer Address & Postcode Contact Tel No. Religion Ethnicity Immigration status Language Interpreter/signer Date of Enquiry: Referral relates to Multiple Children Y/N Please complete separate page for each child Referrer details: Name: Agency/School: Address; Email Address: Tel: Signature of referrer: 2. THE NEED FOR AN EARLY HELP ASSESSMENT (i) Why is an Early Help Assessment needed? (ii) What do you hope to achieve from this Assessment? Have you obtained consent from the family to discuss the need for early help and share information with appropriate agencies. YES NO (and they are aware this will be recorded) Have you discussed this with your manager? YES NO Have you attached the chronology of significant events? YES NO

3. FAMILY INFORMATION INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT OTHERS Other adults impacting on the Children Full name DOB/EDD Gender Address Resident in Household Family member or relationship to subject child? e.g. Mother, father, child Ethnic Origin Do they have PR? PID No 4. DEVELOPMENT OF BABY, CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON (Please describe in one or two sentences the key areas of need identified ie Disabled, Young Carer, Educational Attainment, Educational Attendance, School Exclusion, Health, Social Presentation/Relationships/Behavioural Problems/Self Esteem, Emotional Well-being, Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Abuse/Neglect, Pregnancy) Child 1 5. PARENTAL CAPACITY (Please describe in one or two sentences the key areas of need identified, ie Relationship to Subject/Child/PR?, Disability, Learning Disability, Substance Misuse, Domestic Abuse, Mental Well-being, Criminality/Anti-Social Behaviour, At Risk to Children Status, Looked After Child, Pregnancy, How these Affect Parental Capacity) 6. FAMILY AND ENVIRONMENT (Home Conditions, Risk of Homelessness, Household Finances, Parents Employment Status, Number of House Moves - in last 2 years, Anti-Social Behaviour, Relationships in the Community, Support from Extended Family Members, Acknowledgement of Needs, Willingness to Engage in Offers of Support) 34

7. INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER SERVICES Which other services are currently or were previously involved with the child and family (name, agency), if known Child(ren) Name/Agency Purpose Ended when/why? Checks/Outcomes for Child 1 (please update separate page for each child) 8. OTHER INFORMATION - SYSTEMS INFORMATION (completed by First Contact) SSID: Has there been previous Pre CAF, CAF or Single Assessment? Sleuth Capita One 9. DETERMINATION (by First Contact) a) Based on the information gathered above, is a further assessment required to determine if a child is a child in need? Y/N (if yes, please include in actions section 11 below and agree who will do this) b) Does the family meet the Stronger Families Criteria Less than 85% attendance or excluded from school Y/N Workless and/or in receipt of benefit Y/N One or more family member involved in Anti-Social or Criminal behaviour Y/N (If yes to two or more of the above, nominate to Stronger Families) 10. ANALYSIS OF RISK: 35

11. AGREED ACTIONS: what have we agreed will happen, whilst the assessment is ongoing, and who will do this? Action Who When The following actions have been agreed and link to the Durham Staircase Pass to Universal Services Support (Step 1) Yes No Pass to Targeted Services (further drop down with sub-categories) ( Step 2 and 3) Pass to Assessment & Intervention (Step 4) Yes No Immediate Safeguarding (Step 4) Yes No Pass to Integrated Service for Disabled Children (Step 4) Yes No Private Fostering Assessment Required (Step 4) Yes No Nominate for Stronger Families (Steps 1 to 4) Yes No Agreed Actions with Referrer Referrer has been informed in writing/by email of agreed action Yes No Manager has agreed course of action Yes No Manager s name and signature Yes No 36

