Assessment, Planning and Review

Mairi Tulbure Programme Manager

www.girfecinlanarkshire.co.uk

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop participants should be able to:

• Understand and explain the national Getting it right for every Child Practice Model

• Understand the Child/Young Person’s Pathway and take decisions on the most appropriate response for the individual child/young person

• Use information gathering, structuring, analysis, outcome planning and monitoring in all assessments and plans

• Understand and appropriately use the Well-being Indicators• Understand and appropriately use the My World Assessment

Triangle • Understand and appropriately use the Resilience Matrix

Moving away from ………

Education HealthCh/Fam

Social Work

Adult Services

Moving TowardsMoving Towards . . . . . .

Observing & recording

Lanarkshire Core Components Lanarkshire Core Components

• Two Roles

• Named Person

• Lead Professional

• Single Agency Paperwork for universal services

• Single Agency Part I Assessment (well-being)

• Single Agency Part II (My World Triangle Assessment)

• What I Think Tool

• Single Agency Chronology

• Outcome Plan (Additional Support Plan in Education)

• Integrated Paperwork

• Integrated Assessment and Child’s Plan (My World Triangle)

• Resilience Matrix

• Integrated Chronology

• Request for Assistance

• Informed Consent

The Child/Young Person’s PathwayThe Child/Young Person’s Pathway

The family and universal services

Additional support from a universal service

Joint working with another agency

Integrated working Compulsory Intervention

The Family and Universal ServicesThe Family and Universal Services

70 – 80% of children make their journey from birth to the world of work, supported by their family and Universal Services. The Named Person in maternity, public health and education works with a child and family making sure that the child’s well-being is developing as it should.

As children and young people make the transition from maternity to public health and on to education, a discussion takes place with the family, Informed Consent is requested where sharing across agency boundaries and the Named Person shares information about the child’s well-being with the new Named Person

Additional Support within universal servicesAdditional Support within universal services

Some children need a bit of extra help from universal services to make sure their well-being develops as it should. The Named Person uses the Single Agency Assessment and Planning, and the Single Agency Chronology paperwork, proportionately, to identify the help a child needs.

Informed Consent is not required to share information internally within their own agency, but the Named Person will discuss the information being shared with the family to make sure they understand what is happening and when.

Requests for Assistance may be made by telephone or using the paper format to ask for support. The Single Agency Plan and Single Agency Chronology help to track and monitor well-being.

Joint Working - Joint Working - additional support from additional support from another agencyanother agency

Some children need the universal services to work with another agency to develop their well-being. In working through single agency assessment and planning, the Named Person may need to Request Assistance from another agency to support a child.

The Named Person gains Informed Consent to share information with another agency. Whatever information has been recorded against the Single Agency Assessment and Planning paperwork and Single Agency Chronology are attached to a Request for Assistance to help the other agency to understand what what support the child needs.

One agency will agree to take on the role of Lead Professional to track and monitor the young person’s well-being and a Single Agency Chronology may continue or an Integrated Chronology put in place.

Integrated WorkingIntegrated Working

A small proportion of children will need a number of agencies to integrate their working practice to develop the child’s well-being. Agencies will depend on each other regularly sharing skills, information and expertise to improve outcomes for the child. For example, social work family support services will integrate their work with education and/or public health for children experiencing difficult home circumstances such as young carers. Health and education will integrate their work to support children with complex disabilities.

The child/family will be asked for Informed Consent to participate in a process of gathering, structuring and analysing information into an Integrated Assessment and Child’s Plan with a focus on improved outcomes. A Request for Assistance to participate in integrated working will be sent to the relevant agencies.

Bringing all information from each of the partners together, the desired improvements to well-being will be identified and actions agreed by the child’s Network of Support. Single Agency Chronologies will be shared to create Integrated Chronologies and further Requests for Assistance may be needed.

