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MULTI - AGENCY THRESHOLD GUIDANCE Identifying Need and Analysing Risk when working with Children in Walsall November 2015
MULTI - AGENCY THRESHOLD GUIDANCE
Identifying Need and Analysing Risk when working with Children in Walsall
November 2015
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BETTER TOGETHER FOR CHILDREN
Contents
1. Foreword Page 4
2. Introduction Page 5 - 6
2.1 Purpose of this guidance 2.2 How this guidance was developed 2.3 Expectations 2.4 Where to go for more advice and guidance
3. Children and Young People in Walsall Pages 6 - 7
3.1 Our Vision and Ambition 3.2 Working in Partnership 3.3 Children in Need 3.4 Significant Harm 3.5 Definition of a Child 3.6 Our Population
4. Key Principles Underpinning our Practice Page 7 -9
5. Thresholds for Support Page 9 - 20
5.1 Risk 5.2 Universal Services 5.3 Early Help Single Agency Response 5.4 Early Help ~ Additional Support 5.5 Statutory Intervention
5.6 Multi- Agency Safeguarding Hub
5.7 The Early Help Process
5.8. The role of a Lead Professional
6. Step Up Step Down Guidance Pages 20 -26
6.1 Context 6.2 Who is this Guidance for? 6.3 What do we mean by Step Up and Step Down? 6.4 What is the role of a lead Professional? 6.5 How do we support our children and young people stepping down from social care intervention? 6.6 How to Step Down from an Initial Assessment 6.7 How to Step Down From a Child in Need (CiN) Plan
6.8 How to Step Down from a Child Protection Plan
6.9 How to Step Down from a Looked After Care Plan 6.10 Dispute Resolution 6.11 Quality Assurance
7. References Page 26 Appendix 1 Working Together 2015 Walsall Flowcharts Pages 27 - 32 Appendix 2 Step Down Pathways Social Care to Early Help Page 33 -34
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1. Foreword
Everyone who works with children and young people in Walsall wants to do the very best for them.
We are ambitious for them in to reach their full potential and we have a duty to safeguard them
from harm.
We are at our best when we work together to do this using the expertise, resources and individual
skills of each agency and each worker.
This document sets out how this is done in Walsall. Please do read it carefully, every agency has
had some input into the service planning and the document itself. It is owned by all of us who have
a responsibility to children and young people in the Borough.
Alan Critchley Chair of the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board
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2. Introduction
2.1 Purpose of this guidance This guidance has been developed to support all professionals working with children and young people across Walsall so that everyone is clear about:
the thresholds for access to services which support the actions needed to improve the outcomes for children
a common language
individual responsibility when working with children young people and the families
the responsibilities of different agencies and
what is needed to support professionals in their roles
Whilst it is recognised that many organisations’ services have thresholds to enable the right children and young people to access higher level specialist support, this guidance has a particular focus on the threshold for accessing services from Children's Social Care. A shared understanding of this threshold helps to ensure that resources are targeted effectively at those children and young people who most require them, and supports practitioners in making appropriate referrals. The threshold framework also supports multi-agency working by the development of a common language and an agreed model for responding to need across the children's workforce in Walsall. 2.2 How this guidance was developed In March 2015 the Government published ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’;
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/419595/Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children.pdf
which replaces and streamlines previous guidance. Working Together lays out the responsibilities of all agencies and professionals to safeguard children from harm, protect them from abuse and ensure their welfare and developmental needs are being met. All those who work with children, young people and their families must be familiar with Working Together 2015.
This document has been revised in line with Working Together 2015 and explains how thresholds of need should be considered when determining which service is best placed to respond to the needs of the child or young person. It sets out those circumstances in which Children’s Social Care Services will provide a service and those where other services and providers may provide a better option for support for the child often through early help or universal services.
This guidance takes account of the Framework for Assessment of Children, the Early Help Offer and should be read in conjunction with other practice guidance. Deciding that a threshold has been reached and that a child or young person needs additional support is not easy:
“There is no diagnostic gold standard...and therefore decision-making.....can be very difficult and thresholds hard to establish. It is essential to place the child or young person at the centre of the assessment.”3
All members of the partnership have been consulted with in developing this document providing feedback, challenge and comment on each iterative version of the guidance. This document has then been written by a number of professionals who have led on the active development of the final document. It will be reviewed on an annual basis.
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2.3 Expectations
It is the expectation of member organisations of the Local Safeguarding Board that all professionals working with children, young people and their families in Walsall will work within this guidance and pay full regard to the more detailed policies and procedures in place. 2.4 Where to go for more advice and guidance All professionals will work within their own agency’s policies and procedures and all agencies share the WSCB Safeguarding policies and procedures which can be accessed at: http://www.wlscb.org.uk/ The Early Help and Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is the first point of contact for any professional
or concerned individual who has concerns about a child. MASH can be contacted on 0300 555 2866.
Anyone ringing this number will be asked to self select whether they are seeking advice and guidance or
have a safeguarding concern in relation to a child or young person. The call will then be correctly routed
either to the Early Help Hub or the MASH
3. Children and Young People in Walsall
3.1 Our Vision and Ambition Partners and organisations across Walsall have high ambition for all children and young people in Walsall. We recognise that we are ‘Better Together for Children’. The overriding vision for children is contained in our Children and Young People’s Plan 2013 to2016 which can be found at: http://www.childrenspartnership.walsall.org.uk/children_and_young_people__8217_s_plan_2013-201.pdf. Our vision of ‘Better Together for Children’, recognises that Walsall children face significant disadvantage during their early years, particularly in relation to financial hardship, high levels of child poverty, weak employment prospects and high infant mortality rates. It is for these reasons that a multi-agency approach is required in striving to achieve better outcomes for children. We seek to meet the needs of all our children, taking a whole system approach to the design of services to ensure that we are effective and efficient in all that we do. This comes from what children and young people have told us they want:
‘I tell my story once Support and services join up around me People do what they promise I feel better and safer’…..’
3.2 Working in Partnership
A joined up multi-agency approach is essential in ensuring that we work with families effectively. Decisions regarding how to respond when there are concerns about a child or young person can be complex and are often open to interpretation. This is because the needs of children and young people generally are wide ranging, and because the needs of specific children can change and fluctuate over time. It is therefore crucial that all practitioners working with children and young people feel confident about determining when specific services should be accessed and the processes for doing so.