Date Assessment Started: SINGLE ASSESSMENT PART 2 Full Assessment Date Assessment Completed: Party ID 1. ASSESSMENT WORK PLAN Description of proposed plan for conducting assessment including sessions/meetings/reviews and timescales and shared with the family Agreed Date for QA: Manager's Signature 2. DETAILS OF PERSON UNDERTAKING ASSESSMENT Name: Role: Agency/School: Contact Tel No: Email: Address: 3. FAMILY INFORMATION AND CONSENT I understand the information gathered regarding my family is recorded and will be stored and used for the purpose of providing services to my family. This may include a package of support/services delivered to me and my family as part of the Multi-agency Stronger Families programme. Information will not be shared with others without my consent unless there are clear child protection reasons for doing so or for the purposes of reducing or preventing anti-social behaviour and crime and disorder. I agree to the sharing of information, between the professionals working with me and my family. I do not agree to share information with: I have been informed of the complaint procedure and access to records Name Signature Date 37

4. THE CHRONOLOGY OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS 5. THE GENOGRAM 6. (a) THE CHILD(REN) AND THEIR STORY (follow associated guidance) 6. (b) THE CHILD S WISHES AND FEELINGS 38

7. (a) THE ADULT(S) AND THEIR STORY (follow associated guidance) 7. (b) THE ADULT S WISHES AND FEELINGS 8. FAMILY STRENGTHS AND RESILIENCE 9. CHILD PROTECTION RISKS/THRESHOLD FOR INTERVENTION (including risks associated with family/household) 10. SIGNATURES AND COMMENTS Parent/Carer/Young Person Comments and Signature Name Date Assessor's Signature Name Date 39

11. CARE PLAN 12. MANAGER'S SIGN OFF OF CARE PLAN AND REVIEW DATE Manager's Signature Name Date 40

Referrals re Multiple Children - please complete a separate sheet below for each additional child. 1. IDENTIFYING DETAILS (for Unborn Baby, Infant, Child or Young Person, include contact name for Parent/Carer Please use continuation boxes for further children Name of Child/Young Person AKA Religion Ethnicity Date of birth or EDD Age: Gender M F Unknown GP Parent / Carer Name Immigration status Language Interpreter/signer School/College/Employer Date of Enquiry Address & Postcode Contact Tel No. 3. FAMILY INFORMATION INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT OTHERS Other adults impacting on the Children Full name DOB/EDD Gender Address Resident in Household Family member or relationship to subject child? e.g. Mother, father, child Ethnic Origin Do they have PR? PID No 4. DEVELOPMENT OF BABY, CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON (Please describe in one or two sentences the key areas of need identified ie Disabled, Young Carer, Educational Attainment, Educational Attendance, School Exclusion, Health, Social Presentation/Relationships/Behavioural Problems/Self Esteem, Emotional Wellbeing, Child Sexual Exploitation, Child Abuse/Neglect, Pregnancy) 8. OTHER INFORMATION - SYSTEMS INFORMATION (completed by First Contact) SSID Has there been previous Pre CAF, CAF or Single Assessment? Sleuth Capita One 41

Appendix 3 9. DETERMINATION (by First Contact) a) Based on the information gathered above, is a further assessment required to determine if a child is a child in need? Y/N (if yes, please include in actions section 11 below and agree who will do this) 10. ANALYSIS OF RISK 11. AGREED ACTIONS: what have we agreed will happen, whilst the assessment is ongoing, and who will do this? Action Who When Agreed Actions with Referrer Referrer has been informed in writing/by email of agreed action Yes No Manager has agreed course of action Yes No Manager s name and signature 43

