EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
Northumberland
Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details
The Early Help Assessment (EHA) has been designed to support children and young people who need some extra help. It is a way of assessing your needs to be able to decide what help is needed and who could provide services to help.The Early Help Assessment cannot be completed without your informed consent. This means that you give your permission for your personal information to be shared with certain people and that you understand:-
- Why this information will be shared
- Who it will be shared with
- What it will be used for
- How the information will be stored, and that it will be stored confidentially
You need to give consent to share your personal information so that agencies and services understand your situation, what help you need and can decide how to help and support you. We may share your information to help improve the services your family receive through this process. However the Early Help assessment will only be shared with the people who need to see it. In order to record that an Early Help assessment has been completed- so people working with you don’t need to ask you for the same information again- your basic details will be recorded on a central computer database which records that an Early help assessment has been done, by whom and who else is working with you to provide support.
You have the right to choose who can share your personal information and whether it is recorded on the central database, so we need to seek your consent to do this in order to put the support in place that you need. You have the right to withdraw your consent at anytime by completing aconsent withdrawal form. You should be involved in completing the EHA and any actions agreed at all times; you will have to sign the EHA to give consent after the assessment and you will get a copy of the EHA to keep. If your family is considered for support through a Northumberland Supporting Families partnership service, that your family members ‘personal information(name, address, date of birth and identification numbers, if held) might be shared with the Department for communities and Local Government for research purposes only. The Office of National Statistics will process and anonymise all information securely. Further information, a leaflet and an opt out process is available via the Privacy Notice option at the bottom of the website.
If you want to see the information held about you on the EHA database at any time, please refer to the Data Protection link on the Northumberland County Council website, e-mail or contact IT security on 01670 623274.
I consent to a copy of this document being audited by Children's Services or their partner agencies for quality assurance purposes. I understand that the document will be destroyed by the auditor once the process is completed.
Signature:………………………………………………………………… Date:……………………
I understand and give my permission for my/my child’s personal details to be held on the central EHA database
I consent to anEHA being started
YES/ NO
Signature:…………………………………………………………………. Date:…………………..
Nature of relationship to child: I am the Child / Young Person / Parent / Carer(delete as applicable)
EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
NORTHUMBERLAND
Early Help Assessment Database and Process
Consent Withdrawn/ Withheld Form
Data Protection Act 1988
In accordance with the above act this document will require your signature.
Name of Child/ Young Person:Date of Birth:
Address:
Postcode:
Name of Parent/ Carer
(if applicable)
I am the child or parent/ carer of the child named above.
I withdraw or withhold my consent and do not agree to information that is currently held, or that may be gained about me being recorded on the EHA database or shared with other practitioners. I understand this means a EHA cannot be started (or continued) to assess my/ my child’s needs.
However I understand that information will have to be shared with or without my consent if the law says it must or if someone is at risk of significant harm.
I understand that I can change my mind about withholding/ withdrawing my consent at any time and can complete the consent form to initiate the EHA process.
Signature: …………………………………………………………… Date: ………………………..
Nature of relationship to child: I am the Child/ Young Person/ Parent/ Carer(delete as applicable)
EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
Northumberland
Referral to: Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details:
Referring Practitioner’s (LP’s) Name and Agency/ Contact Details:
Date:
EHA reference:
Dear
I would like to refer
Name & D.O.B:Address:
to your service.
The reason I am referring them is
Please find attached a copy of the EHA form that has been completed to provide you with further information in support of this referral. The child/ parent/ young person is aware of this referral and I am the Lead Professional working with them. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss the referral or require further information. I will contact you for information to support the planned review on (date)
Please acknowledge receipt of this letter. Thank you
Yours sincerely,
ENC: EHA form
EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
Northumberland
To: Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details:
From: Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details:
Date:
EHA reference:
Dear
An Early Assessment (EHA Form).
Name & D.O.B:Address:
This assessment has identified a need for additional services.
You are invited to a ‘Team Around the Family’ meeting to discuss a co-ordinated action plan to support this child/ family. We will need to decide who the Lead Professional should be at this meeting.
Can you attend the meeting on:
Date and Time:Venue:
Please acknowledge receipt of this letter and confirm your attendance.
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
ENC:List of people invited to meeting
EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
Northumberland
To: Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details:
From: Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details:
Date:
EHA reference:
Dear
The need for n Early Help Assessment (EHA form) has been identified for
Name & D.O.B:Address:
A number of practitioners have relevant information or will need to be involved in assessing their needs and providing support, including your agency/ organisation.
