in Argyll and Bute
Getting it Right for Named Persons and Lead Professionals
A Practice Guide
Policy Reference: GIRFEC Practice Guidance / Date of Issue: 22/10/12Prepared by: Argyll and Bute GIRFEC
Implementation Group / Date of Review: 22/10/13
Lead Reviewers: Patricia Renfrew, Liz Strang and David Bain / Version 1
Ratified by: Argyll and Bute’s Children / Date ratified 13/09/12
Distribution:
· Public Health Nursing Teams
· Education Staff & Schools
· Social Work, Children and Families Teams
· Early Education Team
· Early Years Establishments / · Head of Integrated Children’s Service
· Midwifery Leads
· Lead Allied Health Professionals
· Lead Nurse
· Child Protection Leads
Contents
Introduction / Page 2Being a Named Person / Page 3
Being a Lead Professional / Page 4
When Single Agency Support is Not Enough / Page 5
A Child at Risk of Harm / Page 6
Initial Multi-agency Child’s Plan Meeting / Page 10
Convening an Initial Child’s Plan Meeting / Page 11
Chairing an Initial Child’s Plan Meeting / Page 13
Getting it Right Flow Chart / Page 15
Glossary of Key Terms / Page 16
Wellbeing Indicators / Page 18
The Five Key Questions / Page 19
Guidance on assessment / Page 20
Introduction
This guidance has been developed for all professionals working to the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) principles which aims to improve outcomes for all children and young people in Argyll and Bute.
This guidance updates the previous Getting it Right for Every Child Joint Assessment and Planning Guidance and replaces the Education Health and Social Work Joint Working Protocol (July 2007). This guidance is based on practitioners experiences in implementing Getting it Right for Every Child and responds to feedback and frequently asked questions arising in training and staff development events.
Getting it Right for Every Child promotes a shared approach that:
· Builds solutions with and around children and families
· Enables children to get the help they need when they need it
· Involves working together to make things better
· Supports a positive shift in culture, systems and practice
The GIRFEC practice model was implemented in Argyll and Bute in January 2012 across Education, Health, Social Work and Police services. The main components of the practice model are:-
· The Well-being Indicators
· The five Key Questions
· The My World Triangle
· The Resilience Matrix
· The Child’s Plan
.
The GIRFEC approach is underpinned by a set of core components, common values and principles which apply across all aspects of working with children and young people. This GIRFEC Practice Model has been developed to guide joint assessment, planning and action when professionals are working together to support children and young people to help them become successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens.
Where there is any concern that a child may be at risk of significant harm child protection procedures must take precedence and concerns must be discussed with Social Work at the earliest opportunity and without delay.
Being a Named Person
Every child and young person in Argyll and Bute has a Named Person based on the child’s age. The named person will work within universal services and usually be a health or education professional. These individuals will be responsible for making sure that the child has the right help in place to support his or her development and well-being across the following life stages:-
Child’s Age / Named ProfessionalAntenatal – 10days / Midwife
10 days – school entry / Health Visitor
Primary school age / HT/Depute Head
Secondary school age / HT /DHT pupil support/ Guidance teacher
The main roles of the Named Person are:-
· To be the main point of contact for the child or young person and their parents/carers when seeking information or advice, and for any practitioners wishing to discuss a concern about the child or young person
· To act on any concerns timeously
· To prepare a single agency plan based on appropriate and proportionate information where a concern exists
As the Named Person you will;
1. be the one who makes sure that children and families give their consent to any sharing of information about them
2. ensure that children and families are informed when information is shared
3. ensure that core information within the Named Person's own agency is kept up-to-date
4. make sure that relevant information from other agencies is appropriately recorded and stored and accessed when needed
5. contribute to the review of progress made on a single-agency plan
6. contribute to planning for key transition points
7. contribute to multiagency support when required based on the GIRFEC practice model
Being a Lead Professional
There are circumstances when children’s needs involve two or more agencies working together delivering services to the child and family. Where this happens a lead professional will be needed. The lead professional becomes the person within the network of practitioners supporting the child and family who will make sure that agencies act as a team to provide appropriate support for the child and family
The Lead Professional is responsible for co-ordinating multi-agency planning to make sure that the different services provide a network of support around the child in an appropriate, timely and proportionate way. Lead Professionals are usually identified at a Child’s Plan meeting and should be the person best placed to coordinate the support needed.
A lead professional is likely to be required in the following circumstances:-
· Where those working with the child and family in universal services have evidence that indicates the need for input by two or more agencies and that a Child's Plan should be drawn up
· Where there are serious concerns about the child's safety or there is a statutory requirement for a lead professional outside universal services
The Role of the Lead Professional encompasses the following:-
· To co-ordinate the provision of specialist support
· To act as the main point of contact for all practitioners to feedback progress on any issues
· To act as the main point of contact with the child and family
· To monitor the progress of the Child’s Plan
Lead Professional – Specific Circumstances
While the Lead Professional is usually identified at a child’s plan meeting there are circumstances in which a child or young person will always have a Lead Professional and where the role automatically falls to a particular service. In these situations the Lead Professional will work closely with the Named Person
Where the child is subject to an on-going child protection investigation or has their name on the child protection register or where a child is looked after then there will always be a Lead Professional and this will always be Social Work.
Where a child is subject to a Co-ordinated Support Plan there will always be a Lead Professional and this will normally be an education professional (unless the previous paragraph applies)
When Single Agency Support is Not Enough
As a Named Person there will be times when you become concerned that a child needs more support than you are able to provide yourself and you are considering the need to involve other agencies.
The following sections are to assist a Named Person to identify the most appropriate response when additional support may be needed for a child or young person. Key to this is when to make a request for support from another agency and when to arrange a child’s plan meeting.