Appendix 3 FLOWCHART 1: SINGLE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES Are you a professional with concerns about a child and/or family? If caller is a parent / carer or other non-professional first contact will identify most appropriate practitioner i.e. Social Worker / One Point Service to carry out single assessment At any stage of the process a decision can be made with the caller and/or TAF to take to a further assessment STAGE 1 Contact First Contact Service to identify Early Help Assessment and Lead Professional (LP). YES Has a Early Help Assessment already been captured? Contact LP to share your concerns / info and agree any additional support. TAF develops care plan to reflect additional needs. The Lead Professional should develop a multi-agency chronology. NO 1 st contact will triage the information from the caller using parts 1-7 of the Early Help Assessment and will identify the level of need on the staricase model. First contact will forward to One Point Service Duty Officer who will identify appropriate support and next steps. STAGE 5 TAF Required STAGE 2 STAGE 4 STAGE 3 Need at STEPS 2,3 Need at STEPS 4 / 5 STAGE 4 TAF Not required First contact will allocate work to the appropriate Assessment and Intervention Team who will carry out further work to identify if a full assessment is required. Where a child's needs are below level 4 and there are ongoing concerns AI will discuss with One Point Duty Officer to agree next steps Where a child is considered to be a child in need at level 4 or 5 Within 10 working days Social Worker will carry out all preliminary enquiries, meet the child and family and chair the 1 st TAF TAFs held at 4-6 weeks. One Point will Coordinate a TAF, arrange invitations and One Point rep. to attend the TAF. The Lead Professional should develop a multi agency chronology with the TAF One Point will agree actions required with the caller and will review in 6 weeks. 43 At 6 mths the TAF will be chaired by a Team Manager/Senior Prac to determine next steps ie escalation to CP/Statutory teams or closure to ONE POINT or other Lead professional

Appendix 4 FLOWCHART 2: ESCALATION Early Help or Full Assessment Completed Initial Team Around the Family Established & Care Plan Agreed Convene subsequent TAF (within 4-6 weeks) & Review Care Plan Review of Care Plan identifies additional or escalating needs Yes No Can another agency or service meet the needs identified? Have Care Plan Objectives been met? No Yes No Yes Invite to TAF, Update Care Plan TAF agree needs have escalated to Level 4/5. Lead Professional to contact First Contact Consider Closure of Case First contact Triage (Refer to Flowchart 1) 44

Appendix 5 FLOWCHART 3: DE -ESCALATION STEP 4/5 Social Worker appointed Lead Professional and Full Assessment completed Team Around Family Established or Social Worker joins if already established. Care Plan Reviewed/Agreed Convene subsequent TAF (within 4-6 weeks) & Review Care Plan TAF to consider have objectives been met and can case be stepped down to Early Help (Step 2/3) No Yes New Lead Professional identified. TAF Review Care Plan. Social Worker to continue to offer advice to the new Lead Professional and TAF as required 45

Appendix 6 A Guide for Professionals on the Sharing of Information NOTE This practical guide is not intended to replace any information sharing protocols which have been agreed between agencies 46

Information sharing consent and the public interest test The importance of effective, relevant and proportionate information sharing to safeguard both adults and children is recognised by both the Safeguarding Children and Adult s Boards in County Durham. Both Serious case reviews and Domestic Homicide reviews frequently comment on either the absence of, or ineffective, information sharing which impacts on the effective risk assessment of a child or an adult s safety. Professionals can lack confidence about when they should share information and whether they need consent to do so. The Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information but provides a framework to ensure that personal information about living persons is shared appropriately. The Children Acts of 1989 and 2004 together with Government guidance, Public Inquiry report findings and UK and European case law recognise that protecting people is inter-disciplinary and requires cooperative partnership and multi-agency collaboration, which includes the exchange of information, which should be multiagency. This sharing of information can involve the relevant sharing of matters recorded on IT systems, the sharing of reports as well as discussions between professionals. Collectively, this helps professionals to make recommendations and appropriate decisions. Below are extracts taken from Caldicott principles, current Government guidance, the Durham Working Together protocol and the Durham LSCB 8 Golden rules which you may find helpful in considering your justification for the sharing of information. The complete documents can be sourced easily through google searches or the Local Safeguarding Children Board website. The position in respect of Caldicott Dame Fiona Caldicott first investigated issues surrounding confidentiality and the use of patient data in the NHS in 1996-97. This saw the introduction of the Caldicott principles and the appointment of Caldicott guardians to take responsibility for the security of confidential information. Dame Fiona has been asked by the Government to review this as the Government is keen to ensure that there is effective information sharing across services. A review panel was established for this purpose. This review has coincided with the publication of a report in April 2013 Information to share or not to share: the information governance review which has been accepted at Government level. 47

