Sharing and Assessment Integrated Working through Information Sharing and Assessment Welcome!

Group agreement Confidentiality Respect Ask questions Mobile phones Time keeping Handouts Venue information

Programme outline Day 1 Day 2 Module 1 – Integrated Working and Information Sharing Module 2 – the Common Assessment Framework, Part I Day 2 Module 3 – the Common Assessment Framework, Part II Module 4 – The Lead Professional

Why do we need an Integrated approach? Victoria Climbié Known to 3 Local Authorities Unknown to any education dept. Known to 12 different agencies Died aged 8 as a result of extreme neglect She had 128 injuries at the time of her death Lord Laming Inquiry - looked at why at least 12 chances to save Victoria's life were missed by local authorities, by doctors and the police. Lord Laming’s Inquiry- offered 108 recommendations.

Every Child Matters (ECM) Outcomes Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well being

Children Act 2004 Legal framework for Every Child Matters and Laming Section 10 – Duty on the local authority promote co-operation with key partner agencies to promote the welfare of children in their area. Section 11 – Statutory duty to safeguard & promote the welfare of children. Section 12 – Establish an Index (ContactPoint) containing basic details about children and young people to enable better sharing of information – NB – ContactPoint was discontinued in June 2010 Section 53 –Children’s Social Care to take reasonable steps to find out children’s wishes and feelings when assessing a child ‘in need’ and a child at risk of ‘significant harm’. This should also happen in Common Assessments

ECM: Change for Children Central government programme to safeguard and promote children’s welfare Includes ‘Integrated Working’ Three interdependent elements: The Common Assessment Framework The Lead Professional Information Sharing

Benefits of Integrated Working Earlier holistic identification of needs Earlier more effective intervention Improved information sharing across agencies Faster delivery of service for the child Better service experience for children and their families Benefits for practitioners and organisations

Barriers to effective Integrated Working Lack of confidence about what, how and when to share information Lack of common guidance on information sharing across services Communication difficulties Not knowing who to contact for support on information sharing Professional ‘silos’ Professional hierarchies Lack of understanding of different agency roles and responsibilities Competing or conflicting targets

Guiding principles for front-line staff Promoting the well-being and safeguarding children from harm is everyone’s business Be proactive – identify concerns as early as possible and initiate actions Follow LSCB procedures if concerned about significant harm Be holistic – think about the child in context Consider all potential sources of support Involve families in decisions that affect them Information sharing

Information Sharing

Seven Golden Rules for Information Sharing Remember that the Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information Be open and honest  3. Seek advice if you are in any doubt 4. Share with consent where appropriate 5. Consider safety and well-being  6. Necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure 7. Keep a record of your decision

Who can give or refuse consent? A person aged over 16 A child under 16 who has the capacity to understand and make their own decisions, may give (or refuse) consent to sharing information We need to ask ourselves whether they are of sufficient age and understanding to make the decision When weighing this up, we also need to consider what are the reasonably foreseeable consequences for the young person of deciding one way or another

Sharing information Information can generally be shared if…. it is not confidential Confidential information can be shared if…. authorised by the person who provided it or to whom it relates Evidence of, or reasonable cause to believe a child is suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm To prevent significant harm to children or serious harm to adults. Refer to or consult Children’s Services immediately if concerned about abuse Confidential information can be shared - even if not authorised by the person - if justified in the public interest….

Consent Consent: Must be informed Should normally be explicit but can be implied (written is preferable but can be verbal) Must be clear and not inferred from a non response Must be sought again if things change significantly Can be withdrawn – fully or partially Practitioners must: Use clear accessible language Explain there are times when confidentiality can not be maintained Be aware of relevant legislation Follow local policies and protocols.

What is confidential information? Confidential information is: information of some sensitivity; information which is not already lawfully in the public domain or readily available from another public source; information which has been shared in a relationship where the person giving the information understood that it would not be shared with others.

Information sharing Not all information about families is confidential At the time of collecting a person’s information, inform them about: Why you require it. Whether it may be shared with other departments and external organisations. What information is to be shared. How it may be held e.g. electronic system/ paper records. Who has access to it.

