Transcript CAF PRACTITIONER TRAINING

CAF PRACTITIONER TRAINING
WELCOME
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ML22.05.09
By the end of the day, you will
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Be prepared for undertaking your first CAF
Have an understanding of the CAF process
as part of Integrated Working
Have an understanding of the CAF form
Have an understanding of the Lead
Professional role and the Team Around the
Child
Have a ‘Next Steps’ Plan
Programme overview
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Introduction
National & Local Context
Information Sharing exercise
CAF Overview
Steps of the CAF process
CAF form familiarisation
Lead Professional & Team Around the Child
Next Steps
Close
Please be aware of:
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Confidentiality/Caldicott principles
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Respect for each others views and learning
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Diversity issues
National And Local Context
Why are we here
today?
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DRIVERS FOR CHANGE
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National agenda for Integrated Working
CAF has been adopted by the Children’s
Trust for all children’s services
National Information Sharing Guidance
Derbyshire Information Sharing Protocol
Issues arising from the
Laming Inquiry (2003)
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Poor communication between agencies
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Professionals working in isolation
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Managers unaware of frontline situations
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Variation/confusion about sharing information
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Quality of assessments/assessments not shared by
professionals
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No one person saw the complete picture
Serious Case Reviews: Families
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Drugs and Alcohol
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Mental Health Difficulties
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Domestic Violence
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Learning Difficulties
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Hostility and Aggression
Serious Case Reviews: Practice Issues
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Children not being listened to
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Recognising risk and symptoms of abuse
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Reluctance to share information
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Accepting standards of care that would not be ‘good enough’
elsewhere
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False optimism – rely too much on what parents tell us
Serious Case Reviews: Practice Challenges
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Multi-agency responses in place to deal with young people
at risk of suicide and self-harm
Use of CAF/Lead Professional systems
Safeguarding procedures apply to young people up to the
age of 18
Closure of cases – new protocol required
Adult Health Services providing for 16 and 17 year olds to
be reviewed
Police: new systems to identify vulnerability in older young
people
Working with hostile families – review effectiveness
Local Issues from within Derbyshire
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Dartington research 2003
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only 1 in 4 children with needs identified by any
agency
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Services were continually referring on to other
agencies without carrying out any work with the
family
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As a result of the above children were reaching
the threshold of specialist intervention therefore
CRISIS point
Key Principles
Every Child Matters
– Being Healthy
– Staying Safe
– Enjoying and Achieving
– Making a Positive Contribution
– Achieving Economic Well-being
Common Children’s Workforce
‘everyone who works with children and young people
and their families – or who is responsible for their outcomes’
Integrated working
‘everyone supporting children and young people,
work together effectively to put the child at the centre,
meet their needs and improve their lives.’
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Integrated Working
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CAF
Team Around the Child
Information Sharing
Integrated Working
Children’s Directory
eCAF (2011)
ContactPoint (2010)
Information Sharing
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Exercise
Information Sharing Pocket Guide
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Seven golden rules for Information Sharing
1. Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing
information
2. Be open and honest
3. Seek advice
4. Share with consent where appropriate
5. Consider safety and well-being
6. Necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate,
timely and secure
7. Keep a record.
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Common Assessment Framework
‘The CAF form is a standardised tool used
to conduct an assessment of a child or
young person’s additional needs and helps
practitioners to decide how those needs
should be met. It is used by practitioners
across children’s services in England.’ (CWDC)
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a process for undertaking a common assessment
pre-assessment checklist
a standard form
When?
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The Common Assessment Framework process should be
followed if a child’s needs are unclear or has additional needs
that require a multi-disciplinary and co-ordinated team
approach, unless there are immediate safeguarding concerns
(when safeguarding procedures must be followed).
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With full consent of child’s parent or carer, or of a young person
The CAF as part of
a continuum
Multiple needs met by
All needs met by internal
multiple
services or by referral
to
Additional
Needs agencies CAF is
Essential, along with
other internal agency e.g.
Single Practitioner
Integrated support
Action Plan & Lead
CAF may be useful but not
Professional
essential
Children with no
identified
additional needs
Complex Needs
Universal Services
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Integrated support
from Statutory or
specialist services
Essential support mechanisms
Team Around the Child (TAC)
 Young person
 Parent(s) or Carers
 Agencies or professionals currently or recently involved with the
child/young person
 Those who may need to become involved
Lead Professional (LP)
 Family’s preferred link with the Team Around the Child
 Co-ordinating role for the Team Around the Child
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Positive change
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Better outcomes for children are more likely to be achieved when
parents and practitioners hold a common perspective about the
difficulties facing the family.
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Completing a CAF with the family should lead to a broad agreement
about the difficulties as well as highlighting the strengths.
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A common perspective on the family’s strengths and difficulties is
more likely to result in appropriate services being provided and a
better take-up of those services.