This lengthy report addresses several aspects of information sharing, not just about safeguarding adults or children. However the report does recognise the practical issues faced by professionals, evidenced by the following extracts: Chapter 3 Direct care of individuals When it comes to sharing information, a culture of anxiety permeates the health and social care sector. Managers who are fearful that their organisation may be fined for breaching data protection laws are inclined to set unduly restrictive rules for information governance. Front line professionals who are fearful of breaking these rules do not cooperate with each other as much as they would like by sharing in the interests of patients and service users. There is also a lack of trust between the NHS and local authorities and between public and private providers due to perceived and actual differences in information governance practice. This state of affairs is profoundly unsatisfactory and needs to change. 3.6 Sharing personal information effectively is a key requirement of good information governance and cultural change in the health and social care system is key to achieving this. Many projects, pilots and demonstrators have highlighted how sharing information securely can work for the benefit of patients and service users. The review panel found a strong consensus of support among professionals and the public that the safe and appropriate sharing in the interests of the individual s direct care should be the rule not the exception. This has coincided with a new Caldicott principle: That the duty to share personal confidential data can be as important as the duty to respect service user confidentiality. Health and social care professionals should have the confidence to share information in the best interests of their patients within the framework set out by these principles. They should be supported by the policies of their employers, regulators and professional bodies. 3.9 A culture change is needed to encourage sharing of relevant personal confidential data among the registered and regulated health and social care professionals who have a legitimate relationship with the patient or service user. Next steps The Law Commission has announced that it is about to review the law on data sharing between bodies, a report will be published in May 2014. In the interim this most recent review by Dame Caldicott is a valuable contribution to help organisations, and professionals navigate around these often complex issues. As part of the Health and Social Care Act 2012, there will also be a review of the 2008 Department of Health Code of practice around confidentiality. 48

HM Government Information Sharing: Guidance for practitioners and managers (2009) This guidance is still current and applies to both adults and children. The guidance addresses the issue of sharing information without consent when a person s safety is at risk, as well as sharing information for the purposes of the prevention and detection of a crime. Remember if the service user consents to share then the information should be shared. The following extracts should assist in decision making: Paragraph 3.30 It is good practice to seek consent of an adult where possible. All people aged 16 and over are presumed in law to have the capacity to give or withhold their consent to sharing confidential information unless there is evidence to the contrary. Paragraph 3.41 It is not possible to give guidance to cover every circumstance in which the sharing of confidential information without consent will be justified. You must make a judgement on the facts of the individual case. Where there is a clear risk of significant harm to a child or serious harm to an adult, the public interest test will almost certainly be satisfied (except as described in 3.43). There will be other cases where you will be justified in sharing limited confidential information in order to make decisions on sharing further information or taking action the information shared should be necessary for the purpose and be proportionate. Paragraph 3.42 There are some circumstances in which sharing confidential information without consent will normally be justified in the public interest. These are: when there is evidence or reasonable cause to believe that a child is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm; or when there is evidence or reasonable cause to believe that an adult is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, serious harm; or to prevent significant harm to a child or serious harm to an adult, including through the prevention, detection and prosecution of serious crime. Paragraph 3.43 An exception to this would be where an adult with capacity to make decisions (see paragraph 3.30) puts themself at risk but presents no risk of significant harm to children or serious harm to other adults. In this case it may not be justifiable to share information without consent. 49

