Agenda Item: 5.2.9

Request to support the recruitment of a Support Officer to Facilitate the rollout of the Team Around the Child Project

Report Author: Susan Evans

Head of Children and Family Inclusion

Report to: Partnership Advisory Group

Date: August 2008

Background

Following endorsement of the TAC Pilot Project by the Wrexham County Borough Council and the Local Health Executive Boards, the project was further endorsed by key partners via the Children and Young People’s Framework Partnership Board. Following a successful Pilot, the plan is to rollout the project across the borough.

The Roll Out Plan
Tricia Jones, Team Around the Child Coordinator, with the assistance of Support Officer, Katie Ford, will undertake the implementation of the TAC rollout in the Community First Sure Start/Flying Start wards of Hightown and CaiaPark. These areas have been chosen to benefit from the first phase of the TAC Roll Out as they are areas of high need which generate a significant number of referrals to specialist services. Once TAC is established in the Caia and Hightown Wards, the TAC will be rolled out to the remaining wards of Wrexham Central.

Helen Edwards, will take on responsibility for rolling out the TAC model to the remaining areas of the South of the County whilst supporting those practitioners already trained in the use of the TAC. To ensure the progress made in the South is consolidated and the roll out to other areas in the South is successful, a dedicated Support Officer will need to be recruited to support practitioners with a range of tasks, as evidenced by the feedback received during the pilot phase.

Practitioners from statutory and voluntary agencies who have already been involved with the TAC during the pilot phase have highlighted the need for support to arrange and minute meetings, photocopy and provide documentation for TAC meetings and tooffer support with a range of other Support Officer duties.

In areas of England where this model of work has been successfully implemented practitioners have been supported on an area basis by a Team Around the Child co-ordinator and a Support Officer. In order to ensure the successful rollout of the TAC Model in Wrexham it is crucial that stakeholders are provided with a similar level of support.

Proposal

In order to provide the appropriate level of support to stakeholders involved in the TAC Project, I propose that funding should be made available to recruit a Support Officer. The Support Officer would be employed to assist practitioners operating in the South of the County with the following tasks:-

Support Officer

Support for TAC Practitioners:

  • Arranging venues for meetings where needed
  • Sending invitations to practitioners for TAC Meetings
  • Making copies of the CAF for the TAC meeting
  • Copying and distributing TAC Plans to all those attending TAC Meetings
  • Providing a copy of the CAF and the TAC meetings form for each meeting to the TAC Co-ordinator
  • Reporting apologies to meetings and chasing up where necessary
  • Liaising between the TAC Co-ordinator and the lead professional when needed
  • Taking and passing on telephone messages
  • Dealing with telephone enquiries
  • Sending invitations to practitioners for TAC Training
  • Arranging venues for TAC training

and to providesupport to the TAC co-ordinatorin the South of the County:

  • To minute larger meetings
  • To send letters and e-mails
  • To maintain e-mail distribution lists
  • To send out TAC documentation

Costing: £16,200 including on costs per annum

Recommendation

That the Partnership Advisory Group recommend that funds be made available to recruit a Support Officer to assist practitioners from statutory and voluntary organisations in the South of the County.

Susan Evans

Head of Children & Family Inclusion

8th August 2008

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