Compulsory Intervention Compulsory Intervention

This response is part of Integrated Working but refers to situations where there is a compulsory role for children and families social work and they will take on the role of Lead Professional such as:• Children who are looked after at home or away from home• Children subject to child protection procedures• Where the Children’s Reporter Administration requires a report

Where an Integrated Assessment and Child’s Plan does not already exist, a number of additional steps will be completed before the Child’s Network of Support is in place. Where the Children’s Reporter previously requested a Social Background Report, the Integrated Assessment and Child’s Plan will be put in place. Where children require a Child Protection Plan in place to manage risks, an Integrated Assessment and Child’s Plan will follow where it does not already exist. Various Requests for Assistance may be necessary and an Integrated Chronology will be put in place.

Group Exercise Integrated PathwayGroup Exercise Integrated Pathway

Look at the card you have been given and decide exactly which response on the Integrated Pathway is appropriate to this child’s needs. When it’s your turn, place your child on the Integrated Pathway.

What is assessment and planning?

• Gathering information

• Structuring information to make sense of it

• Analysing information to articulate the impact on the child/young person

• Outcome planning - taking decisions about what needs to change in a child/young person’s life

• Agreeing what actions need to happen to achieve the change

• Agreeing who will be responsible for each action

• Agreeing an acceptable time to complete actions

• Reviewing progress against the desired outcomes

What is assessment and planning?

• Information gathered – record of what you have seen or heard

• Structured – organised under Well-being or the My World Assessment Triangle

• Analysis – a description of the impact of your findings on the child/young person

• Desired Outcome – a description of the positive change you would like to see or maintain for the child

• Actions – what needs to happen to bring about the change

Guidance supporting me to make the right choices

Knowing what’s going to happen and when

Understanding my family’s history, background and beliefs

Everyday care and help

Keeping me safe

Being there for me

Play encouragement and fun

School, Support from family and friends and other people,

Local resources, Enough money, Comfortable and safe housing

Working opportunities for my family, belonging

Being healthy

Learning and achieving

Being able to communicate

Confidence in who I am

Learning to be responsible

Becoming independent and looking after myself

Enjoying family and friends

What is Analysis ?

• Clarity of the balance between the strengths and pressures in the child/young person’s situation

• An appraisal of all of the information past and present

• An evaluation of the impact of the child/young person’s situation on their well-being

• An articulation of the immediate or emerging risks to the child/young person

• A highlight of any differences in understanding or views about what the child/young person’s needs

The child’s Nurture is affected by substance use because the parents become angry and aggressive when under the influence

The child’s Included is affected by substance use because the child self isolates to avoid shame

The child’s Active is affected by substance use because parents are not able to get them to the activity at a regular time each week

A child living with substance misuse

The child’s physical health (nutrition) is being affected by the fact that the family income is prioritised to purchase alcohol rather than food

The child is fed by a grandparent every night and their nutrition is not affected by substance misuse

A child living with substance misuse

The child is not being supported to attend school because their everyday care and help is not a priority whilst the parents are intoxicated

The child is thirteen and able to get themselves to school independently

My Wider World

The child is frightened and alarmed by groups of unknown adults regularly consuming alcohol in their home

The child sleeps over with the grandparent whilst the parents are drinking with their friends

What is an outcome?

• Specific to each of the well-being indicators – it is not necessary to identify one or more outcomes under each well-being indicator, it is a question of identifying what needs to change using well-being as the structure

• Specific to the difficulties identified in assessment – if a difficulty is identified as lack of physical and emotional safety within the home, then there should be a related outcome such as improved physical and emotional safety in the home

• Specific to the individual child/young person - a child’s outcome is specific to them rather than the adults who care for them. For example, the desired outcome may be under nurture, improved attachment to the baby’s primary carer whilst the action is to improve the mother’s mental health

• Can be short, medium or long term outcome

An outcome means … the impact, effect or consequence of help received

Group Exercise

Look at the information you have on the cards inside your envelope marked, ‘Assessment Exercise’. Firstly, using the structure of well-being, place one of the well-being indicators in each of the boxes under structure. Now consider the information on each of the cards and as a group decide which section it relates to and therefore where it might fit on the template provided. Take each card and place it on the correct section of the template.