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Longitudinal research shows that the large majority of children thrive best in their own families with support from a range of universal services and most children will achieve positive outcomes through the provision of universal services. They do not have any identified additional needs and sit at one end of the continuum of need. Some of these children are at risk of poorer outcomes and these are children with additional needs. They require targeted support from education, health and/or prevention and intervention services. 3.3 Children in Need A lesser number of children group will be Children in Need (Section 17, Children Act 1989) and require specialist social work intervention to achieve their full potential. 3.4 Significant Harm A small minority of highly vulnerable children will need specialist interventions to protect them from serious abuse or neglect and sit at the other end of this continuum. The concept of significant harm was introduced in The Children Act 1989 as the threshold at which compulsory intervention in family life was in the best interests of children. It gives local authorities a duty to make enquiries to decide whether they should take action to safeguard or promote the welfare of a child. 3.5 Definition of a Child For the purposes of this document a child is anyone from pre-birth to 18 years whatever their circumstances; this includes those living independently, in hospital, in custody, in the armed forces, in custody or in further education. Some young people over 18 will continue to access services provided by the children’s workforce, for example those who are care leavers, those with a statement of special educational need and those young people with complex disabilities who are subject to transitional planning into adult services. 3.6 Our Population The 2011 census for Walsall tells us that while ‘White British’ remains the largest single group at 76.9%; the proportion of residents from a minority ethnic group has risen since 2001 to 23.1%. This is higher than the 19.5% average in England and Wales. In considering the needs of all our children we must also ensure that we take into account a child’s racial, cultural, religious and linguistic background when making decisions about how best to identify and meet their needs. Research indicates that disabled children face an increased risk of abuse or neglect4 and can require additional support. They can experience greater vulnerability as a result of negative attitudes about disability and they may have additional needs relating to physical, sensory, cognitive and/ or communication impairments. They can also experience access to services and resources differently, e.g. having more residential care or less access to the other community resources utilised by other children. These issues are explored in Protecting Disabled Children: Thematic Inspections.5
4. Key Principles Underpinning our Practice
Working Together 2015 seeks to ensure that all local areas have effective safeguarding systems in place and sets out the principles that should underpin all safeguarding arrangements. Our approach in Walsall seeks to ensure that as we adopt a multi and inter-agency approach with an emphasis on early identification and early intervention our practice is informed by evidence and draws on the practitioner’s knowledge and experience, research and data and consultation with children, young people and their families.
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It is important that all professionals and organisations share a clear and consistent set of principles to the way in which they work. These are: Information Sharing
serious case reviews have repeatedly shown that a failure to share information has contributed to the death or serious injury of a child
effective sharing of information between professionals and partner agencies is essential to achieve appropriate identification of need and engagement of relevant services, whether these are around emerging issues that could be addressed via Early Help or when intervention by safeguarding children services is necessary
Working Together 2015 explicitly states: “Fears about sharing information cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children”6
all professionals are expected to know when and how to share information
no professional should ever assume that someone else has passed on information or concerns about the safety and wellbeing of a child
Safeguarding is Everyone’s Responsibility
all professionals need to share information appropriately and in a timely way with regard to the primary interests of the child. “Everyone who works with children – including teachers, GPs, nurses, midwives, health visitors, early years professionals, youth workers, police, Accident and Emergency staff, paediatricians, voluntary and community workers and social workers – has a responsibility for keeping them safe.”7
all professionals should be able to discuss concerns for an individual child or young person with colleagues and with children’s social care
all professionals and agencies need to work closely together to ensure that children and families get the right help at the right time to achieve their full potential.
all professionals and agencies should contribute to delivering whatever actions or services are needed to safeguard a child or young person and promote their wellbeing
all agencies must be involved in reviewing the outcomes for individual children to ensure their welfare and wellbeing are met
A Child Centred Approach
effective services require a clear understanding of the needs of the child based on hearing the voice of the child or young person
promoting the resilience of all children and intervening early to tackle problems that emerge will help to make this happen
ensuring that all those who come into contact with a child or young person are aware of their needs and alert to any risks or potential risk of harm
intervention rooted in child development
Parental Consent
Consent is always sought from the parent/carer before an Early Help assessment is undertaken and families are actively involved in the process. We know that some children, young people and their families sometimes do not wish to provide that consent. Working Together 2015 is silent on this issue, however, Working Together 2013 states:
“...if parents and/or the child do not consent to an early help assessment, then the lead professional should make a judgement as to whether, without help, the needs of the child will escalate. If so, a referral into local authority children’s social care may be necessary.”8
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This does not mean that practitioners should not be persistent in seeking consent, they should be innovative in their attempts to engage children, young people and their families who are experiencing difficulties and may be resistant to engaging with professionals.
If the family do not engage sufficiently, practitioners need to consider the risks to the child, including any developmental risks, and whether these risks will escalate without support. In considering the risks, professionals may need to speak with colleagues in their own and other agencies, their agency safeguarding lead, or the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0330 555 2866.
5. Thresholds for Support
Children and young people have different needs and will need different types and levels of support to ensure that they meet their full potential both as children and later as adults. The threshold diagram describes the four levels of need and support that children, young people and their families in Walsall might experience. The Early Help offer fits into the 4 levels of need or vulnerability below. However, as individuals, children rarely “fit” neatly into these categories; neither do their circumstances always change in predictable or sustained ways. We recognise that the needs of children and young people can fluctuate, moving or jumping across categories as life events take place.
All children and young people have access to a range of universal services provided in their communities. These services include early years settings, schools, health services, leisure facilities, housing, youth services and services provided by voluntary organisations. Some children with additional needs may require extra support provided by a single agency or co-ordinated support from more than one agency. Where this is necessary the expectation is that there is a focus on the child or young person and that the provision of early intervention is at the earliest opportunity to provide the right support for the right child at the right time. There are four levels of intervention
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Level 1 ~ universal services
Level 2 ~ Early Help through a single agency response to identified additional needs
Level 3 ~ Early Help Additional support ~ a co-ordinated multi-agency response to identified additional needs
Level 4 ~ Statutory Intervention of Children’s Social Care
The Walsall thresholds model provides a conceptual framework to develop a common understanding amongst practitioners of children and young people’s needs. It considers how practitioners identify the specific strengths and needs of children, young people, their families and carers so that they get the right support at the right time.
