Child-oriented Intersectoral Cooperation and Coordination in the UK

Marie LeBacq and Geraldine Lee-Treweek

Manchester Metropolitan University, Crewe, United Kingdom

Contact: g.leetreweek@mmu.ac.uk

In the UK we have not got all the answers … but we have some practice to share and together we can improve knowledge.

Multi-Professional Working across the Spectrum of Involvement

Universal services

Early

Intervention

Intensive Family

Support

Alternative Care

VulnerabilityResilience

Key Principles

A Holistic approach to the child and family A Child Centred Approach –

Child’s Interests Come FirstChild’s voice heard and taken into account

Partnership between Child, Family and Workers Partnership working between agencies (both in

individual cases and in strategic planning of services)

Incremental approach to provision Compulsory involvement last resort

Key Services – Highly Complex

Educators ( Early Years Practitioners, Teachers, Education Welfare Officers, Special Educational Need)

Health Workers ( Midwives, Health Visitors, School Nurses, OTs , Physios Speech and Language Practitioners, GPs, Paediatricians, Sexual Health)

Voluntary Provision and Projects (Homestart, Young Carers, Peer Mentors, CAB etc.)

Therapeutic Services ( Education/ Clinical Psychologists, School Counsellors, Child and Adolescent Mental Health)

Social Care (Parenting Workers, Family Aides, Social Workers, Intensive Support Workers, Foster Carers, Residential Care Workers, Children’s Guardians)

Youth Work (Youth Workers, Coaches, Youth Advocacy,)

Criminal Justice ( Police, Probation, YOT workers, Courts)

Adult Services ( Adult Social Care, Adult Mental Health, Substance Misuse)

Other – Immigration and Asylum Seeker Services, Employment & Support Services

Universal Services – all Children and Families

Common AssessmeChildren’s Centres

Maternity CareEarly Years Provision

After School ActivitiesHealth Clinics

Welfare Rights AdviceSupport into Training and

Employment

Do Services for the Child need co-ordinating?

If Yes, how is it Co-ordinated?

Common Assessment Framework and Team Around the Child or Family .

A key worker co-ordinator meeting with parents and range of professionals/volunteers working together to plan and provide services

Early Intervention Framework -

Children’s Centres

Parenting Support and Training

Child Development Clinics

Speech and Language Provision

Family Nurse Partnerships

Special Educational Need Provision

Young Carers Support

Services for the Child should be co-ordinated through…

Either Common Assessment Framework and Team Around the Child or Family.

Or A Multi-Agency Child in Need Plan

A key worker co-ordinator meeting with parents and range of professionals/volunteers working together to plan and provide services

Intensive Family Support – 2% of families

Child and Adolescent Mental Health TeamsLearning Disability TeamsChild Health and Disability TeamsYouth Offending TeamsIntensive Family Support ServicesThink Family/ Vulnerable Families ProgrammesOther Specialist ProjectsSubstance Misuse ServicesAdult Mental Health

Services for the Child should be co-ordinated through…

A Core Assessment, led by Children’s Social Care Services involving relevant agencies and child and family leading to

A Multi-Agency Child in Need Plan or a Child Protection Plan

A n Independent Chair Person meeting with parents and range of professionals/volunteers working together to plan and provide services and then monitor and review progress

Alternative Care

Multi-agency Care Plans

- Short Term Respite Care

- Foster Placements

- Residential Care

Multi-agency Fostering and Adoption Panels

Services for the Child should be co-ordinated through…

A Core Assessment, led by Children’s Social Care Services involving relevant agencies and child and family leading to

A Multi-Agency Care Plan The plan is either agreed or imposed by the courts through an order

A n Independent Chair Person meeting with parents and range of professionals/volunteers working together to plan and provide services and then monitor and review progress

A Multi-Agency Panel approving fostering, residential or adoption placements

BASIS FOR ASSESSMENT …..

4 Examples of Child-Centred Working

1) Improving Futures Projects (funded by the Big Lottery, third sector organisations – NGO’s) Eg. The Lift Project in Cheshire

2) Homestart (NGO)

3) Children’s Centres (Statutory but connecting a range of services)

4) An example of family-centred working practice – use of Common Assessment Frameworks

Improving Futures: The Lift Project 26 projects across the UK, funded by the Big Lottery

Early Intervention family workers act as key workers, “assertive and persistent” outreach.

Adoption of a ‘social pedagogy’ approach. This combines education and care, emphasising that bringing up children is the shared responsibility of parents and society.

Referrals to the Team will be made by a wide range of services, particularly strong collaboration with Health Visiting Service.

The Team around the Child and Family approach adopted to deliver a tailored programme of interventions.

The service provides support 7am to 10pm Monday to Friday and at weekends, as these are times when families often experience stress. 24/7 telephone support provided.

40 other community partners across Cheshire, eg. Creative Action Team

file:///C:/Users/55083560/Downloads/1345713572improving%20futures%20update%20.pdf

Key Terms: Education, care, learning; ‘team around the child and family’ approach; tailored services; time-friendly

The Lift Project

Families selected on basis of having multiple needs and two children under the age of 5 – can be referred by statutory professional, third sector, faith group or self-refer but fit with criteria will be checked.

Families allotted £3,000 for services – family, animal, play or art therapy

Selection made on the basis of meetings between whole family and key worker but final choice is the familys

Designed to empower families in making choices

At the same time, providers of services are third sector organisations who themselves will be developing capacity to respond to need.

Key Focuses: Empowerment of families; capacity building in third sector and community groups; equality of referral from different sites.

Creative Action Team

http://www.creativeactionteam.com/creative-interventions-with-animals.php

Home Start

Volunteer-run, non-statutory charity

Focus on years children aged 0-5 years

Volunteers visit the family’s home for a couple of hours every week.  They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers keep visiting until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents feel they can stand on their own two feet. 

Run family groups and social events for families.

Ability to refer onto and work in partnership with other services, charities and statutory agencies

Key Focus: Volunteers can often fill a gap that professionals cannot – through trusting relationships

Sure Start Children Centres

Funding from local government – English service – slightly different in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Open to all parents, carers and children and many of the services are free. Responsible for delivering services for children under 5 & families to improve Early Years outcomes for all children. Children's Centres also hold information for parents and cares with children aged 0-19 (0-25 for those with disabilities).

Holistic, community approach to help and advice on child and family health, parenting, money, training and employment – work in partnership with other agencies, e.g.. health, social care to provide these

They also work with community groups  who provide nursery care and early learning, such as childminder's, pre-school's, childcare providers and community groups to provide access to early year's services.

These are physical buildings and places with resources that families can access