1. Integrated Practice across Hertfordshire
Child Protection Schools Designated Officers Conference
27th June 2008
Errol Albert
ICS Strategy Manager (Integrated Practice)
Margaret Marshall
ContactPoint Implementation Manager

2. Integrated Local Services In Hertfordshire
38 Extended School consortia delivering services within local communities
82 Children’s centres delivering local targeted services
Development of Lead Professional role and Common Assessment Framework
38 multi-agency ‘teams around the child’ linked to extended schools consortia
Integrated Youth Support Services, with a range of services from IAG to targeted youth support
Needs analysis by Children’s centre communities.
Development of District Children’s Trust Partnerships
Clear eligibility criteria and pathways for referral

3. Why more Change?
The development of integrated practice is a national requirement, and has also been identified as a priority within the findings of Hertfordshire’s Joint Area Review in August 2007.

4. JAR Key Issues
Arrangements to ensure that all children and young people are safe are inadequate
Preventative services not systematic…
…so most vulnerable children and their families do not get as good outcomes as they should
…and an urgent need to put in place integrated local services, with extended schools at the centre

5. Network of Victoria’s ServicesKB

6. CASE STUDY A - ‘Abbie age 14’
Police find Abbie wandering the streets -
return Abbie home and refer to CSF
CASE STUDY A - ‘Abbie age 14’
Abbie stops attending
school
Abbie gets involved in
substance misuse.
Mum becomes
depressed and kicks
Abbie out of home
Mother requests
Accommodation
‘or else…!’
Initial Assessment – referral to CAMHS
CAMHS cannot start work for 2 months
HYHG have no available accommodation
– suggest LAC
CASE CLOSED
Abbie attempts suicide
Abbie admitted to hospital and assessed –
staff concerned Abbie may be pregnant
Youth Worker refers to
CSF. Doesn’t meet criteria
for CIN assessment
Abbie discharged and placed into foster care
Youth Worker has
concerns Abbie is
depressed. Mum
struggles to manage/
risk of offending
Abbie absconds and is reported as MISPER

7. So…why change?
The earlier needs are identified and addressed, the less likely it is that children and young people will require intensive, high cost interventions, many of which have been shown to have marginally beneficial outcomes

8. Cultural Change
‘Delivering more integrated, preventative services requires new ways of working and significant culture change for staff working within narrower professional and service-based boundaries. Easy and effective communication across current organisational and professional boundaries is a strong foundation for co-operation’.
(DCSF 2004:17)

9. Integrated Practice Children and Young Peoples Service Directory
The key processes and tools of integrated practice are:
Children and Young Peoples Service Directory
Early Support
Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
Lead professionals
Team Around the Child (TAC)
ContactPoint

10. Common Assessment Framework
The Common Assessment Framework can assist:
Any child/YP with additional needs
Struggling in their environment, school/home
Likely that more than one agency would need to provide services to meet their needs
Can be used for unborn babies and beyond the age of 18
CAF form can be accessed via Hertsdirect.org, Connect & Herts Grid

11. Why the CAF? Straight forward, shared assessment tool
Helps practitioners across all agencies develop a shared understanding of a child’s needs
Completed with child/young person/family
Children/young people and their families encouraged to be at the heart of decision making
Important tool for early intervention
Better use of the services
Lead Professional provides family with one single point of contact

12. How does it fit with other assessments?
Can provide evidence to support a referral for a specialist assessment but cannot ensure that one will be undertaken
Is not intended to be a referral form
Does not replace specialist assessments. Specialist assessments should build on the CAF
Is an initial process for recording needs when they are first identified

13. Lead Professional The lead professional is a key element of
integrated support:
They take the lead to coordinate provision
Act as a single point of contact
Ensure services are well planned, delivered and reviewed
Ensure overlap & duplication is reduced

14. Who can be a Lead Professional?
Any of the people currently involved with the child or young person, and could be from either the statutory or voluntary sector
The practitioner who ;
is most relevant to the child or young person’s action plan
has the most appropriate skills
is acceptable to the family
has the capacity to take on the role
This is not necessarily the first person to be involved with the child or young person nor the practitioner who carries out the common assessment.

15. The Hertfordshire Vision
Hertfordshire Children’s Trust Partnership
Executive Board
District Children’s Trust Partnership
Will ensure that all agencies work together and will develop the initial setting up and continued monitoring of the Multi Agency Support Team (MAST) under the umbrella of the DCTP
District Partnership Teams
HCTP Integrated Processes Team
Countywide implementation& co-ordination to ensure consistency re CAF/LP process
10 Multi Agency Support Teams (1 per DCTP)
Multi Agency management sub-group of the District Children’s Trust Partnership, who will ensure the effective management and/or coordination of staff carrying out CAF and Lead Professional in the District, using a multi- agency, integrated approach
TEAM AROUND THE CHILD (TAC)
Key children’s workforce practitioners, drawn from wide group of agencies, who make up the 38 Multi Agency Teams (MATs) based around the Extended Schools Communities and Children Centres
Each TAC draws professionals from the MAT core team and, if
required, Associate Team members
Associate Team

16. Extended Schools Community
‘A District’ - Example of one of the 38 Multi-Agency Teams with Core and Associate members
Team Around the Child
District - MAST
E.g: Speech & Language; CAMHS worker; YISP;
Ed Psych; Social Worker?
Associate Team
supporting more
than one MAT
Extended Schools Community
Oversees
process
Children Centre Community
District
MAT
Worker
Completes CAF
E.g.CSF Worker; SENCO;
PCSO; Community Nurse; Health Visitor?