5.1 Risk “No system can fully eliminate risk. Understanding risk involves judgement and balance.”9
One of the challenges that faces professionals when considering the needs of a child or young person is determining when a level of need may escalate, or has escalated, to the point where they consider that there may be a risk of significant harm to the well being of the child or young person. The question we need to ask ourselves is ‘how vulnerable is this child to the presenting risk’. Professionals need to adopt a risk sensible approach: “Social workers, their managers and other professionals should always consider the plan from the child’s perspective. A desire to think the best of adults and to hope they can overcome their difficulties should not trump the need to rescue children from chaotic, neglectful and abusive homes.”10 To do this effectively, the needs of the child need to assessed along with the protective factors in a child’s life and their resilience in terms of the child/young person’s development, their family and the environmental context. Risk can be described as the potential impact on the child or young person’s well being connected to the issues or situations in their lives, referred to as risk factors. There are a number of well identified risk factors including: Development: temperament; levels of emotional maturity; gender; IQ; school transition stages. Parenting and family: bereavement; high criticism/low warmth parenting; parental discord; domestic violence; parental involvement with the criminal justice system; poor supervision. Environment: inadequate housing; multiple moves (education or housing); poverty; lack of family and social networks Risk is cumulative and a single risk factor on its own may mean that professionals do not need to be overly concerned. Multiple factors are likely to be present when assessing needs and risks. Signs that a child or young person has particular needs are not found in a single piece of evidence, nor does the need for child protection come labelled as such. The presence of a number of indicators, relatively minor in themselves, may together pose a significant risk. Similarly, just one factor may be serious enough in itself to warrant a more specialist or intensive service. Any professional in any doubt about a child being potentially at risk should consult with their line manager or their organisation’s lead for safeguarding.
If the threshold for referral to children’s social care is not met but professional advice or guidance is required, professionals should consult with their own safeguarding lead or contact the Early Help Hub on 0300 555 2866.
The following are intended to provide guidance to practitioners on indicators that may appear at each of the levels across the domains. It is not intended to be a checklist but a reference for practitioners to support them in their decision-making when identifying a child/young person’s level of need.
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5.2 Universal Services
Universal Services are available to all children and young people. The universal services most readily identified that children and families will access are primary health and education. Most children will access these services successfully and have their needs fully met via these services, their family, the voluntary sector and their wider informal support networks. Most children and young people will fall into this category, living in secure, loving and protective environments where their needs are met. These children are at Level 1
LEVEL 1 Universal Services Universally and generally available services to improve outcomes for all children and promote social inclusion
Possible indicators, presenting characteristics and needs
Children/young people where there is no concern regarding health or development
Post natal care for mother and new born baby through midwifery services
Advice provided by health visitors or children centres to parents on sleeping and feeding routines
Children and young people attend school regularly and their education needs are meet through schools
Routine dental treatment
Children/young people meeting developmental milestones
Advice and guidance on careers accessed appropriately
Children and young people appear happy, good level of emotional well-being and good attachments
Children and young people who have all their cultural needs met
Children and young people who have a stable home environment
Children and young people who have effective support networks
Children and young people with carers who take advantage of universal services
5.3 Early Help Single Agency Response
This is a single agency response and is based on a dialogue with the child and their family. The role of the professional working with this group of children and young people is to promote healthy lifestyle, increase their resilience and achievement thus maximising their life chances. It is also about empowering families. These children will usually make good progress overall through universal services. However, occasionally, some children and young people will have additional needs that require some extra help to ensure they reach their full potential. Their needs may relate to health, educational or social
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development and may be time limited. If the issues are not supported at this early stage they may develop into more serious concerns, which will be more difficult to overcome. These are children at Level 2.
Level 2 Early Help Single Agency Response Children and young people will have additional needs that require some extra help to ensure they reach their full potential. Their needs may relate to health, educational or social development and may be time limited. If the issues are not supported at this early stage they may develop into more serious concerns, which will be more difficult to overcome.
Possible Indicators, presenting characteristics and needs
Child’s Developmental Needs: These include
Children and young people where there is some need around physical and emotional health needs
Children and young people not accessing or having difficulties accessing the national curriculum or experiencing learning and behavioural difficulties
Children and young people from a household where parents and carer are under stress, where there are stresses in family and social relationships that may affect the child or young person’s development
Family and environmental issues: This will include
Benefits and housing issues
Financial issues which mean the child is living on the edge of poverty
Children affected by difficult family relationships a child or young person who usually respects school and parental boundaries but who starts being late for school or staying out late
A child at risk of bullying or being bullied
A child or young person experiencing friendship or relationship issues struggles to keep or maintain relationships
Parenting: This will include
Basic issues with parenting including care, guidance and boundaries, emotional warmth and stability
Ensuring safety
Poor attendance to developmental assessments
Poor attendance at nursery or pre-school setting
Some health issues impacting on child’s development and wellbeing
Parent/carer or child or young person requiring advice and support with a single, specific health issue
Child may display behaviour inappropriate to age and stage of development
Disorganised home life leading to inappropriate appearance, self-care and attachments
Parent/carer with poor parenting skills unable to meet child’s needs
Child or young person identified as having low attainment and/or possibly as having special educational needs and as such placed at ‘School Action’ of the Code of Practice
Child or young person who is struggling to achieve expected targets at the end of key stages
Child or young person with no barriers to learning but who may lack focus or need additional curricular and pastoral support
Issues within the home or family impacting on child’s wellbeing
Family unable to access effective support networks
Young Carers
Children and young people involved in contact/residence dispute
Children and young people of carers involved in substance misuse
Children and young people starting to have absences from school
Children and young people unnecessarily accessing health services e.g. walk in clinics,
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Contact disputes between parents or carers
Parents who request advice and support to manage their child
Loss of a significant adult
A&E, GP
Cognitive and language skills delayed with limited parental/carer stimulation
Some evidence of inappropriate responses and actions
Unsupported carers
Many young children in the household
Carers with mental health problems
Carers with health difficulties
Carers unable to manage challenging behaviour
Poor hygiene within the home
Children/young people returning to carers having being look after by the Local Authority
Children/young people starting to engage in criminal activities
Domestic violence issues
Young people experimenting with drug use
A child who is sad because of bereavement or loss - death of a friend or extended family member, parental separation, chronic ill health of a family member
Key Services likely to be involved include:
Children’s Centre
GP
Early Years settings
Young Person’s Health Advisor
Schools
Police
Health visiting service
Voluntary and Community Sector
Midwife
Youth provision
School nurse
Professionals will undertake assessments according to the presenting need.
5.4 Level 3 ~ Early Help Additional support ~ a co-ordinated multi-agency response to identified
additional needs
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These children and young people will be more vulnerable than most. Their needs will generally be identified
by practitioners working in universal services who feel that coordinated additional input from other agencies
is also needed to ensure needs are met.