Key points about Info Sharing - 1 Explain openly and honestly at the outset what information will or could be shared and why Seek agreement The child’s safety and welfare must be the overriding consideration Respect the wishes of children or families who do not consent to share confidential information – unless there is sufficient need to override this Seek advice if in doubt

Key points about Info Sharing - 2 Ensure information is accurate, up to date, and relevant to the purpose Share only with those who need to see it and shared securely Check whether the recipient intends to pass the information on Always record the reasons for your decision Confidentiality is never a reason for not sharing information if this is in the child’s interests

Information Sharing and the Law Common law duty of confidence Human Rights Act 1998 (articles 8.1 & 8.2) Data Protection Act 1998 Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (s115) NB none of the above creates an absolute right to privacy. Information will need to be shared if a child or adult is at risk of significant harm or impairment.

Parental Responsibility All Birth Mothers Birth Fathers if… Married to the child’s mother (before or after child’s birth) Parental Responsibility Agreement Named on birth certificate - children born after 1st Dec 2003 Residence (s.8 CA 1989) or PR Order (s.2 CA 1989) Step parents by written agreement with birth parents (if married/civil partnership with a birth parent) Adopters Others - through court application, e.g. Residence and Special Guardianship Orders - Members of extended family, step parents (if application opposed) and foster carers Local Authorities - through Emergency Protection, Interim Care and Care Orders

Guidelines for access to files A parent with parental responsibility can request access to their child’s information This is not an automatic right and may need to be weighed against potential risks to a child or adult ‘Gillick competent’ children under 16 may consent to or veto parental access to their information In cases of intimate partner violence: Has a court ordered disclosure/non disclosure of information? Would disclosure escalate domestic abuse? Always record your reasons for sharing or not sharing information

Key principles underlying a decision to share information Is there a legitimate purpose for sharing information? Does the information enable a person to be identified? Is the information confidential? Do you have consent to share? Is there a statutory obligation or court order to share? Is there sufficient public interest to share? If you share, is it the right information in the right way? Have you properly recorded your decision and action taken?

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) – Part I

What is the Common Assessment Framework (CAF)? A key part of the Every Child Matters: Change for Children Programme A Standard national approach to identifying need at the earliest opportunity Used across the entire children’s workforce It should ensure that EVERY child/young person receives any additional services they need at the earliest opportunity

What is the Common Assessment Framework? continued… A simple pre-assessment checklist to help practitioners identify children/young people who would benefit from a common assessment; A process for undertaking a common assessment, to help practitioners gather and understand information about the needs and strengths of the child and family A standard form to help practitioners record, and, where appropriate, to share with others, the findings from the assessment

Complex Needs Additional Needs No Additional Needs Level 3 - Specialist Services Level 2 - Targeted Services Level 1 - Universal Services

Family & Environmental Health Emotional and social development Behavioural development Identity Family and social relationships Self-care skills and independence Learning Basic care, ensuring safety and protection Emotional warmth and stability Guidance, boundaries and stimulation Parents and Carers Development of Child Family & Environmental Family history, functioning and well-being Wider family Housing, employment and financial Social & community elements and resources, including education

Basic principles of an effective common assessment Assessment should be: Child/young person centred Non-discriminatory Collaborative – work with the C/YP/family Continuous – ongoing process rather than a one-off event Progressive Transparent – be clear, open and honest Consensual Current – valid and reliable Sufficient and informative Grounded in evidence Consider strengths as well as needs

What are additional needs? Continuum of Needs and Services – A Common Model For All Agencies Information sharing, Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and lead professional support across the continuum: Lead Professional from this point Lead Professional Consultation Group Statutory or specialist assessments from this point I = Identification and action T = Transition N = Needs met Level 2 Level 1 Level 3 Fast track through levels when serious injury/allegation or high level of concern from any agency.