A more detailed flow chart is included on Page 15.
A Child at Risk of Harm
Child Protection procedures take priority over this GIRFEC guidance and must not delay prompt action in response to concerns.
Where there is any concern that a child may be at risk of significant harm child protection procedures must be followed and concerns discussed with Social Work immediately and without delay.
During office hours call - 01546 605517 and ask for the duty social worker,
Outwith office hours call - 0800 811505 - West of Scotland Standby Service
Getting it Right and the Child Protection Process
When a child becomes the subject of a child protection investigation a social worker will take on the role of the Lead Professional for the child.
This worker will remain the Lead Professional if the child’s name is placed on the Argyll & Bute Child Protection Register and will co-ordinate the Child’s Protection Plan.
Where it is identified that a child protection investigation is required the interagency West of Scotland Child Protection Procedures will take precedence over this guidance.
When a child’s name is placed on the Child Protection Register the Child Protection Core Group will prepare a Child Protection Plan and will undertake the role and function of the Child’s Plan Meeting.
Where the conclusion of an investigation is that no further action is required under the child protection procedures or on the ending of a period of child protection registration support, Social Work will convene a Child’s Plan meeting to identify any further need for support.
Initial Multi-agency Child’s Plan MeetingChild’s Plan Meeting / My World Assessment / Arranging the Child’s Plan Meeting
An initial Child’s Plan meeting is called when the Named Person has asked the 5 key questions and decided that additional help is required from one or more agencies (Question 5)
1. What is getting in the way of this child or young person’s well being?
2. Do I have all the information I need to help this child or young person?
3. What can I do now to help this child or young person?
4. What can my agency do to help this child or young person?
5. What additional help, if any, may be needed from others? / The Named Person should arrange an initial Child’s Plan meeting when it is clear that a child’s needs require input from more than one agency.
The My World Assessment should be completed by the Named Person and all other appropriate agencies and be brought to the initial Child’s Plan meeting. (See exemplars.)
The initial Child’s Plan meeting should create a multi-agency assessment of the child’s needs and identify actions for the professionals involved and clear outcomes for the child/young person. / Things to consider
· Purpose of the meeting
· Who is being invited
· Are the child/young person/parents aware?
When planning the meeting ensure:-
1. Appropriate time of the meeting to suit the child/parents
2. The venue is appropriate
3. Time for partner agencies to prepare and complete single agency assessment
There is no need for a separate minute of this meeting. The completed multi-agency Child’s Plan will detail the outcomes of the meeting.
Convening an Initial Child’s Plan Meeting
The initial Child’s Plan meeting will take place when the Named Person identifies, through the initiation of an assessment using the My World Triangle, that in order to meet the child’s needs, a number of services may need to become involved. The My World Triangle Assessment allows professionals to bring together their specialist knowledge to present a clear, holistic picture of the child, their family and the community.
When is an initial Child’s Plan Meeting Required?
· When the Named Person has concerns about a child’s well-being and recognises that the child’s needs cannot be met solely by the resource of a single agency or universal services.
A Child’s Plan Meeting must be convened when:
· The child’s needs are complex and require a range of services.
· Where the current single agency plan is not achieving change for the child and additional supports may be required
How to Convene an initial Child’s Plan Meeting
· The Named Person will ensure that the child’s plan meeting takes place to include all relevant services. Careful consideration should be given to who will be invited to the Child’s Plan Meeting. Education, Health and Social Work staff are likely to be involved in most Child’s Plan Meetings in addition to the child, young person and their parent(s) or carer(s)
· The Named Person will send out invites to the meeting. The expectation is that all agencies consider the information within the My World Triangle assessment and bring their single agency assessment.
· Agencies should also check their own records for additional information prior to attending the meeting.
The Named Person will chair the initial Child’s Plan Meeting. However in cases of child protection and Looked After Children the Child’s Plan Meetings will always be convened and chaired by Social Work.
The initial Child’s Plan Meeting
· The Child’s Plan meeting will consider all the My World Triangle assessments and the information shared by the family and other agencies.
· The Lead Professional will ensure that the multi-agency child’s plan is completed and disseminated appropriately.
Children who have a Coordinated Support Plan
A small number of children and young people have a Coordinated Support Plan (CSP). Due to the multi-agency nature of their needs, this group of children/young people will also have a Child’s Plan. In order to prevent undue CSPs should be considered as an essential component of a Child’s Plan and a CSP should be attached to a Child’s Plan. Therefore,
· a CSP should be reviewed at the same time as a Child’s Plan
· CSPs should be reviewed by the Lead Professional appointed to oversee the Child’s Plan
· there should be no duplication of content between a CSP and a Child’s Plan
Chairing an initial Child’s Plan Meeting
As the Named Person, you will be responsible for convening the initial Child’s Plan Meeting and the following guidance may be helpful in planning the meeting. Thereafter the Lead Professional will convene and chair Child’s Plan meetings.
Chairing the Child’s Plan MeetingThe agenda and discussion at the meeting should include
· Welcome and introductions / Outline the purpose of the meeting and ensure introductions for everyone at the meeting
· Consent / Confirm that the child and family have been given information on consent and have signed the consent forms as appropriate
· Copies of the My World Assessment Triangle / Collective assessment of child’s needs
· Summary of additional information / Family and agencies to share any new or additional information
· Discussion around the identified needs and identified outcomes being sought / The discussion should include the family at all times
Outcomes should be solution focused and recorded in Child’s Plan
· Identification of partners and tasks in the Child’s Plan / These should be achievable and documented in the Child’s Plan
· Identification of Lead Professional. / Should be the best person placed to undertake the role
· Date for Review / A review date should be agreed at the end of the meeting within a timescale convenient to all partners and the family
Areas to consider