Early Help Additional Multi-Agency Support is a process of carrying out a holistic assessment to understand
what the needs of a child, young person or family may be and determine what additional support they may
need. Information is recorded in a consistent way about strengths and needs to help practitioners and
families to work together more effectively.
Where required a planned package of multi-agency support will be coordinated by a lead professional.
Most children and young people will only need to be supported for a short period of time until they are
strong and resilient enough to only require additional single agency support or universal services
These children and young people will be more vulnerable than most. Their needs will generally be identified by practitioners working in universal services who feel that coordinated additional input from other agencies is also needed to ensure needs are met. Early Help Additional Multi-Agency Support is a process of carrying out a holistic assessment to understand
what the needs of a child, young person or family may be and determine what additional support they may
need. Information is recorded in a consistent way about strengths and needs to help practitioners and
families to work together more effectively.
Where required a planned package of multi-agency support will be coordinated by a lead professional.
Most children and young people will only need to be supported for a short period of time until they are
strong and resilient enough to only require additional single agency support or universal services.
These are children at Level 3
Level 3 ~ Early Help Additional support Children/young people showing areas of concern needing co-ordinated intervention.
Possible indicators, presenting characteristics and needs
Child’s Developmental Needs: These include
Children/young people who continue to have difficulties accessing national curriculum despite intervention
Children/young people whose health or development is being impaired or there is a risk of impairment
Child has health issues needing additional support
Children and young people whose behaviour is escalating and there is evidence of changing behaviours leading to risk taking behaviours
Parenting: This includes
Basic care, guidance and boundaries, emotional warmth and
Child has health issues needing additional support
Health concerns relating to diet, hygiene, alcohol which are not immediately hazardous
Missed medical appointments
Inappropriate behaviour according to age and stage of development
Despite intervention at School Action child not making adequate educational progress – necessitating a move to School Action Plus
Poor school attendance
Child or young person with identified language and communication difficulties
Child or young person at risk of exclusion or experiencing multiple short term fixed term exclusions
Child or young person not accessing education due to exclusion or breakdown in attendance
Child or young person not achieving
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stability while ensuring safety
Parental learning disability, parental substance misuse or mental health beginning to impact of their ability to meet the child’s needs
Family and environmental issues: This will include family history and relationships, wider family, housing and finance
acrimonious divorce/separation
severe overcrowding, temporary accommodation, homelessness, unemployment
family is socially excluded
serious debts/poverty impacting on the ability to care for the child/children
escalating victimisation for the family by the local community
some key milestones
Issues around poor attendance/punctuality affecting education
Child or young person with a disability who requires specialist support to maintain them in a mainstream setting
Child or young person with an Education, Health and Care Plan in conjunction with other issues
Young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
Home and social factors are influencing child attitudes and/or appearance
Parents request advice to manage their child
Parents engaging with agencies but have their own needs
Child often scapegoated by carers
Loss of parent/carer
Level of supervision is inadequate in relation to the child’s age
Teenage parents
Parenting impacting on child’s life causing instability and inconsistency for the child
Parents own problems lead to the child experiencing problems
Children and young people experimenting with drugs/substances
Evidence of frequent or regular substance misuse
Children and young people of parents where there are concerns regarding domestic violence
Non-compliance of parents with services
Child receives erratic or inconsistent care
Serious debts and poverty impact on ability to have basic needs met
Children and young people with mental health and emotional well-being issues needs requiring specialist services from Child & Adolescent Health Services (CAMHS) or within the community
Child or young person who is self harming
Child or young person having suicidal thoughts
Homeless children and young people
Children and young people beyond parental control
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Child has become a victim of crime
Child has a close family member linked to criminality
Diagnosis of ADHD/ASD
Teenage pregnancy
Criminal activity sufficient to be referred to Youth Offending Service for further assessment
Multiple school and/or housing moves
Significant low self esteem
Experiencing bullying or indulging in bullying behaviours
A young carer who regularly needs to provide care for a family
Inappropriate sexual behaviours
Demonstrating extremist views
5.5 Statutory Intervention
Statutory intervention is made in response to complex need. This usually involves multi-agency input along
with children’s social care support where the consequence of non intervention could result in risk or serious
harm to the child or young person or failure to achieve reasonable standards of health and development
without that support.
These are children at Level 4 and children with this level of need include:
children and young people requiring protection, at risk of significant harm and all children who are
subject of a child protection plan
children and young people who need to be taken into care and who are looked after by the local
authority
children and young people where the child or young person has a disability and a significant level of
service is required
children who because of their circumstances are Children in Need as identified in Section 17 of the
Children Act 1989. These include children on the edge of care children in custody, and those
receiving or requiring specialist mental health input
These areas and the interventions that take place are governed by the Children Act 1989 and are
summarised below.
Children and young people in need of specialist support are unlikely to achieve and maintain a reasonable
standard of health and development. After an initial assessment has taken place, a specialist children’s
social worker will be allocated as the lead professional, coordinating any multi-agency support that is
necessary.
The needs of children and young people at Level 4 will be more complex and there is a greater likelihood
that their parents / carers capacity to provide adequate care for them will also be significantly compromised
or impaired.
Children requiring protection are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm if action is not taken. In
these circumstances a range of practitioners will be involved, again with a specialist social worker acting as
lead professional. A regular Child Protection Conference (CPC) will be held to draw up and monitor the
progress of a Child Protection Plan.
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In the most extreme cases where there is evidence of a child continuing to suffer significant harm, or where
the harm already suffered is significant enough; practitioners at the CPC may recommend that a child
needs to be taken into care. Here the aim is to find the best care for the child, ensuring stability and
permanence as quickly as possible.
These are children at Level 4
Level 4 Complex Needs Specialist Assessment review, support and intervention
Possible indicators, presenting characteristics and needs
Professional intervention essential to maintain adequate levels of care for the child. Children/young people experiencing significant harm or where there is likelihood of significant harm.
Young people subject to forced marriage
Child or young person being privately fostered
Child not thriving due to any number of factors to include disability, environment etc.
Issues around whole family mean child is experiencing some form of abuse.
Parent/carer with complexity of needs which are significantly impacting on providing a safe environment for the child e.g. substance dependency, domestic violence, mental health.
Lack of appropriate adult leading to no attachments being formed and possibly emotional and behavioural difficulties.
No links with any support agencies.
