Isles of Scilly

Introduction

Early Help is a simple concept; it is about changing our culture form an often late reaction to chronic and acute need and re focussing our activities along with our partners and resources on the root causes of the problems.  By doing so, outcomes for children and families improve and statutory interventions are avoided.

In Scilly we use the term Early Help as the umbrella term that describes our continuum of service response from universal/preventative services to where a team around the child/family is required.

These young people are those on Level 2 of the threshold document as those whose health and development may be adversely affected and who would benefit from extra help in order to make the best of their chances.

Examples of when to consider Early Help

• The child’s needs are broader than your service can address alone
• Missing developmental milestones or making slower progress than expected in their learning.
• Health concerns including disability, physical or mental health, regularly missing health appointments, or sudden change in the child’s health.
• Child presenting challenging or aggressive behaviours, misusing substances or committing offences.
• Undertaking caring responsibilities
• Bereaved or experiencing family breakdown
• Bullied or are bullies themselves
• Disadvantage for reasons such as race, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs or disability
• Homeless or threatened with eviction and those living in temporary accommodation
• Becoming a teenage parent
• Not being ready to make the transition to post 16 services
• Persistent absence from school or risk of permanent exclusion

Young People with EHCP’s or on the SEND record of Need.

For those children and young adults who have Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, preparation for adulthood is key and begins from their Early Years.

For young people on Scilly they have the complicating factor of accessing post 16 education and training on the mainland.

In view of this it is essential that good transition plans and an Early Help offer are identified, offered and in place from Year 8/9.

This plan should consider

• Education, Health and Care Planning
• Employment
• Friends, Relationships and Community
• Good Health
• Independent Living.

Roles and Responsibilities

The school attended, should have an identified moving on person who will work with the SENDCO, young person and parents to ensure there is plan in place to support the parents to support their child and the child to move on successfully and safely.

The parents are responsible for ensuring their child has the appropriate, skills, confidence, networks and general preparation for moving on and post transition support.

Children’s Social Care will offer statutory services and support for those children identified under S17 of the Children Act as Children in Need.

Any professional or parent involved with a child can request an Early Help Assessment.   This is generally completed by the professional who knows the child best, with the child and family.  Children’s Services will coordinate the first meeting, identify the needs, actions and lead professional.   They will monitor the reviews and plans in place to avoid drift and lack of progress.

If the needs of a young person are quite complex, then a social worker may become involved with the family to provide additional support which cannot be provided by other agencies.

Consent

No Early Help assessment can be completed without the express consent of the child and parents.

Team around the Child/Family

On completion of the assessment, Children’s Services will convene the first meeting with the child, family and all relevant professionals.

During the meeting the chair will ensure that the child’s voice is paramount and that the members of the TAC/F meeting take joint responsibility to develop and deliver a package of solution focussed support to meet the needs identified in the assessment.

Each practitioner in the TAC/F is responsible and accountable to their home agency for the services they deliver to children and their families.  They are also jointly responsible for;

• Developing and supporting the family to meet the safety/wellbeing goals of their plan
• Delivering the outcomes of their agreed activity in the plan
• Keeping other members of the team informed about progress in their area of responsibility
• Contributing to recording the child’s plan and supporting the lead practitioner
• Contributing to actively and positively solving or resolving problems and difficulties
• Ensuring that if the child is not present, the meeting remains child focused and their view are included.

Developing, delivering and coordinating services is done with the child and family through the TAC/F meeting and a clear multi agency plan.

The safety/wellbeing plan is for those cases requiring a multi-agency response following the completion of the assessment and meeting.

The family will already have made some suggestions about who they think would be the best lead professional for their TAC/F during the assessment.  However the meeting will confirm or review that decision and it is then the lead professional’s role to:

• Act as a single point of contact for the child and parents so the family are kept will informed and can discuss their progress and any concerns with one person
• Undertake the monitoring of the TAC/F goals and outcomes
• Act as a single point of contact for professionals to report back to
• Coordinate the delivery of actions agreed in the TAC/F and ensured that the package of support is regularly reviewed and monitored
• Reduce any overlap and inconsistency in the service received
• Support the child and family to ensure that there is a careful transfer of work if it becomes more appropriate for someone else to be the lead practitioner

Support to lead practitioner

The Early Help administrator is available to support the lead practitioner through the process.  They will coordinate and make notes of the initial meeting, circulating those notes to all present.  The lead practitioner will be responsible for the review of any plan and coordinating future meetings, whilst the administrator will monitor the frequency and hold copies of all plans, minutes and reviews on the CSC data base.

TAC/F reviews

The TAC/F plan should be reviewed on a regular basis and therefore meetings should take place at least three monthly.  The purpose of the review is to;

• Monitor progress against the goals set
• Confirm actions have been completed or if not why not
• Identify any new worries or concerns
• Celebrate success.

The lead practitioner will be responsible for chairing and taking notes of the meeting which should be forwarded to the Early Help administrator and distributed to the family and professionals involved in the TAC/F

Case closures

A TAC/F may no longer be appropriate for a number of reasons, including:

• All identified goals met
• Issues have been resolved
• Universal services now meeting all identified needs
• Family have requested closure or withdrawn consent for the TAC/F
• Case has been stepped up to S17/S47 for CSC to take lead responsibility

The move from being a child to becoming an adult is a significant change in the lives of all our young people as they prepare to gain increased independence and make plans for the future. To make sure our children get the best start in adulthood it is important that planning and support take place from a young age and as parents we do this naturally from the very early years and through the school years.

Good planning for transition is important and this involves getting people to work together, making sure that the young person and their family is at the centre of the discussion. Planning starts before young people leave school so that each young person’s needs and choices are fully explored and their transition is planned and supported.

To find out more about the support available you can contact any professionals working with your child or directly to Children’s Services on 01278 424481 or email childrenssocialcare@scilly.gov.uk