You are invited to a ‘Team Around the Family’ meeting to complete the EHA form and discuss a co-ordinated action plan to support the child/ family. We will need to decide who the Lead Professional should be at this meeting.
Can you attend the meeting on:
Date and time:Venue:
Please acknowledge receipt of this letter and confirm your attendance.
Thank you
Yours sincerely,
ENC: List of people invited to meeting
EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
Northumberland
To: Child/ Parent/ Young Person
From: Practitioner’s Name and Agency/ Contact Details
Date:
Dear
I am arranging a meeting to talk about the EHA with people from other agencies and organisations. At the meeting, we will talk about the needs identified and decide on an action plan to support you. We will also identify a Lead Professional who will be responsible for keeping you up to date with what is happening.
We are arranging the meeting on
Date & time:Venue:
Please let me know if you can attend this meeting and if you require any help with transport.
Yours sincerely,
Northumberland FACT CAF Protocol April 2011 – Review date April 2012
EHA Appendix 8: Continuum of need
Family Name / EHA ID No.Which Family Member does this action
relate to? / NEEDS
What are we worried about? / ACTION
What needs to be done?
(include timescales and who is doing what) SMART / OUTCOME
What will things look like if this need is being met?
(Link this to the outcomes plan)
Agreed Review Date
Child/Young person’s name / Child/Young person’s signature / Date
Parent/Carers name / Parents/Carers signature / Date
Lead Professional name / Lead Professional Signature / Date
Northumberland FACT CAF Protocol April 2011 – Review date April 2012
EHA Appendix 9: Fraser competence
The test of Fraser competence
(Previously known as Gillick competence)
Who does the test apply to?
- A child or young person can give their consent to share information if the practitioner judges that the child is competent.
- As a rule of thumb it is generally applicable to children over the age of 13 years.
How is Fraser competence assessed?
- Can the child/young person understand the question being asked of them?
- Does the child/young person have a reasonable understanding of what information will be shared, the main reasons for sharing it and the consequences of sharing or not sharing the information?
- Can the child/young person consider the alternatives and weigh up the different situations?
- Can the child/young person give a personal view of the situation?
- Is the child/young person giving a consistent view on the matter?
What if parents/carers disagree?
- Parents/carers should be included in discussion wherever possible.
- It is good practice to consider the views of both child/young person and parents/carers in any decisions about the sharing of their information.
- Ultimately, if a competent child/young person and their parents/carers differ in their views, the competent child/young person’s wishes should be respected.
Do parents need to be informed?
- It is not necessary to inform parents/carers if it is against the wishes of the competent child/young person and the practitioner judges that the child/young person’s wishes can be respected.
- It is not necessary to inform parents/carers if this could place the child/young person at increased risk of harm.
November 2015
EHA Appendix 13 : Early Help Assessment Process
Team Around the Family Guidance (TAF)For Lead Professionals
- The Early Help Assessment (EHA) process was developed for practitioners from a range of backgrounds to use, to gather and assess information in relation to a child’s needs in respect of their development, parenting and the family environment.
- After gaining consent from the child/ family to share information gathered from discussions, where a multi agency response is required, the practitioner is to organise a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting to assess those needs and decide with the child/family a course of action to provide the services needed.
- A TAF is a multi disciplinary team of practitioners including parent(s)/carers/young person (if appropriate) established on a case by case basis to support a child/young person or family.
Section guidance:
1.What is a TAF meeting?
2.TAF Process
3.Key Principles
4.Role of Lead professional/Chair
5. How to Hold a TAF meeting
6.Review
7.Conflict resolution including recording
8.Lead Professional hints and tips
1. What is a TAF Meeting?
A TAF Meeting is:
A Multi agency meeting:-
- Tasked with designing a personalised package of support
- Seeks to address the identified and unmet targeted needs
- Agrees to and appoints an ongoing Lead Professional
- Centred on the needs and voluntary engagement of the child/young person-it is done with the child/young person, not done unto
- Convened by the person/practitioner who has initially identified unmet needs that will require support/interventions from more than one agency/service.(e.g. via an EHA or Initial Assessment)
The overarching aim is to produce a timely and well co-ordinated package of support/interventions that enable a child to achieve the five outcomes of ECM.
2. Team Around the Family (TAF) Process
- The Team around the Family process begins at the point at which a child/young person had been assessed, using the common assessment framework, as requiring a multi-agency response.
- The TAF process is based upon need and early intervention and is therefore focussed on children and young people before they reach the threshold for Social Care or other specialist interventions.