• Information gathered• Structure• Analysis • Desired outcome• Action

Please note – each of the indicators relates to a different child in a different situation. The exercise includes positive as well as negative indicators of well-being

Well-being Group Exercise

Think about the settings in which you work. On a day-to-day basis, some of you will work only with children, some may work mostly with parents, and some may work with children and parents together.

In your group discuss the similarities and differences in the way well-being presents in the children/young people’s setting you work in. For example what evidence of nurture might be obvious to you in the setting you work?

Now think about the other indicators of well-being and how they present. Record your group’s discussion.

Well-being Exercise II

With a partner (or groups of three), spend time discussing a child/young person you know well using the template provided. After your discussion, when you feel clearer about the child/young person’s situation, record your thoughts using the template provided. You may have more than one observations against one well-being indicator and none under others – record what is appropriate and proportionate to the child/young person’s situation.

Guidance supporting me to make the right choices

Knowing what’s going to happen and when

Understanding my family’s history, background and beliefs

Everyday care and help

Keeping me safe

Being there for me

Play encouragement and fun

School, Support from family and friends and other people,

Local resources, Enough money, Comfortable and safe housing

Working opportunities for my family, belonging

Being healthy

Learning and achieving

Being able to communicate

Confidence in who I am

Learning to be responsible

Becoming independent and looking after myself

Enjoying family and friends

My World Assessment Triangle Exercise Part I

Using the suggestions you already gathered on the post-it’s under well-being, discuss and agree where this information would fit using the more detailed structure of the My World Triangle.

Record any discussion or difficulties you have with this exercise

My World Assessment Triangle Exercise Part II

With a partner (or groups of three), spend time discussing a child/young person you know for whom it is appropriate and proportionate to use the more detailed structure of the My World Triangle. After your discussion, when you feel clearer about the child/young person’s situation, record your thoughts against the three sides of the triangle.

The Resilience Matrix? Normal development under difficult conditions, e.g. secure attachment, outgoing temperament, sociability, problem solving skills

Resilience

Vulnerability

Protective Factors

Adversity

Factors in the child’s environment acting as a buffer to the negative effects of adverse experience

Those characteristics of the child, their family circle and wider community which might threaten or challenge healthy development, e.g. disability, racism

Life events or circumstances posing a threat to healthy development, eg. loss, abuse, neglect

The Resilience Matrix Exercise

Now, following the slide presentation about the Resilience Matrix, list what you know about the child/young person against the Matrix

How can culture change help Matthew?

Matthew has lived with his father’s alcohol abuse for years and is currently on the child protection register. His lack of structure and boundaries has led to anti-social behaviour in the community and regular difficulties in school including periods of absence. The family income is often used to fund alcohol and Matthew lacks nourishment and nurture

As part of his child protection plan, the Lead Professional who is the social worker, asks for support from a voluntary organisation, COVEY Befriending. Over a number of months, the Befriender gets to know Matthew by spending 3 hours per week. In discussion with his Network of Support, COVEY agrees how they will contribute to Matthew’s well-being

How can culture change help Matthew?

A Befriender offers a positive, one-to-one relationship which is stable and reliable (nurture)

Outings offer structures and boundaries within a regular routine (responsible)

Positive activities offer an alternative use of Daniel’s time and support him to make healthy choices (active/healthy)

Being in touch with Daniel and his father three hours a week offers a protective factor to monitor his safety (safe)

Being there for Daniel as an individual gives him time and space to express himself (respect)

Befriending reinforces Daniel’s strengths and abilities and encourages his goal of attending college (achieving)

How did systems change help Chrissie?

Chrissie was four, thriving at nursery then suddenly her attendance dropped off and the staff could not make contact with home.

Testing the new systems and seeing that all paperwork included the views of the parents – the head teacher phoned dad at his work.

Dad dropped by after work and explained that Chrissie’s mum had recently been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and the stress had resulted in Chrissie’s parents separating.

Nursery worked jointly with Chrissie’s Named Person, the public health nurse and together they devised a plan

How did systems change help Chrissie?