Extract from the County Durham protocol for Working Together in the delivery of services to adults and children (2010) agreed by all agencies and services in Durham "All organisations and practitioners have a duty of care to service users to share information with others both within and outwith their organisation when to do so would promote the welfare of either the service user and any other individual, be it an adult or child Service User Confidentiality In applying these procedures to their day-to-day work, practitioners and their managers whilst being rightly mindful of the need to retain appropriate standards of confidentiality must always take into account that the need to protect the safety and welfare of others (including those employed by their own and other agencies) is always paramount over any perceived right of confidentiality of the service user. Failure to disclose information to other agencies that would serve to protect any other person is not justifiable under any circumstances and liable to result in disciplinary measures The LSCB Eight golden rules "Share with consent where appropriate and, where possible, respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information. You should go ahead and share information without consent if, in your judgement, that lack of consent can be overridden in the public interest, or where a child is at risk of significant harm. You will need to base your judgement on the facts of the case. Note This golden rule is also recognised in the HM Government guidance above and is also relevant for issues concerning adults. The practical implications for professionals In child and adult safeguarding it is essential that all agencies tasked with statutory safeguarding responsibilities are able to assess the family and social circumstances. Safeguarding involves: Assessing family and environmental factors such as family history and functioning (including life style). The family s peer groups, friendships and social networks Wider family connections and the family s social integration The assessment of harm for children and adults may include an analysis of a single incident or event or a compilation of incidents, both acute and long standing, which interrupt, change or damage a child s physical and psychological development or pose adult safeguarding concerns. Experience has shown that: A single agency or service is unlikely to develop or access all the relevant information which helps to assess the risk of harm. 50

Risk assessment is a continuous, dynamic process. Risk can change quickly, sometimes daily and because of this different agencies or services will have information which, if shared, may escalate or even reduce risk. The public and Government expect agencies and services to share information to protect adults and children and trust professionals to do the right thing. This is a judgement call for the professional, commonly referred to as making a proportionate response. So what should be shared? Remember agencies across County Durham are committed to delivering Early Help in safeguarding. This relies on effective information sharing at an early stage to prevent matters escalating. In safeguarding, the ability to share information without consent, or in the public interest, centres on 2 factors: Whether there is evidence or reasonable cause to believe that someone is suffering, or is at risk of suffering, significant harm And/or To prevent significant harm to someone, including through the prevention, detection and prosecution of serious crime In any given circumstances, both these factors may be present or only one. Professionals must recognise that the information sharing factors do not rely on a professional having evidence of significant harm. Having a reasonable cause to believe that information sharing is necessary to prevent someone from suffering significant harm in the future is equally important. This is what we call Early help When a child or adult is exposed to physical or sexual abuse, professionals generally recognise this as significant harm and will share this information. However there are situations, often relating to the parents of the child or connected with the child s or adult s home or family circumstances, where professionals SHOULD share information. Often this is linked to problems around alcohol and drug use, domestic abuse or parents who may have mental health problems. For children these are often referred to as the toxic mix of risk indicators. The sharing of information is also necessary where parents are failing to address their responsibilities to cloth, feed and nurture a child. 51

The sharing of information under both circumstances is proportionate and necessary to help professionals understand how this may impact on children and adults and to assist agencies to coordinate the right support, at the right time. The sharing of information can be compared to making a jigsaw. You may only have one piece, whilst other agencies may have other pieces. Through information sharing we build the jigsaw, see the picture and then make the right decisions. 52

SINGLE ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES TEAM AROUND THE FAMILY (TAF) Appendix 7 Is this the INITIAL TAF Meeting or the TAF REVIEW Meeting Name of Child or Young Person Date of Birth Date and Time of Meeting Venue Invited Present Yes/No Apologies 53

TEAM AROUND THE FAMILY CARE PLAN (to be completed at the Initial Team Around the Family Meeting) 1. 2. 3. CHILD S NEEDS ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED Health: Education: CARE PLAN OBJECTIVES What 3 key objectives do we want to achieve: ACTION BY WHO DESIRED OUTCOME Attachment: Child Development: Safety: Other: PARENT S NEEDS ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED Parenting Skills: ACTION BY WHO DESIRED OUTCOME Mental Health: Domestic Abuse: Substance Misuse: Inter-Personal Relationship: FAMILY & COMMUNITY ISSUE TO BE ADDRESSED Unemployment: ACTION BY WHO DESIRED OUTCOME Financial: Crime/ASB: Housing: Community/Family Network: Other: How will we know when things have improved? 54

