Practice Model. Teams are multi-disciplinary with an ethos of collaborative practice – within the team and with children, young people, parents and carers. The teams work in communities with partner services from the associated school group, the area and from across Highland. Practice Leads (for early years, for school years and for care & protection services) work together within the team to provide a local integrated service to children and families. Practice Leads collaborate to support the work of the team, providing leadership and supervision to distinct but complementary areas of professional activity. Child Health and Disability teams are an integrated and distinct part of the Family Teams network and deliver targeted services where the child’s health circumstances and/or the disabilities are more complex. Youth Action team services for young people involved in offending are also delivered within the Family Teams network in each area. 1.9 The Named Person The purpose of the Named Person role is to make sure children, young people and parents have confidence that they can access help or support no matter where they live or what age the child is. Any child or family may need extra assistance at some time and the Named Person has an important role in helping to access that support. The Named Person is a central point of contact in local universal services. The Named Person therefore is well placed to assist in obtaining support if and when needed. The Getting it right for every child approach includes making a Named Person available for every young person until their 18th birthday (or beyond, if they are still in school). There is no obligation for young people or parents to accept any offer of advice or support from the Named Person. 1.10 Early Intervention Action to assess and provide support to promote wellbeing, to prevent an increase in difficulties or to protect from harm can mean: • Early in the life of a child, including an unborn baby • Early in the scale of complexity • Early in a crisis 1.11 Concern A concern may be expressed about anything that affects or has the possibility of affecting the wellbeing and potential of the child. It may relate to a single event or observation, a series of events, a characteristic of the child or of someone associated with them, for example an adult with responsibility for their care. A concern about one child should cause consideration about the wellbeing of any other children in the family.
3.9.1 Evaluation of risk in the analysis If a child or young person is considered to be at risk of significant harm, the concern and other relevant information must be shared with the local Family Team that provides care and protection services, following the current Highland Child Protection Policy guidance. In all circumstances, practitioners must take account of not only immediate safety, but also consider the impact of risk on other aspects of the child’s development. The implications for other children in the family must be considered alongside the child who is the immediate subject of concern. Practitioners must consider the potential long term risks if early concerns are not addressed. For example, a child may have hearing difficulties or a history of at school. Failure to address either of these issues is likely to result in significant impact on the child’s development. In the analysis of information, including risk evaluation, the framework known as the resilience matrix provides a way of making sense of the impact on the child. The Resilience/Vulnerability Matrix is developed from The Child’s World: Assessing Children in Need, Training and Development Pack (Department of Health, NSPCC and University of Sheffield 2000). The Resilience Matrix, bringing together the two dimensions of vulnerability and resilience, and adversity and protective environment, provides a tool to help analyse the strengths and pressures in the child’s world. The two dimensions interact. Strengthening or undermining factors boost or compromise the child’s resilience and protection. The concept of resilience is fundamental to children’s wellbeing. A resilience-based approach builds on the strengths in the child’s whole world, drawing on what the family, community and universal services can offer, while identifying and minimising the impacts of undermining or dangerous aspects of the child’s life. Taking stock of the information gathered about the child’s development, experience of caregiving, and wider environment – professional and family partners should consider and summarise the available information in the following domains that either promote or inhibit the child’s safety and other wellbeing needs: Resilience promoters: characteristics of the child and their relationships that positively support development, even under difficult circumstances Protective elements: factors in the environment acting as a buffer to the effects of adverse experiences
cases that require it, with prompt provision of good information within the Child’s Plan. The Lead Professional role will normally have passed to a Social Worker at this stage. 7.6.2 Investigation and Decision by the Children’s Reporter The Reporter investigates any referral to decide if the child should be brought before a Children’s Hearing. That investigation is focussed on: whether there is sufficient evidence to establish a formal Ground for Referral to a Children’s Hearing and whether compulsory measures are required to meet the child’s needs (a Compulsory Supervision Order, with any additional compulsory conditions) The Child’s Plan is central to considering both of these issues. It should contain: evidence regarding the specific concerns that may give rise to a Ground for Referral analysis of the role for compulsory measures in ensuring that the Child’s Plan is effective. If the Reporter decides that there is evidence to establish a formal Ground for Referral and that compulsory measures are necessary the child will be referred to a Children’s Hearing. 7.6.3 The Children’s Hearing A Children’s Hearing comprises three Panel Members, who are all trained volunteers from the local community. The Children’s Hearing makes the final decision about whether compulsory measures are required. It has a wide range of powers available to it, both short and long-term. Over and above considering whether a Compulsory Supervision Order is required, the Hearing can impose a range of Measures governing, for example, the child’s residence or contact with others. The Child’s Plan should set out the recommendations made by the professional partners as to all of the compulsory measures required to ensure that the plan is effective, as well as the views of the child and carers. Good preparation of the child and carers for a Children’s Hearing is essential. 7.7 The ‘Prevent’ duty Services have a legal responsibility to have due regard to the need to prevent young people from being drawn into terrorism. Practitioners have an important role to play in meeting these obligations under the ‘Prevent’ duty.
All plans for children should be regularly monitored. Where the Child’s Plan is complex the key practitioners who are directly involved will meet with the child and family as a Core Group at agreed intervals between Child Plan reviews. The frequency and attendance at Core Group meetings will be determined by the child and family circumstances. For example it may be necessary for the Core Group to meet regularly for a period to support a transition. Where the Child’s Plan is a Child Protection Plan, the Core Group will be identified at the Child Protection Plan Meeting and operate as laid out in Child Protection Policy Guidelines. Further information about the Getting it right for every child practice model is in section 2 of this guidance. 8.1.4 Recording and reviewing the Child’s Plan Children and families are central to the Child’s Plan and to making sure it succeeds. Whether a Child’s Plan is single service or multi-agency the plan must include what is needed, why, what will be done, by whom and when and the views of the child and family. When there are differing opinions about any of the content, the plan must show and attribute these clearly. The child (where appropriate) and their parents/carers must be given a copy of the Child’s Plan, including sharing any draft with them during the preparatory stage. It is important to clearly identify the current working plan. The complexity and detail in the plan will be proportionate to the level of need and support identified. It must be written clearly and use language that is meaningful to all partners and reflects their involvement in the process. The criteria for a good quality plan can be found in Appendix 5. Progress must be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure that the planned actions are achieving the desired outcomes, and to determine whether any changes need to be made. Reviewing begins as soon as actions are agreed. No more than six months should pass without a review of the Child’s Plan and in practice this may happen more frequently. Arrangements for monitoring and reviewing the plan should be proportionate and comply with statutory requirements. All partners involved in the implementation of the plan should be in regular dialogue with the Lead Professional and each other. This will be achieved through contact between partners in addition to meetings of the core group. Practitioners must be vigilant about any new information that changes a child’s circumstances and should respond quickly, appropriately and flexibly making