Criminality
Children/young people with substance misuse issues
Homelessness
Children/young people with severe or complex needs in relation to disability
Non organic failure to thrive
Individual and environmental neglect creating unacceptable health risks
Acute mental health problems – threat of suicide; psychotic episodes, severe depression.
Sexually exploited and/or abused
Self-harming attempts or suicide attempts
Mental health reflects distorted self-image
Relationships with family all experienced as a critical and/or negative.
Fabricated or induced illness
Unaccompanied children/asylum seekers
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Children/young people subject to proceedings in the Family Court
Child/young person on the Child Protection Register
Children/young people from families experiencing a crisis likely to result in a breakdown of care arrangements
Children/young people whose parents are unable to provide care whether for physical, intellectual, emotional or social reasons
Children/young people whose behaviour is sufficiently extreme to place them at risk of removal from home, e.g. control issues, risk taking, dangerous behaviour, and sexual exploitation
Child to child abuse
Children/young people missing from home for long periods
Parents unable to care for previous children
Significant parental discord and persistent domestic violence
Living with an adult who has a history of child abuse
Physical accommodation places child in danger
Child’s basic needs not being met, child safety/neglect a big factor
Factors within family and wider family maybe placing the child in danger.
5.6 The Early Help Hub and the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
The MASH and the Early Help Hub provide a single point of contact and gives professionals and members
of the public the opportunity to discuss the support needs children and young people with specialist
professionals. These staff deal with issues that span level 2-4 services i.e. children who have additional
needs that are likely to need multi-agency support, children in need of specialist social care intervention
and those in need of protection.
Anyone contacting these services will be asked to self select whether they are seeking advice and
guidance or have a safeguarding concern in relation to a child or young person. The call will then be
correctly routed either to the Early Help Hub of the MASH
Discussion with the Early Help Hub and the MASH can lead to a number of outcomes depending on the
child’s needs including:
discussing and agreeing if a referral to children’s social care is advised to address the need
identifying whether a multi agency early help assessment and response is suggested and where
needed, identifying a lead agency to co-ordinate
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advice and signposting to the caller on where support for the child and family is available through
universal or single agency additional support services. This will usually result in no further involvement
of Children’s Social Services (See Appendix 2)
ensuring that verbal notification to the appropriate service is given immediately.
All contacts with either option will be responded to within one working day, (24hours Monday to Friday).
Professionals and members of the public who have concerns for the welfare of a child or young person
during evenings and weekends should contact the Emergency Response Team on 0300 555 2922.
The concerns about the child should always be discussed with the family first and their agreement sought
to make a contact Children’s Social Care sought UNLESS the professional feels that to do so would place
the child at increased risk of significant harm.
When there is an immediate need to protect a child because they are believed to be being harmed or at risk
of harm staff must telephone the MASH on 0300 555 2866.
These are usually referrals classed as child protection under Section 47 Children Act 1989 and will be
immediately processed and forwarded to the Initial Response Service for action. All staff and partners must
follow the referral process and follow up a verbal referral with a written referral by using a Multi Agency
Referral Form (MARF). If consent is not sought or not provided, the rationale for this should be recorded on
the MARF. A copy of the MARF is downloadable from Walsall Safeguarding Board website.
The MARF should then be sent to:
5.7 The Early Help Process
Every Early Help assessment (level 3) completed in Walsall will be undertaken jointly by the lead
professional and the relevant Area Coordinator. Area Coordinators are available to chair assessment
meetings and reviews. Dialogue between relevant agencies and the parents / carers / young person should
take place prior to the assessment meeting about how the Early Help assessment will be undertaken. A
further meeting when the assessment has been completed can be used to share the outcomes and future
plans. This plan will then be reviewed at no more than six weekly periods.
When children’s social care are supporting a child or family (level 4), a plan will already be in place and the
allocated social worker will always be the lead professional. The practitioners involved in looked after
children reviews, core groups, child protection conferences or supporting a child in need form the team
around the child.
Any children’s worker is able to provide information and advice on each of the thresholds and the early help
support available for children and young people; professionals seeking advice should feel able to seek that
from peers and colleagues from across the partnership. Single agency response to indentified needs (Level
2) can be provided without the need to refer to MASH on 0300 555 2866.
5.8 The role of a Lead Professional
Anyone working with children and young people can take on the role of lead professional.
The lead professional will act as a single point of contact that the child or young person and their family can
trust, and who is able to support them in making choices and in navigating their way through various
pathways for support.
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The lead professional should co-ordinate services from differing agencies, ensuring children receive
appropriate interventions when needed, that these are well planned, regularly reviewed effectively delivered
and have the required impact.
The lead professional is responsible for supporting the family to play an active role, building their resilience
and enabling them to become more self sufficient.
Where families’ needs are escalating or they are not responding to the support being offered, a more
intensive response may be required. Similarly, as families become stronger and more resilient they will
need less additional help. This is referred to as the step up or the step down process.
6. Step Up Step Down Practice Guidance
6.1 Context The Framework for Continuing Support to Vulnerable Children (or Step Up Step Down) promotes a framework of a defined and gradually increasing or decreasing level of support to children and their families. The process for Step Up Step Down should be read in conjunction with the above threshold guidance which explains how children’s needs are considered when deciding what level of service may be best to meet them. The thresholds guidance sets out those circumstances in which Children’s social care specialist services will provide an intervention and those where, while there may be no further action for Children’s social care, other services and providers may provide an option for support for the child often through universal or a single agency’s services. Deciding if a threshold has been reached for requesting a child protection service or whether a child is ready to step down is not easy and the thresholds document provides guidance for those working with children and young people about the steps to take when their professional judgement indicates that this boundary has been or may have been reached.
6.2 Who is this Guidance for? This guidance is aimed at all practitioners who are supporting children and their families. The guidance aims:
Give practitioners a clear overview of what to do when they are concerned about a child and they think the threshold for child protection has been reached
To get practitioners to reflect on the role they can play in supporting a child and their family successfully stepping down from a social care intervention.
To provide some best practice for practitioners who are identified as the lead professionals as part of a step down process
6.3 What do we mean by Step Up and Step Down?
Where families’ needs are escalating or they are not responding to the support being offered, a more intensive response may be required. Similarly, as families become stronger and more resilient they will need less additional help. These situations may require increased or decreased levels of support that the family need; responding to this is referred to as the step up or the step down process.
It is critical though that a child and their family experience a seamless continuum of support throughout the thresholds without delay.