What will we be looking for when we review? Views of the parent/carer/child/young person INITIAL TEAM AROUND THE FAMILY WELL BEING SCALE: Child/Young person: Give the above information can you rate your well being on a scale of 1-10 1 = your worries are bound to continue Rating 10 = you are doing well enough that no professional involvement is required Parents/Carers: Given the above information can you rate the child/young person s well being on a scale of 1-10 01= your worries are bound to continue Rating 10 = you are doing well enough that no professional involvement is required Name & Signature of Child & Date Name & Signature of Parent & Date Name & Signature of Lead Professional & Date Email Address Agency/Relationship Address Contact Telephone Number Date of Next Review TAF CARE PLAN REVIEW MEETING What has improved since the last Team Around the Family-. Include the views of the parent/carer/child/young person 55

REVIEW OF CARE PLAN Action agreed at Previous Meeting Progress Action Completed When Have all Care Plan objectives been met & can the Single Assessment be closed? Yes No (if no, complete section below) Reason for closure Agreed review date New Actions Identified Who Desired Outcome Timescale When TEAM AROUND THE FAMILY REVIEW WELL BEING SCALE Child/Young person: Give the above information can you rate your well being on a scale of 1-10 1 = your worries are bound to continue Rating 10 = you are doing well enough that no professional involvement is required Parents/Carers: Given the above information can you rate the child/young person s well being on a scale of 1-10 01= your worries are bound to continue Rating 10 = you are doing well enough that no professional involvement is required 56

Name & Signature of Child & Date Name & Signature of Parent & Date Name & Signature of Lead Professional & Date Email Address Agency/Relationship Address Contact Telephone Number Date of Next Review 57

Appendix 8 TEAM AROUND THE FAMILY - CARE PLAN NAME OF CHILD(REN):... DATE:... OVERALL AIM OF THE PLAN (state up to 3 key objectives that this plan will achieve): 1. 2. 3. 58

CHILD S NEEDS: State the issue to be addressed Action required Who is responsible How will we know goals have been achieved? Timescale and end dates Health Education Attachment Child Development Safety Other 59

PARENTS NEEDS: State the issue to be addressed Action required Who is responsible How will we know goals have been achieved? Timescale and end dates Parenting Skills Mental Health Domestic Abuse Substance Misuse Alcohol Misuse Inter-personal relationship 60

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY State the issue to be addressed Action required Who is responsible How will we know goals have been achieved? Timescale and end dates Unemployment Financial Housing ASB Community / Family Network Other 61

VIEWS AND COMMENTS BY PARENTS / CHILDREN: 62

SIGNATURES: Parents:.. Date:..... Date:... Child / Young Person:.. Date:... Lead Professional:.. Date:... Team Manager:.. Date:... Team Manager s Comments: 63

GLOSSARY OF TERMS ABC Acceptable Behaviour Contract ACCOMMODATION (Children Act 1989, Section 20) Local Authorities are required by legislation to provide accommodation for children who require it under s 20 of the Children Act. ASBO s Anti Social Behaviour Orders ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK This is a shorthand term for guidance contained within the Framework for the Assessment of children in need and their families. This is national guidance published in 1999 setting out a detailed framework for achieving consistency and quality in assessments and planning for children in need. SAF The Single Assessment Framework. This follows a similar format to Initial and Core Assessments, but it is designed to be carried out by any professional, and is simple and straightforward to complete. The purpose of the SAF is to ensure that additional needs are identified and assessed at the earliest opportunity, so that when necessary services can be offered and coordinated. The ultimate aim is prevent problems becoming more serious through early intervention. It is a simple assessment to determine whether the child would benefit from a coordinated plan. If such is plan is necessary, a Lead Professional will be agreed, to coordinate the services offered by the Team around the Family. CARE LEAVERS Entitlement to Services under the Leaving Care Act 2000 extend to all young people who meet the criteria. See YPS procedures CARE PROCEEDINGS Care Proceedings refer to the Local Authority making an application for a Legal Order under the 1989 Children Act. CARER This is a general term for anyone looking after a child or young person. A carer can be a parent, a step parent, a relative, a private foster carer, or a foster carer CHILD IN NEED Under Section 17 (10) of the Children Act 1989, a child is a Child in Need if: He/she is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for him/her of services by a local authority; 64