Examples of Indicators of Additional Needs and Complex Needs Children with additional needs (Level 2) might include: Disruptive or anti-social behaviour Overt parental conflict or lack of parental support/boundaries Involvement in or risk of offending Poor school attendance/exclusion Experiencing bullying Special educational needs Disabilities Disengagement post-16 Poor nutrition Ill-health Substance misuse Anxiety or depression Housing issues Pregnancy and parenthood Children with complex needs (Level 3) include: When there is a child protection plan Children in care Care leavers Severe and complex educational needs Children with complex disabilities or complex health needs Diagnosed with significant mental health problems Young offenders involved with youth justice services( community and custodial) Children/young people in need and/or at risk of significant harm(s17 and 47 Children Act 1989) Children/Young people for whom adoption is the plan

Aims and principles of the CAF A standard national approach Assessment to support earlier intervention A process supported by a standard form Holistic CAF cannot guarantee service provision Empowering and a joint process Simple and practical Focuses on needs and strengths Improve joint working and communication Rationalise assessments Support the sharing of information Support better referrals, where appropriate Principles Aims

Who will use the CAF? Every practitioner should: Be able to recognise and respond to key signs of need Know the CAF basics Know how to have a CAF completed or how to complete one Every agency will train some staff to complete common assessments Where more than one practitioner is involved, one will take the lead (the Lead Professional) Agencies (statutory, community or voluntary) include: Health Children’s Services Connexions Children’s Centres Early Years Schools Police and Youth Justice Housing Adult Services

When to undertake a common assessment You could undertake a common assessment when it will help a child to achieve one or more of the five priority outcomes. Follow Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures where appropriate Likely to be of help when: There are concerns about progress Needs are unclear Needs cannot be met by a universal service alone e.g. the School or the GP Need not be done when: Progress is good Needs are identified and being met successfully by the universal service alone Needs are already being met through an existing CAF or specialist provision

Steps of the CAF process Preparation: Identify whether the child or young person may have additional needs Contact the ISA Team to see if a common assessment already exists With the child/parent, decide if a common assessment would be helpful (or needs updating if it already exists) Note: The pre assessment checklist can support professional judgement in making this decision If a common assessment would be helpful, seek the consent of the child/parent to proceed

Steps of the CAF process CAF discussion Undertake the assessment together in a child centred way Work together to understand issues and develop solutions Focus on strength as well as need Consider the needs of the individual child Delivery and Review Determine and deliver interventions to meet identified needs Appoint a Lead Professional if relevant Review on an ongoing basis

Child and family Step1 Preparation Step 2 Discussion Needs met? Identify whether the child may have additional needs, possibly by using the CAF Checklist Step 2 Discussion Gather and analyse information on strengths and needs using the CAF Needs met? Close involvement Needs not met? Return to stage 2 or consider alternative approaches Child and family Step 3 Delivery Decide on action plan to meet identified needs. Share information. Appoint a LP if relevant. Step 4 Ongoing monitoring and review by those involved

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) Part II

Family & Environmental Health Emotional and social development Behavioural development Identity Family and social relationships Self-care skills and independence Learning Basic care, ensuring safety and protection Emotional warmth and stability Guidance, boundaries and stimulation Parents and Carers Development of Child Family & Environmental Family history, functioning and well-being Wider family Housing, employment and financial Social & community elements and resources, including education

CAF and specialist assessments Threshold cannot be crossed without CAF (except emergency CP) CAF must be registered  

Structure of Children’s Services in Barking and Dagenham Quality and School Improvement Children’s Policy & Trust Commissioning Safeguarding and Rights Integrated Family Services

Critical thinking in assessment What are the unmet needs? What am I basing this view on? Have I used a framework to think about the needs? Have I checked out my concerns with others (and do they share these?) Could my own biases have had an influence? How does the family see the problem? What are the child’s wishes and feelings?

A Child ‘In Need’ he is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of services by a local authority... (b) his health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him of such services; or (c) he is disabled. (Children Act 1989, section 17.1) ‘Development’ means physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development; and “health” means physical or mental health.

