Friday 1st April 2016
Overview and Action Points from Linked-Up Meeting

Attendance;
Natalie Johnson – Community Action Wirral
Jennie McLaren – Involve Northwest Leap Frog & The Woodcraft Folk
Lisa Briard – Involve Northwest Leap Frog
Steve Vasey – Autism Together
Sally Kew – Magenta Living
Mary Kilcoyne – Catholic Children’s Society
Bev Morgan - Home Start
Aileen Alexander – Barnardo’s
Darran Draper – Ferries Family Groups
Gaynor Rowlands – Wirral Mencap
Mark Newman – Wirral Council Youth Support
Jane Egan – Early Help & CAF Team Manager
Tricia Spencer – Catholic Children’s Society
Danielle People – WEB Merseyside
Pauline Severs – WIRED
Helen Webster – Birkenhead North Development Trust

Apologies;
Keith Billington – Career Connect
Carolyn Lavelle – Your Housing
Anne Parker – Foundation Years Trust
Nikki Barker - Home Start

Jargon buster – MASH – Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub, CAF – Common Assessment Framework, TAF – Team Around the Family,

Introductions

Overview from Jane Egan

  • Explains how the Early Help and CAF team management will work with a focus on helping integrated working flourish.
  • Discussed MASH as a single front door with level 3 going to Jane’s team and level 4 going to children’s social care.
  • The locality social worker is being revamped.
  • The Family Support Worker role no longer exists.
  • TAF episodes will be supported locally by a social worker – Jane stressed the importance of making sure they get the minutes after these meetings and highlighted that organisations must make sure systems are in place so this happens.
  • Bi-monthly networking meetings will happen across Wirral – each one with a theme such as Early Years, Youth, and Substance Dependency. Jane to send dates to Natalie – Natalie to circulate
  • CAF champions as the go to person for support with completing was discussed and it was urged that organisations put forward a member of their team wherever possible.
    The first CAF champion meeting is 20th April 2016 – time and venue to be confirmed. Natalie will circulate when confirmed.
  • The group fed back that the MASH briefings were informative and useful
  • It was suggested that an issues and challenges allocated time slot could be added to the Linked-Up meeting so that organisations have a chance to productively feedback shared concerns. Natalie will feed this back to the appropriate people/organisations.
  • The issues and challenges that arose from this meeting in relation to MASH and the CAF champions were around time and resources.
  • The group felt that whilst the proposed changes sounded positive and were appreciated, the practical application of these may prove difficult mainly due to funding constraints.
  • The group highlighted that contractual agreements do not allow for the flexibility to accommodate additional tasks/roles such as this. It was also pointed out that short term contracts make it difficult to be able to offer a commitment.

Feedback from Boards and Meetings

  • Staying Safe – the main topics were MASH briefings and CAF Quality Assurance Group.
  • Improving Life Chances Group – The strategy is now complete. There will be a re-launch of training including e-learning.

It was highlighted that the Voluntary sector representatives for the CAF Quality Assurance Group and any other boards need to attend the Linked-Up meeting to feedback to the group.

Information Exchange

  • Woodcraft Folk – have 6 new youth groups across Wirral. Jennie to send Natalie information on this to circulate.
  • MENCAP – Have a leisure event and housing workshop coming up. There is also a vacancy for a project manager. Gaynor to send Natalie information on this to circulate.
  • WEB Merseyside – have training course and shorter confidence course for women and men, girls and boys.
  • Youth Service – Mark is looking at setting up a youth providers group similar to the one that runs in Birkenhead – will inform Natalie when this is running to circulate.
  • Ferries Families are undergoing a re-brand whilst still providing the same service.
  • Birkenhead North Development Trust – have an autism friendly library and an Easter programme running. They are also starting a 1:1 mentoring service. Helen to forward Natalie details to circulate
  • Home Start – have moved into their Prenton Hub from Argyle Street. Phone number is 0151 608 8288 for general enquiries.
  • Magenta Living – undergoing a restructure and will operate on an allocated neighbourhood patch basis consisting of around 800/900 households.
  • Autism Together - explains that the petition that is on-line is to save Autism Together short breaks services only, which were under threat and not the organisation as a whole. Steve wanted to clear up any misunderstandings. Also, highlighted Chloe’s newsletter and to contact if you would like to receive it.
  • Leapfrog/Involve Northwest – have schools on board and are delivering for aged 5-10, this funding is set to continue until Sept.

The next meeting date is

Friday 27th May 2016

9.30am -11.30am

St James Centre Birkenhead

Please contact with suggestions for a guest speak that will benefit the sector