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CAF PRACTITIONER TRAINING

WELCOME

ML22.05.09

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By the end of the day, you will

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

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Programme overview

1. Introduction

2. National & Local Context

3. Information Sharing exercise

4. CAF Overview

5. Steps of the CAF process

6. CAF form familiarisation

7. Lead Professional & Team Around the Child

8. Next Steps

9. Close

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Please be aware of:

Confidentiality/Caldicott principles

Respect for each others views and learning

Diversity issues

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National And Local Context

Why are we here today?

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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

DRIVERS FOR CHANGE

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Issues arising from the Laming Inquiry (2003)

Poor communication between agencies

Professionals working in isolation

Managers unaware of frontline situations

Variation/confusion about sharing information

Quality of assessments/assessments not shared by professionals

No one person saw the complete picture

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Serious Case Reviews: Families

Drugs and Alcohol

Mental Health Difficulties

Domestic Violence

Learning Difficulties

Hostility and Aggression

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Serious Case Reviews: Practice Issues

Children not being listened to

Recognising risk and symptoms of abuse

Reluctance to share information

Accepting standards of care that would not be ‘good enough’ elsewhere

False optimism – rely too much on what parents tell us

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Serious Case Reviews: Practice Challenges

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

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Local Issues from within Derbyshire

Dartington research 2003 – only 1 in 4 children with needs identified by any

agency

– Services were continually referring on to other agencies without carrying out any work with the family

– As a result of the above children were reaching the threshold of specialist intervention therefore CRISIS point

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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.’

Key Principles

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Integrated Working

CAF Team Around the Child Information Sharing

Integrated Working Children’s Directory eCAF (2011) ContactPoint (2010)

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Information Sharing

Exercise

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Information Sharing Pocket Guide

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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.

Seven golden rules for Information Sharing

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Common Assessment Framework

‘The CAF form is a standardised tool usedto conduct an assessment of a child oryoung person’s additional needs and helpspractitioners to decide how those needsshould be met. It is used by practitionersacross children’s services in England.’ (CWDC)

a process for undertaking a common assessment pre-assessment checklist a standard form

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When?

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).

With full consent of child’s parent or carer, or of a young person

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Children with no identified

additional needs

Universal Services

Single Practitioner Integrated support

Additional NeedsAdditional NeedsAll needs met by internal services or by referral to

other internal agency e.g. CAF may be useful but not

essential

Multiple needs met by multiple agencies CAF is

Essential, along with Action Plan & Lead

Professional

The CAF as part of a continuum

Integrated support from Statutory or

specialist services

Complex NeedsComplex Needs

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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

Essential support mechanisms

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Positive change

Better outcomes for children are more likely to be achieved when parents and practitioners hold a common perspective about the difficulties facing the family.

Completing a CAF with the family should lead to a broad agreement about the difficulties as well as highlighting the strengths.

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.

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5-Step model

1. Preparation

2. Assessment

3. Planning

4. Delivery

5. Review

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5 key steps to CAFStep 1 – Preparation

Pre-assessment checklist

Enquire if CAF already exist (Making Links team - 01629 532242)

Discuss with child/parent if CAF would be useful

Seek consent to share information

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Step 2 - Assessment

Begin assessment with the child/familyFocus on areas of STRENGTH as well as need

5 key steps to CAF

Talk to the family about things that are important to them

Ensure that their views are recorded in the CAFShare 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 CAFStep 3 - Planning

Arrange the Team Around the Child meeting… 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

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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

5 key steps to CAF

“ They used a CAF and everyone started to talk to each other”

Young Person, Youth Reach, Derbyshire

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Step 5 - Review

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

5 key steps to CAF

“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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The CAF Form

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.

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.

Name AKA1/previous names Male Female Unknown Date of birth or EDD2

Contact tel. no. Unique ref. no. Version no.

Address

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?

Yes No Has this been arranged?

Yes No Details of any special requirements (for child and/or their parent)

1 ‘Also known as’

2 Expected date of delivery

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Consent to share and record

– Must be informed

– Should normally be explicit

– Must be willing and not inferred from a non response

– Must be sought again if things change significantly

– Can be withdrawn

Consent is the key to successful information sharing. Even where the Data Protection Act does not demand it.

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Rationale for Lead Professional

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.

It helps to overcome some of the frustrations traditionally experienced by children and families 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.

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Lead Professional - exercise

Card sort

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Lead Professionals

Responsible or accountable for ensuring the delivery of other services

To be used by other involved professionals as a method of communication back to the child or family.

Necessarily a permanent fixture

On their own.

Are not:

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Lead Professionalduties and responsibilities

Act as a primary point of contact for the child or family

To facilitate the co-ordination of service provision (ensuring all parties have up to date copies of the action plan)

To support arrangement of meetings and reviews

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Choosing the Lead Professional

In discussion with the Team Around the Child, the most appropriate person should be selected taking into account -

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. The role is transferable where appropriate

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Safeguarding

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.

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.

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District Information

To be kept up to date locally.

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How does the Making Links team help you?

Provide CAF tracking service Basic quality and safeguard check Support organisations adopt and embed CAF Supporting materials on DCC website

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What is your next step?

? 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

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Making Link Team Details

Making Links Team

Room 391 North Block

County Hall

Matlock

Derbyshire

DE4 3AG

Tel:01629 532242Email – making.links@derbyshire.gov.uk