Some pointers on significant harm Is the child at risk of harm? Is it significant? The OED describes significant as ‘considerable, note worthy, or of importance’. Think about severity, intent and chronic effects Is the harm attributable to: Parental care not being what it would be reasonable for a parent to provide for this child? Child beyond parental control Impairment caused by seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another

Some stages in an interview Introductions Rapport building Open questions Focused questions Closure

Common language for the CAF Language used for the CAF should be: Plain simple English Understandable by the child and/or their parent Understandable by all other practitioners Free from jargon and with any acronyms explained Emphasising that common assessment is undertaken with the child/parent at the centre of the process Supportive and encouraging Focused on strengths as well as needs Based around the language used in the CAF guidance

Partnership What are nine things we can do to demonstrate to a parent that we are working in partnership with them Note a word or short phrase (5 words max) in each box on the worksheet

What helps in developing partnership - 1 Families want to be shown respect, trust and to have their point of view acknowledged Co operation between workers and families should be developed at the outset An emphasis should be placed on building the strengths of the family. Turnell and Edwards 1999

What helps in developing partnership - 2 Families need to know: Why we are there What we want them to change Why we want them to change How we will measure change What powers we have What (if anything) will happen if things don’t change Source: Ivanoff et al, 1995

What children want - 1 Introduce yourself. Tell us who you are. What your job is. Give us as much information as you can. Tell us what is wrong with our mum or dad. Tell us what is going to happen next. Talk to us and listen to us. Remember it is not hard to speak to us. We are not aliens. Ask us what we know, and what we think. We live with our mum or dad. We know how they have been behaving. Barnardo’s 2007 (study in Merseyside of young carers of parents with mental illnesses) A group of young carers in Merseyside (Barnardo’s 2007) came up with following 10 messages as a simple checklist for practitioners who come into contact with families where a parent has mental health problems:

What children want - 2 Tell us it is not our fault. We can feel really guilty if our mum or dad is ill. We need to know we are not to blame. Please don’t ignore us. Remember we are part of the family and we live there too! Keep on talking to us and keeping us informed. We need to know what is happening. Tell us if there is anyone we can talk to. MAYBE IT COULD BE YOU. Barnardo’s 2007 (study in Merseyside of young carers of parents with mental illnesses)

Coordinating Delivery The Team Alongside the Family (TAF) and the role of the Lead Professional (LP)

Child and family Step1 Preparation Step 2 Discussion Needs met? Identify whether the child may have additional needs, possibly by using the CAF Checklist Step 2 Discussion Gather and analyse information on strengths and needs using the CAF Needs met? Close involvement Needs not met? Return to stage 2 or consider alternative approaches Child and family Step 3 Delivery Determine and deliver interventions to meet identified needs. Appoint a LP if relevant. Step 4 Review process

The CAF key steps – Service delivery 1: Preparation 2: Discussion 3: Service delivery Likely common assessment outcomes: Concern resolved or Actions agreed for single agency with child/parent or Actions require multi-agency response or Level Three needs are identified If more than one agency needs to be involved: Assessor arranges meeting with relevant professionals Team comes together with the family and appoints a LP Agree a multi-agency plan (and record on the CAF form) Make referrals or broker access to other services if needed (use the CAF form as evidence of need) Monitor and review progress

Multi-agency working: The Team Alongside the Family (TAF) Effective multi- agency working and the Lead Professional are key elements of improving outcomes for children, young people and their families Team Alongside the Family (TAF) is a framework for multi- agency working with children with additional needs The TAF brings together relevant practitioners with the child/young person and/or their family to address any unmet needs The team works together to plan coordinated support from agencies

Team Alongside the Family (TAF) The TAF framework aims to achieve the following for the child/family: They are fully involved in all decisions regarding the help and support they receive Parents/carers, and where appropriate, the child are equally valued members of the TAF Coordinated, seamless support is provided to the family Practice is child-centred and focussed on solutions Empowers child / family Key to the TAF approach is the role of the Lead Professional (LP)

The rationale for a Lead Professional The Lead Professional is central to the effective delivery of integrated services to children who require support from a number of practitioners. It helps to overcome some of the frustrations traditionally experienced by service users with a range of needs, e.g.: 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.