His/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him/her of such services; or He/she is disabled. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES PARTNERSHIP The County Durham Children & Families Partnership works to ensure effective services are delivered in the most efficient ways to improve the lives of children, young people and families in County Durham. CHILD SUBJECT TO CHILD PROTECTION PLAN Children who are judged to be risk of continuing harm, and who have been the subject of a child protection conference, will have a child protection plan. CHILD / YOUNG PERSON A child or young person is aged up 18 years with specific reference the Children Act 1989. The general duties of Local Authority towards children and young people come to an end when the young person is 18. Formerly Relevant young adults under the Leaving Care Act 2000 receive support from the Young People s Service until the age of 21 (24 if in continuing education) DISABLED CHILDREN The Disabled Children and Families Service carries out specialist social care functions in relation to children who meet the criteria (see Eligibility Criteria). Under the Children Act 1989 a child is disabled "if he is blind, deaf or dumb or suffers from a mental disorder of any kind, or is substantially and permanently handicapped by illness, injury or congenital deformity or such other disability as may be prescribed". Defining children's needs only in relation to the type or severity of their disability does not have regard to the social context in which the impairments become disabling for the child and his/her family. Under the Children Act disabled children are "children first" and are always regarded as children in need. DURHAM LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN BOARD (LSCB) The Durham LSCB is a statutory partnership which is responsible for ensuring effective interagency arrangements for safeguarding children. LEAD PROFESSIONAL SAF The role of the Lead Professional is to co-ordinate actions and services and share information with appropriate workers who are or will be providing support to a child or young person. The Lead Professional will be the worker with the most relevant skills and experience, who is known to child and family and they will be responsible for coordinating services of the Team around the Family (TAF). LOOKED AFTER Looked After means a child/young person who is in the care of the local authority. Some children on a legal order living at home or with a close relative may be Looked After. There are technical and legal definitions; a looked after child can be 65

accommodated voluntarily or under a legal order. The Local Authority has specific and extensive responsibilities for Looked after Children Looked After Procedures ONE POINT SERVICE The One Point Service has been set up to deliver an integrated service to all children and their families from pre-birth to the age of 19 with the aim of improving outcomes. The overall aim of this service is to provide early help and support to children and families to reduce inequalities in children s health, wellbeing and achievement and to deliver tailored and progressive support to children, young people and families when their needs require it. PRIVATE FOSTERING Children and young people sometimes live with a carer who is not a close relative. This could be a family friend, a neighbour, or a more a distant relative. If this is likely to continue for more than 28 days then there is a legal requirement for the Local Authority to assess the suitability of the arrangement, and to keep in regular contact with the young person concerned. RISK TO CHILDREN Adults convicted of certain offences are designated as a risk to children. Adults who fall into this category who have close contact with children may be subject to action to ensure the safety of any children with whom they have contact. TEAM AROUND THE FAMIILY (TAF) A Team around the Family (TAF) is convened whenever a SAF identifies that the child has needs requiring the support of more than one organisation or service. It is a response to the need for joined up services and the need to provide a more integrated approach within existing resources. The TAF provides a network of support and brings together relevant practitioners with the family to address the child or young person s needs. The team works together to plan co-ordinated support from agencies to address problems in a holistic way. THINK FAMILY Think Family means taking a broader view by ensuring that both parents and children are able to get the support they need, at the right time, to help their children achieve good outcomes. It means making sure that families receive integrated, coordinated, multi-agency, solution focused support. By identifying problems early, all services can work closely together to help prevent a family s needs escalating and requiring more intensive intervention. 66