The head teacher admitted Chrissie early and dad picked her up and dropped her at nursery (safe/achieving)

This daily contact helped Chrissie to adjust to the loss and maintain the relationship with her dad (nurture/healthy)

The public health nurse explored some home supports which helped to give Chrissie structured daily routines (responsible)

The public health nurse worked with Chrissie and her mum to help them understand MS and what they could expect. This and nursery support, gave Chrissie a chance to talk about her feelings (respect)

Chrissie’s teachers made sure her daily access to nursery allowed her to play and have fun with children her own age (active/included)

How does systems change help Lily?

Lily is 13 – her Named Person is the PT Learning Support. Lily’s has additional support needs, she is isolated, socially immature and her attendance is erratic. She also suffers from pseudo seizures (emotionally triggered rather than chemically). Lily’s Named Person realises she needs to integrate her work with public health to make sure all of Lily’s needs are met. They each complete Single Agency Assessment Part II. During this process Lily discloses inappropriate sexual activity with her two brothers. Children and families social work take on the role of Lead Professional and investigate the allegations.

How does systems change help Lily?

Children and families social work receive more and better quality information than they ever have with two completed Single Agency Assessments Part II (My World Triangle) assessments. The social worker is able to transfer this information on to an Integrated Assessment format and analyses all available information, using the Resilience Matrix. Lily was living with a complex mix of adversities and she had very few protective factors or any resilience. The decision to place her on the register was clear.

“For the first time since I qualified as a social worker, I felt I was genuinely engaged in an assessment process, not just the business of gathering information”

How does practice change help Daniel?

• Aged 15 ½ in residential care most of his life

• Background included sexual abuse, substance misuse, anti-social behaviour, frequent changes and the recent bereavement of his mother. Socially immature and found it difficult to connect with young people his own age. He was not ready for the responsibility of earning his own living as well as being on his own for the first time

• Daniel’s social worker was the Lead Professional

• He Requested Assistance from housing services, community alternatives, community learning and development, the residential school key worker, a children’s house worker from his own community who became his Network of Support

• Over a period of months they met to integrate their working practice and plan for the best future for Daniel access for all practitioners

How does practice change help Daniel?

• Intensive support from the housing officer to find suitable accommodation and help Daniel to prepare for the responsibility for living on his own (respected /responsible)

• Community Learning and Development more choices, more chances hub worked with Daniel to develop his own activity agreement - a 16 week programme of personal, social and academic development to progress his learning (achieving)

• The children’s house in his new community developed a relationship with him so that he had a 24 hour drop in if he needed support (nurture/included)

• Ongoing support from social work to develop consequential thinking, risk awareness and management (safe)

• Community Learning and Development worked to access alternative ways of occupying Daniel’s time (active)

• Transition with overnight stays and on his own during the day (nurture/healthy)

• Support to access benefits, budgeting advice, health care respected/responsible/healthy)

How does practice change help Claire?

Claire was one of four children involved with social work. There had been a previous child protection investigation and no further action was taken. Social work remained involved on a voluntary basis and took the role of Lead Professional. Although social work were involved, the public health nurse remained the Named Person until Claire reached the age of five years old.

Claire started nursery which was managed by the head teacher who was keen to make sure that Claire’s needs were being addressed and that everyone involved was clear about what they and each other were doing to help develop Claire’s well-being. The head teacher invited the Named Person and Lead Professional to a meeting to learn what was happening about Claire using the well-being assessment as the basis

How does practice change help Claire?Claire’s growth and development were progressing well and all developmental milestones were reached (healthy/achieving)

Claire experienced structure and boundaries and attendance for health and education were good (achieving, healthy, responsible)

Claire’s social contact was minimal and opportunities needed to be extended. Out of School Care was arranged (included)

Claire’s dad was suffering from advanced, untreated cancer and her circumstances were about to change. Public health offered support to the family (healthy, nurtured).

Claire found it very difficult to express her views although she was a confident learner and this became part of her personal goals (respected/achieving)

Thank you from Lanarkshire’s children and young people !