Vision and functions of the Lead Professional Vision: All children and young people with additional needs who require support from more than one practitioner should experience a seamless and effective service in which one practitioner takes a lead role to ensure that services are co-ordinated, coherent and achieving intended outcomes 3 Core Functions Act as a single point of contact for the child or family Co-ordinate the delivery of actions agreed by the practitioners involved Reduce overlap and inconsistency in the services received

Lead Professional from this point Continuum of Needs and Services – A Common Model For All Agencies Information sharing, Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and lead professional support across the continuum: Lead Professional from this point Lead Professional Consultation Group Statutory or specialist assessments from this point I = Identification and action T = Transition N = Needs met Level 2 Level 1 Level 3 Fast track through levels when serious injury/allegation or high level of concern from any agency.

Selecting a lead professional Could be drawn from any of the people currently involved Practitioner who is most relevant to the child or young person’s action plan and who has the most appropriate skills. Not necessarily the first person to be involved nor the practitioner who carries out the common assessment. Deciding on lead professional can be done most effectively as part of the assessment and planning process

Key Accountabilities of a LP Each lead professional is accountable to their home agency for delivery of: their part of the action plan; and the lead professional functions (as defined previously). The lead professional is not responsible or accountable for services delivered by other services. The LP will be responsible for gathering people together to review progress, but it is up to the individuals to deliver on their agreed actions. A clear line of accountability for LPs runs from the practitioner, through their management structure to the children’s trust arrangements and the Director of Children’s Services.

Useful skills for LP functions Strong communication skills; diplomacy; sensitivity Establish a successful and trusting relationship with child/family Empower child/family to make decisions and challenge when appropriate Understand boundaries of own skills and knowledge Knowledge of local and regional services for children and families Understand implications of the child’s assessment, for example in relation to risks and protective factors Convene meetings and initiate discussions with relevant practitioners Support and enable child / family to achieve their potential Work effectively with practitioners from a range of services

Support in developing skills and confidence The following ideas were offered by practitioners to help develop skills and confidence to undertake the LP role: Provision of regular area support network meetings for LPs to discuss issues and good practice Appoint a person(s) with additional responsibilities around the LP, to provide advice/support Set up a structure to enable LP professional peer mentoring Use a newsletter to share ideas and practice tips Shadow another LP Telephone /email support from nominated experienced lead professionals Conference for LPs Training needs analysis carried out to determine need

Managing workload implications Time taken up by lead professional functions will vary. Experience suggests that: Being the lead professional can mean greater involvement with a particular child. However, practitioners can save time on cases where they are not the lead professional Communication is particularly important where staff may be working part-time in a multi-agency setting and part-time in their home agency Managers must ensure: lead professional responsibilities are taken into account when allocating workload performance in delivering the lead professional functions is recognised and recorded.

Lines of accountability Director of Children’s Services Coordinated arrangements in the Children’s Trust Line management in home agency Practitioner Operational level management arrangements Strategic level management structures Process for communicating and resolving disputes

Being a LP is not a permanent thing: Transfers and endings Being a LP is not a permanent thing: Needs change (in their level, extent and focus) Situations and relationships change Practitioners change Children and young people get older Transfers and endings of the LP functions, where appropriate, need to be carefully planned and managed

Tips for Lead Professionals Always ensure the C/YP/F and relevant practitioners have your contact details and make sure you have theirs Set a review date at the first TAF meeting Plan your contacts with the C/YP/F so they know you will be actively involved and check back with them at regular intervals Remember you are part of a team working collaboratively with the family – you are not expected to do everything! Be prepared to reconvene a meeting if things are not going according to the agreed plan If another practitioner/agency is not carrying out their contribution as agreed, raise this with them and find out the reason If it continues, raise it with your line manager and/or the ISA team If you are no longer the person best placed to be the LP or you move on, plan your handover