1. April Bald & Jenny Brennan
Early Help – Getting the right help at the right time – no wrong front door
April Bald & Jenny Brennan
April Bald & Jenny Brennan
April Bald & Jenny Brennan
April Bald & Jenny Brennan

2. Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
2011 all referrals required to be through a CAF
2013 launch of MASH and concept of single front door
2016 review of MASH and concern raised about effectiveness of one front door system

3. Review highlighted:
Original concept of CAF to include referral form had not been achieved and it has largely become a referral form
Poor completion of CAF impacted on decision making
Referring agencies not clear about support needed and thresholds, with consequent high volume of CAFs impacting on decision making/capacity in MASH (more NFAs, step across to Early Help)

4. MASH team re-design implemented Jan 2017
Re-shape of the Social care MASH team to ensure consistency of decision making threshold
Permanently based in MASH working alongside the strong multi agency partnership
Permanent MASH manager
2 MASH deputy managers
5 social workers

5. Proposal to introduce a MASH referral form:
So all partner agencies will confidently consider the service need for the family and thresholds  at the outset
To reduce inappropriate contacts into MASH, thus freeing the system up to focus on Safeguarding
A ‘no wrong front door’ message instead of a ‘single front door’

6. Safeguarding referrals to be separated from Early Help requests

7. Early Help offer to be strengthened:
improve the consistency of a whole family approach
clarify pathways to support
promote the breadth of the early help available within all partner agencies.
If referral comes in because of attendance issues then we still need to consider a whole family approach, we still need to clarify the referral route – is a CAF for early help the best way as it give agencies the opportunity to be clear about what work they have already done. We are still getting referral for community paediatrics coming through EH – need to go directly to Sunshine House (50 per month); started to engage with multi agency team to identify how we can develop our early help offer;

8. Recognising what early help is available
Children’s Centres and the Under 5s offer
Support provided in schools
Early Help Localities
Specialist Family Focus Team
Voluntary Sector projects
Under 5s: 4 children’s centre hubs, and including Parental Mental Health Team
In school support – commissioning of services that support attendance and achievement and emotional well being
4 Early Help Localities aligned with school – multi agency team of Locality Lead, CAMHS worker, SW, EWOs FSOs and admin and Central team of Senior EWOs and Inclusion Manager focusing on prosecution and SILS
Speciality Family Focus Team – Assertive Outreach, Parenting Programmmes, Functional Family Therapy , Cusp of Care work with Keeping Families Together
St Giles and Family Lives

9. Step down process, consultation and challenge
Conversation … Conversation… Conversation
Agreement of thresholds
Consequence of non-engagement
Importance of discussions and being able to challenge decisions re thresholds, expectations of feedback, opportunity to hold TAC/TAF and get engagement from LA services without commitment to take on the case; meetings in school where they are concerns and the school wants further support but has been holding the risk and may just need further reassurance or access to other ideas; being clear about escalation routes.

10. Next steps
Current Task & Finish Group to map the variety of early help services available, confirm referral process for Early Help and plan how to disseminate the offer (next meeting )
Agree governance of the Family Matters Early Intervention Strategy, including the Troubled Families agenda
Promotion of the new ways of working across the partnership
Importance of discussions and being able to challenge decisions re thresholds, expectations of feedback, opportunity to hold TAC/TAF and get engagement from LA services without commitment to take on the case; meetings in school where they are concerns and the school wants further support but has been holding the risk and may just need further reassurance or access to other ideas; being clear about escalation routes.

11. Action needed from partners:
Agreement of new MASH referral form
Engagement and/or written feedback on Early Help review