17. CASE STUDY ‘Abbie age 14’ Review
Worker contacts professionals
to meet as ‘Team Around the Child’
CASE STUDY ‘Abbie age 14’
The need for more than
one service identified.
Targeted intervention
as a result of CAF
Consent to
complete CAF &
share info
Parenting Officer
Childcare Plan:
1 hour per week with counsellor
Youth worker arranges for Abbie
to help out in youth club
Parenting support provided to mum
Counsellor
No CAF/LP. Child and
worker details logged
with CAF database
(eCAF) and details
of action
Children Centre
Community
Lead Professional:
Youth Worker
Worker checks
ContactPoint
to find out if LP involved
and CAF status
District
MAT
Extended Schools
community
Youth worker has
concerns
Abbie is depressed.
Mum struggles
To manage/risk of
offending
Acts as single point of contact
Reviews plan
Ensures service is delivered
Review

19. District CAF Managers East Herts & Broxbourne
Kathy Amos
Welwyn Hatfield & Hertsmere
Roma McReynolds
North Herts & Stevenage
Ola Sijuwade
Watford & Three Rivers
Pam Mogford
St Albans & Dacorum
Helen Smithers

20. Progress to Date: Nationally
eCAF system due to be coming online in late 2009-early 2010
National partner consultation regarding information sharing practitioner guidance
ContactPoint early adopters due to go live in October 2008

21. Progress to Date: Locally
Over 3,000 practitioners and managers have completed integrated practice training
Common Assessment Framework being used throughout the county and locally interim system in place awaiting national eCAF implementation
ContactPoint go-live in Herts in March 2009

22. Effective information sharing
The problem:
Lack of confidence
Lack of common guidance
Professional ‘silos’
Lack of understanding of different agency roles and responsibilities
Communication difficulties
Lack of secure messaging/clarity about what can be sent via
The solution:
Strategic level protocols for information sharing
Guidance for front line staff
Information for children, young people and families
Training on information sharing and consent
Sharing information becomes an integral part of the way in which practitioners fulfill their duties

23. What is ContactPoint?
Practitioners can work together for the benefit of children, young people and families
A national system to enable continuity of provision if a child accesses services in more than one area
Available to staff across all children’s services who have been authorised, trained and who need it to do their jobs.
Information on all children in England up to 18th birthday (With consent can continue to 25 for those with a learning disability or for care leavers)

24. What is going to be held on ContactPoint?
Basic Demographics
Examples of Additional Involvement
Indicators
Universal Services
Child’s Name
General Practice
Contact Details
Youth Worker
Contact Details
CAF
Indicator
Gender
Health Visitor
Contact Details
Social Worker
Contact Details
Lead Professional
Contact Details
Unique Identifier
Date of Birth
Educ/School
Contact Details
SENCO
Contact Details
ContactPoint will not hold case data or assessment information
Address
School Nurse
Contact Details
Sensitive Svs.
Contact Details
Parent(s)/Carer(s)
Contact Details

25. ContactPoint Benefits
Children, young people and families
Practitioners
Managers
More effective service delivery and intervention
More timely response to needs
Increased productivity and effectiveness
Better management information – planning service delivery
Better identification of children not receiving universal services
Reduction in number of duplicated referrals
Able to quickly see who else is providing services to a child
Reducing time spent on admin frees up time to focus on service delivery
Reduced number of repeat referrals and assessments

26. Who will have access?
Authorised practitioners working with children and young people
Enhanced CRB (renewed every 3 years) and Independent Safeguarding Authority checks
Pre-requisite training to include safe and secure use of ContactPoint, Information Sharing (including Data Protection Act and Human Rights Act)
All use to be recorded and audited

27. The future is …
All children and young people are receiving the services for early intervention and prevention at the earliest opportunity
Every practitioner understands what information they can share about their clients
Every practitioner knows who else is working with their clients and how to contact others
Children, young people and their families feel that they are being involved in the decision-making process
All children and young people are receiving the universal services they are entitled to and any additional services they need at the earliest opportunity BY:
SW, teachers, health practitioners etc. feeling confident about sharing information;
Knowing what information they can share, with whom and under what circumstances;
Being able to find out who else is involved and who they should refer to if they cannot meet the need alone; and
Children, young people and their families taking an active part in the decision making process.

28. How will this affect you?
Under Section 12 of the Children’s Act 2004, some organisations are “required” to share data via ContactPoint - some are “permitted
Staff will need to be trained in using the system
Support channels (e.g. helpdesk) will be put in place
Changes may need to be made to IT systems to enable them to link into ContactPoint
Some work practices may change – this will need to be with your organisations.

29. Integrated Practice Bulletin
The Integrated Practice bulletin will help keep all staff who work with children and young people in Hertfordshire informed about the latest developments in integrated practice.
There will be a new bulletin every 4 to 6 weeks.
It is available on Hertsdirect.org or Connect at and will be ed directly to managers and staff across HCTP.

30. Find out more… Contact us Every Child Matters website (www.ecm.gov.uk)
ContactPoint, eCAF and ICS updates
Guidance and training materials (also see
Multi-agency working best practice
Contact us