Although the principles set out in this guidance document can be applied to support families moving across the Thresholds, this guidance document focuses on the Step Up and Step Down to and from Early Help to Child Protection/Social Care intervention.
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6.4 What is the role of a lead Professional? ‘…it was easy to speak to someone I’d already known…they lifted a burden off me. All the pieces are back in the puzzle again now…’ (mum of two children) Anyone working with children and young people can take on the role of lead professional. The lead professional is a key role to ensure we are holding the baton for children in Walsall. The lead professional will act as a single point of contact that the child or young person and their family can trust, and who is able to support them in making choices and in navigating their way through various pathways for support. The lead professional should co-ordinate services from differing agencies, ensuring children receive appropriate interventions when needed, that these are well planned, regularly reviewed, effectively delivered and have the required impact. Practitioners may need to seek advice and information when working with a child, young person and their family where the needs are not being met despite an Early Help Plan being in place. Where this is the case, practitioners can consult the threshold document or seek advice and information from their own agency line managers and agency safeguarding leads. Where it is not clear whether a referral to the MASH is required, please consult the threshold document, seek your manager’s advice or contact the MASH for information and advice. If an Early Help Lead Professional identifies a child protection concern, as set out by the multi agency threshold document, a referral into the Multi Agency Assessment Team (MAST) - 0300 555 2866must be made without delay. All staff must follow the referral process and will be requested to follow up a verbal referral with a written
referral by using a MARF. The MARF should then be sent to: [email protected] Where there is
an existing Early Help Assessment and/or plan, this should be provided for information if possible.
Consent should be sought from the family prior to a step up request, unless it is not possible to obtain consent in a timely way and delay would be detrimental, or where seeking consent would place the child at increased risk of significant harm. If consent is not sought or provided, the rationale for this should be recorded on the MARF. Outcomes of the contact to MASH include:
Advice is given to the practitioner and no referral accepted.
An Early Help Assessment and Early Help Plan is needed. The Early Help Hub will provide advice.
A Child and Family Assessment is needed. The case will remain open to Early Help and any service provided by Early Help should continue while the initial assessment is carried out. Communication between the Early Help lead professional and the social worker will be vital to ensure service provision is maintained.
An immediate emergency response
Early Help Assessments, plans and reviews that have been registered and received by the Early Help Hub will be used to inform the screening against thresholds and can be used to inform the Child and Family Assessment. This can save a lot of time and duplication for practitioners and for the child and their family. Where it is unclear at the screening process whether thresholds are met for social care involvement a joint visit may be arranged between a social worker and an Early Help practitioner to the family to gather further information to make a decision the appropriate outcome (Child and Family Assessment or Early Help Assessment). This can save a lot of time and duplication for practitioners and ensure the child and family receives the right support in a timely way.
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The case will remain open to early help and any service provided by early help should continue while the Child and Family Assessment is carried out. Communication between the early help lead professional and the social worker will be vital to ensure service provision is maintained. Outcomes of a Child and Family Assessment undertaken by a social worker include:
A social worker is allocated and a plan is developed to meet the need – this might be a Child in Need Plan or Child Protection Plan
In rare occasions, emergency protective action may be taken and the child becomes Looked After either in the short term or longer term
Ongoing social work service is not required and advice is given on:- o how to provide support through universal, single agency or o develop a multi-agency Early Help plan informed by needs identified through the Child and
Family Assessment.
6.5 How do we support our children and young people stepping down from social care intervention? ‘Step down’ from Children’s Services - Social Care takes place either as an outcome of the Child and Family Assessment or following social care involvement (through being in the care of the Local Authority, Child Protection or Child in Need) because the needs have been met and/or the risks to the child have decreased.
As a partnership, we believe that the more robust the step down plan (from the public care, child protection or Child in Need), the better we will assist children to achieve and maintain improved outcomes through their increased resilience and that of their families.
Whilst a child may no longer need to be Looked After by the local authority or to have a Child Protection Plan or Child in Need Plan, it is highly likely that they will continue to have needs, at Level 3 or 2 which may make them vulnerable. Their families should be supported in caring for them and will benefit from a period of coordinated support from across the partnership at this stage in their journey. Robust Step Down arrangements will ensure that the pattern of multi-agency and integrated working in Walsall is sustained whilst children and families’ build their sustainable strategies and resilience. This is important to avoid child and families bouncing back through the system in a way which is damaging to children and young people and fails to take account of parents and/or carers abilities to provide meaningful care which adequately meets their needs at that stage of the child or young person’s age and development.
When a decision has been made that a child is no longer in need of social work intervention, but some ongoing lower level of support is required and the family/child have given consent to support and for information to be shared, then a referral will be made to early help using the step down process. Plans to transfer to Early Help should be discussed by the social worker with the family at the end of a Child and Family Assessment or agreed at a Child in Need review meeting. Steps should be taken to identify a Lead Professional from an agency already involved with the family or the relevant practitioner if a single agency response is the outcome.
6.6 How to Step Down from a Child and Family Assessment Cases will be stepped down where a Child and Family Assessment has been undertaken by a social worker and the child has identified needs which will need to be met through level 3, co-ordinated multi agency plan. The child will be transferred through the Early Help pathway (see attachment 1) to identify a lead service and Lead Professional. As part of the transfer, the Child and Family Assessment will be shared with the Lead Professional through a ‘step down’ meeting.
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The Child and Family Assessment will function as the Early Help Assessment and the Lead Professional will use the information to develop an Early Help plan. The Lead Professional will need to review the support plan at 6 weekly intervals which will enable the Lead Professional, together with the child and family and all professionals involved, to make a decision to continue with the support at Early Help Level 3 or further Step Down to Level 2. When the child’s circumstances are satisfactory at the review the child and family will be encouraged to continue to receive support through targeted or universal services.
6.7 How to Step Down from a Child in Need (CiN) Plan Where a case is being stepped down from an existing CIN plan the social worker will convene a final CIN
meeting which will also serve as the initial Early Help meeting. The social worker will invite the family and
other professionals of this meeting. This meeting should identify a new early help lead professional and
produce an Early Help plan to ensure the identified needs for support are met through an Early Help offer
(level 3, multi-agency).
The Early Help lead professional will monitor the child’s welfare and any services to the family usually for a period of up to 6 months. The review of the support plan will be held after 6 weeks and 12 weeks to enable the lead professional, with the child and family to make a decision to continue with the support at Early Help Level 3 (multi-agency) or further Step Down to Level 2 (single agency additional support).There will be further reviews at 6 weekly intervals to ensure that the child and family continue to make progress and to consider further step down. When the child’s circumstances are satisfactory at the review then the child and family will be encouraged to continue receive support through Universal Services (level 1). 6.8 How to Step Down from a Child Protection Plan Where a final Core Group considers a child no longer requires a Child Protection plan further support will
be provided for a minimum period of 6-12months via a Child in Need Plan.