5-Step model
1. Preparation
2. Assessment
3. Planning
4. Delivery
5. Review
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5 key steps to CAF
Step 1 – Preparation
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Pre-assessment checklist
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Enquire if CAF already exist (Making Links team - 01629
532242)
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Discuss with child/parent if CAF would be useful
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Seek consent to share information
5 key steps to CAF
Step 2 - Assessment
Begin assessment with the child/family
Focus on areas of STRENGTH as well as need
Talk to the family about things that are important to
them
Ensure that their views are recorded in the CAF
Share views and ideas to clarify issues and develop
solutions
“Gives them as individuals a real voice; even when a parent
and teenager have different viewpoints” Signpost worker
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5 key steps to CAF
Step 3 - Planning
Arrange the Team Around the Child meeting…
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A STRONG recommendation within 10 days of the completion of CAF
Invite the necessary parties including the parent, child, CAF originator and
any other services involved with the family.
Gather information from those unable to attend
Discuss content of CAF and complete any missing information
Agree and record action plan
Select Lead Professional
Arrange date/venue of review meeting
Ensure all necessary signatures are on CAF
Pass a copy of the completed CAF (including action plan) to Making Links
Team
5 key steps to CAF
Step 4 - Delivery
• Deliver agreed action
 Each agency is responsible for the delivery of their
own service
 As co-ordinator the Lead Professional is only
responsible for ensuring each agency has a copy of
the action plan agreed at the TAC meeting and to link
with the family
“ They used a CAF and everyone started to talk to each other”
Young Person, Youth Reach, Derbyshire
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5 key steps to CAF
Step 5 - Review
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Lead Professional to convene TAC review meeting
Review the progress of the child/young person and
the service delivery
Revise action plan
Send reviewed action plan and other changes in
information since last review to Making Links team
“She was a real Godsend – I was really worried that I’d be
dumped again by people that were supposed to be helping me
sort out stuff but ……was there to speak to on the end of the
phone”
Parent, Amber Valley
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Notes for use: If you are completing form electronically, text boxes will expand to fit your text
Where check boxes appear, insert an ‘X’ in those that apply.
The CAF Form
Identifying details
Record details of unborn baby, infant, child or young person being assessed. If unborn, state name as ‘unborn baby’ and
mother’s name, e.g. unborn baby of Ann Smith.
AKA1/previous names
Name
Male
Female
Date of birth or EDD 2
Unknown
Address
Contact tel. no.
Unique ref. no.
Version no.
Postcode
Religion
Ethnicity
White British
Caribbean
Indian
White & Black
Caribbean
Chinese
White Irish
African
Pakistani
White & Black
African
Any other
ethnic group*
Any other
White
background*
Any other
Black
background*
Bangladeshi
White & Asian
Not given
Any other Asian
background*
Any other mixed
background*
*If other, please specify
Immigration status
Child’s first language
Parent’s first language
Does the child have a disability?
Yes
No
If ‘yes’ give details
Is an interpreter or signer required?
Details of any special requirements
(for child and/or their parent)
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1 ‘Also known as’
2 Expected date of delivery
Yes
No
Has this been arranged?
Yes
No
Consent to share and record
Consent is the key to successful information sharing.
Even where the Data Protection Act does not demand it.
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Must be informed
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Should normally be explicit
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Must be willing and not inferred from a non response
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Must be sought again if things change significantly
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Can be withdrawn
Rationale for Lead Professional
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Lord Laming suggests that the lead professional is central to the
effective delivery of integrated services to children who require
support from a number of practitioners.
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It helps to overcome some of the frustrations traditionally
experienced by children and families with a range of needs e.g.
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numerous lengthy meetings;
lack of co-ordination;
conflicting and confusing advice;
not knowing who to speak to;
the right support not being available at the right time.
It can also help alleviate the frustrations often felt by practitioners
in accessing other services.
Lead Professional - exercise
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Card sort
Lead Professionals
Are not:
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Responsible or accountable for ensuring the delivery
of other services
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To be used by other involved professionals as a
method of communication back to the child or family.
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Necessarily a permanent fixture
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On their own.
Lead Professional
duties and responsibilities
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Act as a primary point of contact for the child or
family
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To facilitate the co-ordination of service provision
(ensuring all parties have up to date copies of the
action plan)
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To support arrangement of meetings and reviews
Choosing the
Lead Professional
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In discussion with the Team Around the Child, the
most appropriate person should be selected taking
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The child’s needs
Relationships with the young person/child or family
Level of involvement
Ability to fulfil the role
*They should have completed the CAF training.
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The role is transferable where appropriate
Safeguarding
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Although the Lead Professional will likely have a
good overall picture of the child’s needs, all
members of the team around the child have a
responsibility for protecting the child from significant
harm.
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If any professional suspects the child is at risk of
significant harm, it is their individual responsibility to
report this to Children’s Social Care.
District Information
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To be kept up to date locally.
How does the Making Links team
help you?
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Provide CAF tracking service
Basic quality and safeguard check
Support organisations adopt and embed CAF
Supporting materials on DCC website
What is your next step?
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Review caseload – identify children/young people
in need of a CAF
Discuss CAF at supervision
Discuss CAF with your managers
Identify CAF users
Identify a CAF mentor within your service
Keep up to date with ECM,DFCS, DoH websites
Keep in touch with people you met today
Making Link Team Details
Making Links Team
Room 391 North Block
County Hall
Matlock
Derbyshire
DE4 3AG
Tel:01629 532242
Email – [email protected]
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