- This process is also applicable for all children and young people whose needs are de-escalating (moving from the windscreen of need, i.e. no longer requiring specialist services but still/ now require targeted support to successfully have their needs met before being wholly catered for in a universal setting). Social Care will step down to the EHA.
- However, the process could also be used/should be considered for children/young people who:
a)Are in receipt of specialist interventions but have other unmet (targeted/middle of the windscreen) needs
b)Are no longer subject to a Child Protection Plan
c) After a single assessment is not going to receive a service from social care (local social work team) but still have unmet needs
d)Are no longer a Child in Need
e)Do not meet the thresholds for the Children with Disabilities Team
- Key Principles
- The child/young person’s needs and rights must come first
- The child/young person and family, should be present at the “Team Around the Family” meeting if it is deemed appropriate for the child/young person
- The parents/carers rights must be considered
- Meetings follow the same format, pro-forma’s are provided so plans are clear, understandable and provide consistency
- The child/young person’s welfare, well being and outcomes are everyone’s responsibility
- A TAF meeting needs to be helpful, timed to suit the family and only as long as it needs to be
- Those professionals/practitioners who are already or likely to be a part of the “personalised package of support” should be present, those that aren’t shouldn’t be!
4. Role of Lead Professional/Chair
The TAF meeting should be planned with a clear plan of what the issues are with the child/family.
- Lead professional/chair introduces the meeting and asks everyone to introduce themselves.
- Basic, clear and concise language is needed to ensure families feel included and part of the plan.
- Keep the meeting focussed and delegate another professional to complete the action plan ensuring all professionals and parents get a copy before they leave.
- Delegate tasks for professionals, for example if a referral needs to be made to another agency ask an appropriate person to do this and set timescales so everyone knows what needs to be done before the next meeting.
- Set a review date between 12 weeks.
- Give everyone an opportunity to talk.
- Be clear about what the actions are and who is doing what.
- Arrange the next meeting at this meeting so that everyone has it in their diaries and invites then won’t need to be sent out. Ensure that anyone who gave apologies is informed of the next meeting.
5. How to hold a TAF Meeting
- Gain consent from parents to share information.
- Invite relevant professionals and also ask the family who should attend if there are already professionals working with them.
- Choose a time/venue and date.
- Send either an email or letter out to the relevant professionals, if they can’t attend either speak to them to ask what they could possibly offer in terms of support or ask them to provide a report (if relevant).
Please note:
Working Together
If you feel that someone is not going to be willing to support the family or there could be some issues that a professional may have, it is a good idea to discuss this before the meeting goes ahead to avoid any conflict when the meeting is running. If an issue emerges during the meeting and cannot be resolved, action should be taken following the meeting for a resolution to be made. It is not good practice to continue these types of discussions in front of parents.
6. Review
A date within 12 weeks of the initial meeting should be set to review the plan to ensure services are meeting the needs of the child or young person and should be held in the same way as an initial TAF.
Please contact the EHA enquiry line to inform them of new TAF meeting date.
At the review meeting, consideration should be given as to:
Whether the services outlined in the initial TAF plan have met the child/young person’s needs.
- Whether they need to continue
- Whether new needs have been identified and additional services are now required.
- This will be recorded on the review form and copies sent to the same distribution as the “Detailed Action Plan”.
7. Conflict Resolution
On occasions there may be situations that arise when agencies disagree as to the “threshold” of a particular child/young person. If the consensus cannot be agreed as to whether a child requires specialist and/or child protection interventions then the local social care Team Manager should be contacted, it may be appropriate for an independent Chair to attend the next meeting.
There may be occasions during a meeting when actions/decisions are made that a member of the group disagrees with. In this instance the following action should be taken:
- Discussion with the chair following the meeting where a resolution is agreed by both parties.
- It may be appropriate to seek advice from the local Social Care Team Manager or another external manager from Children’s services to resolve the disagreement.
Recording
- The purpose of the “detailed action plan” is for agencies to have a consistent method of recording and reviewing interventions and outcomes for the children/young people and in addition it allows families to have a clear understanding of the agencies involved with their child/ren, their roles and responsibilities.
- Children, young people and or their families should have copies of all recordings. (Unless otherwise agreed with an individual, e.g. a young person who does not wish to have parents or named others involved.)
- All recordings (including the detailed action plan) should be held by the Lead Professional.
- Each agency or practitioner who is part of the interventions should also receive a copy.
- When a review has taken place, copies of this should also be forwarded to those listed above.
Closing an EHA