The social worker, with the core group will draft a provisional Child In Need plan which will be shared at the
Review Child protection Conference. This plan will be reviewed and endorsed/recommendations made by
the conference chair. Once the recommendation of a Step Down to Child in Need has been endorsed by
the final Review Child Protection Conference, the social worker will produce the agreed Child In need plan
and circulate to the core group members.
The social worker will take the lead to monitor the child’s welfare and any services to the family, usually for
a period of 6 to 12 months. The review of the Child In Need plan will be held 6 weekly which will enable the
social worker, with the child, family and agencies to review the level of support being provided and agree
the point at which the child is stepped down to early help.
The process outlined at 6.7 will be followed when the social worker and professionals involved in the CiN
plan agree that the child and family can then be supported by an Early Help Plan. The social worker will
invite the family and other professionals of this meeting. This meeting should identify a new early help lead
professional and produce an Early Help plan to ensure the identified needs for support are met through an
Early Help offer (level 3, multi-agency).
When the child’s circumstances are satisfactory at the review of level 3 services then consideration will be
given to further step down to Level 2 (Single Agency). There will be further reviews at 6 weekly intervals to
ensure that the child and family continue to make progress and to consider further step down.
When the child’s circumstances are satisfactory at the review then the child and family will be encouraged
to continue receive support through Universal Services.
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6.9 How to Step Down from a Looked After Care Plan Consideration of a Looked After child who returning home to a parent or relative will be done in a planned and structured way. In deciding on the return home, the social worker will have carried out an assessment considering issues relating to the reunification and will have produced a return home support plan to address the identified needs. The assessment will include consultation with the child/young person and consideration of support for the child/young person and their family in returning home in a planned and effective way. The decision about a child returning home will be made at their Statutory Looked After Child Review and the child’s social worker will give consideration to introducing Early Help resources to the child/young person care plan at the earliest stage possible to ensure that the Step Down process is effective and sustainable. Once the plan has been endorsed at the child’s Looked After review, there will be four stages to support the child to return home:
consideration of the issues in returning home and how they need to be addressed within the care plan
start the planning for step down with all relevant agencies involved
transition plan where the social worker and Early Help lead professional will work together to support the child and their family
child and family fully supported through a agreed Early Help offer. In Walsall there are two specialist Early Help teams who provide support to children who are Looked after:
Edge of Care Team – a multi-disciplinary team who provide evidenced based support to children who need to come into care short term to ensure a timely and sustainable return home.
Intensive Family Support Team – a team of Family Support Workers who provide intensive support to the child and their family to ensure children who have been in care long term can return home in planned and sustainable way.
Where possible and appropriate Family Group Conference will be used as part of the Step Down planning process to ensure the child/young person and the family are fully involved in drawing up a support plan.
6.10 How do Step Down from the Children with Disabilities Team Children who have been supported through the Children with Disability Team and their needs have been met and/or the risk to the child have decrease, will be supported to be transferred to Early Help in the same way as described above. However in some circumstances the Child and Family Assessment undertaken by a social worker will identify the need for an ongoing low level Buddy package (6hours/week or less). In this case the Buddy package, agreed through the complex need- and short break panel, will be managed and reviewed yearly through the Early Help Inclusion Coordinator.
6.10 Resolution of Concerns and Disagreements When working with practitioners from other agencies there will at times be differences of opinion with regards to how to respond to an identified concern about a child, young person or family. Disagreements can arise in a number of areas but are most likely to arise around determining levels of need, roles and responsibilities and the need for action and communication. Disagreements can be a sign of developing thinking, and the value of exchanging ideas from different perspectives should not be under-estimated. However, disagreements may disadvantage the child or family involved if they are not resolved constructively and in a timely manner.
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Throughout our work the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person is the primary concern; at no time must professional disagreement detract from ensuring a child is safeguarded A child’s welfare and safety must remain paramount throughout. If you feel that a practitioner or an agency is not acting in the best interest of the child, young person or family, you have a responsibility to respectfully challenge the practitioner or agency. In order to support that challenge we have developed a clear process to ensure that all professionals involved in multi-agency work understand the steps they should take when there is a need to challenge. When trying to resolve disagreements practitioners should work within following principles:
The safety and wellbeing of the child or young person is paramount, and should they be considered to be at significant risk MASH should be contacted.
Keeping the child, young person and their family at the centre of professional discussions.
Ensuring that the right conversations are had with the right people at the right time, taking place face to face where possible.
Disagreements must be resolved in a timely manner
Concern, action, responses and outcomes must be recorded. When disagreements arise, the following steps should be undertaken: 1. Immediate discussion with colleagues and your agencies designated lead for safeguarding to clarify thinking and practice and attempt to resolve any disagreements before initiating the full process. Inform the Lead Professional/Chair of multi agency meeting for information and monitoring. 2. If following this clarification the disagreement remains unresolved discuss with your designated lead for safeguarding and immediately refer this to your line manager, for them to discuss with the line manager of the other practitioner. Where possible the concern should be raised within 1 working day and the response from the other line manager should be received within 5 working days. 3. If agreement cannot be reached following discussion between first line managers, the matter must be referred to the head of service for each agency involved. 4. In the unlikely event that the steps outlined above do not resolve the issue, and/or the discussions raise significant policy issues/or a number of similar concerns or disagreements have been recorded, the matter should be referred to the chair of the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board. 6.11 Quality Assurance Compliance to this guidance will be demonstrated through Multi Agency Safeguarding Audits. The results of these, together with any learning and relevant action plans will be presented to the Walsall Safeguarding Children Board.
6.12 Related Guidance
There are a number of key national practice guidance that should be read in conjunction with this Step Up Step Down guidance which will support practitioners in getting the best outcomes for children, young people and their families in Walsall. Key guidance includes: - Working Together To Safeguard Children 2015, A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and
promote the welfare of children, HM Government, March 2015 can be found at www.education.gov.uk
- The Munro review of child protection: final report - a child-centred system, Professor Eileen Munro, May
2011. This can be found at www.gov.uk/government/publications - Grasping the Nettle, early intervention for children, families and communities A practice guide to the
challenges and opportunities in supporting children, families and communities through early
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intervention, based on effective local, national and international practice. Can be found at www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/earlyintervention/files/
- Returning home from care, What’s best for children, NSPCC, April 2012. This can be found at
www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals
References
1. Working Together 2015 page 12, paragraph 1
2. Working Together 2015 replaces Working Together2013, the Framework for the Assessment of
Children in Need (2000) and the Guidance on Making Arrangements to Safeguard and Promote the
Welfare of Children (2007)
3. When to Suspect Maltreatment: National Collaborating Centre for Women’s & Children’s Health July
2009
4. Stuart M, Baines C (2004) Safeguards for Vulnerable Children, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
5. Protecting Disabled Children: Thematic Inspections, Ofsted 2012
6. Working Together 2015 page 17, paragraph 24
7. Working Together 2015 page 9 paragraph 15
8. Working Together 2013 page 13, paragraph 10
9. Working Together 2015 page 24 paragraph 47
10. Working Together 2015 page 24, paragraph 49
11. Munro E, (2008) Effective Child Protection, 2nd Edition, London Sage
12. Laming, Lord (2003) The Victoria Climbié inquiry. Report of an inquiry by Lord Laming. Cm 5730, London: TSO. pp159, 205,
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Appendix 1
Early Help Hub and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) in Walsall
Member of staff has concerns for
child’s welfare
Consultation Specialist Assessment
At the earliest opportunity, on the
day, information passed to
Designated/named Safeguarding
Lead within your organisation, e.g.
Child Protection Teacher, Head
Teacher
Unsure whether concerns
should be referred to
Children’s Social Care
Services
Phone for consultation
0300 555 2866 and select
option 1 for Early Help,
Advice and Guidance
Decision made there needs to be a
referral (a request for services) to
Children’s Social Care Services
call 0300 555 2866 and select 2 for
MASH.
Complete MARF
http://www.wlscb.org.uk/wscbforms
MASH
MASH consider referral
Consultation
outcome
Decision on referral made within one
working day
Referral not
needed
Referral
needed,
complete
MARF
Advice &
information
or other
single
agency
referral
Early help
assessment
Assessment
by Social care
duty team
See flow
chart two
First (verbal) feedback
to referrer with
rationale (plus follow
up)
See flow
chart three
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 27
Flow Chart 2: Early Help Assessment Process in Walsall
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 28
Flow Chart 3: Action taken when a child is referred to Walsall Children’s Social Care services
CHILD’S CASE IS REFERRED WALSALL CHILDREN’S
SOCIAL CARE (LA)
MASH acknowledges receipt of referral and decides on next
course of action within one working day
Assessment required – section 17 or section 47 of
the Children Act 1989
Concerns about child’s
immediate safety
See flow chart 4 on
immediate protection
Feedback
to referrer
on next
course of
action
Provide
help to
child and
family from
universal
and /or
early help
services
No further LA children’s
social care involvement at
this stage: other action may
be necessary i.e. onward
referral, early help
assessment, advice and
information
See flow chart 5 on
assessment and flow chart 6
on strategy discussion
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 29
Flow chart 4: Immediate protection for children in Walsall Decision made by an agency with statutory child protection
powers (the police or Walsall local authority) that
emergency action may be necessary to safeguard a child
Immediate strategy discussion between LA children’s social
care, police, health and other agencies as appropriate,
including NSPCC where involved
Relevant agency seeks legal
advice and outcome recorded
Immediate strategy discussion makes decisions about:
1. Immediate safeguarding action; and 2. Information sharing, especially with parents.
Relevant agency (taking emergency action)
sees child and outcome recorded
No emergency
action required
Appropriate
emergency action
taken
Strategy discussion
and section 47
enquiries initiated
With family and other professionals, agree
plan for ensuring child’s future safety and
welfare, record decisions, and act on it, e.g.
Child in Need Plan (see flowchart 5), Early
Help plan, onwards referral to another single
agency or universal services to meet needs.
See flow chart
6
Child in need
See flow
chart 5
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 30
Flow chart 5: Action taken for an assessment of a child under the Children Act 1989 in Walsall
Following a decision on the course of action within one working
day of referral timely assessment based on the needs of the child
within maximum of 45 working days of the point of referral into
LA children’s social care. Other professionals contribute, with
parental permission
No Walsall Children’s Social Care support
required but other action may be necessary e.g.
onward referral to another single agency; early help assessment or advice and
information
No actual or likely
significant harm
(S17); but child in
need of specialist
social care support
Actual or likely
significant harm (S47);
child suspected to be in
need of protection
See flow
chart 6
Suspect actual or likely
significant harm
Assessment continues;
services provided if appropriate
Social worker with family/other professionals conclude assessment within 45 working days and agree next steps e.g. could agree the
Children in Need (CIN) plan (or Child Protection (CP) plan see flow
chart 6) Coordinates provision of appropriate services
Review progress of CIN plan and outcomes for child each 6 weeks and when appropriate refer to non-statutory services e.g. ‘step down’ to early help, refer
for child protection enquiries (“step up” to Section 47) or move to universal services and close the case
Social worker discusses next steps including child in need process, review, decision points
with child, family and colleagues
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 31
Flow chart 6: Action for and after a strategy discussion in Walsall
Strategy discussion is convened by Walsall Children’s Social Care to decide whether to initiate section 47 enquiries.
Decisions are recorded No further Children’s
Social Care involvement at this
stage, but other services may be
required
Decision to initiate section 47
Police investigate possible
crime
Social worker leads assessment under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 and other professionals contribute.
Assessment completed within 45 working days of the point of referral
Decision to complete assessment under section 17 of the
Children Act 1989
Concerns about child not substantiated but child is a
child in need
With family and other professionals, agree plan for ensuring child’s future safety
and welfare and record and act
on decisions
Concerns substantiated but child not likely to suffer significant harm
Agree whether child protection conference is necessary and record decisions
Concerns substantiated, child likely to suffer significant harm
Social work manager convenes child protection conference within 15 working
days of the last strategy discussion
Decisions made and recorded at child protection conference
Child likely to suffer significant harm
Child is subject of child protection plan; outline child protection plan prepared; core
group established
Social worker leads completion of assessment
YES NO
With family and other professionals, agree plan for
ensuring child’s future safety and welfare and record and act on
decisions: e.g. Child in need Plan, Early help service, onwards referral to single agency or
universal services to meet needs
Child not likely to suffer significant harm
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 32
Appendix 2
WSCB Thresholds V9 Page 33
Early Help Review procedure
