Assuring Quality The Early Help Assessment Journey Support for Partner Agencies

Responsibility for assuring the quality of the Early Help Assessment This is shared by all professionals and parents/carers, involved in supporting young people via the Early Help Journey. Support from line managers and supervisors plays an important role, in ensuring the Early Help Assessment journey is provided with an appropriate level of quality. Improving how we undertake and progress the E.H.A journey, contributes to improved outcomes for young people.

A journey undertaken in partnership, with young people and families The Early Help Assessment Journey The needs of the young person remain central to all planning 2 Strength based conversation 3 Level of need and response 4 E.H.A completion and registration 5 Team around the child/family meetings 1 Presenting Issue Presenting issues should be explored via a strength based conversation Having assessed the level of need professionals should undertake and register an E.H.A where appropriate A journey undertaken in partnership, with young people and families Regular Team Around the Child meetings monitor the journey

Areas to explore when looking to improve quality The Recording of Information The Early Help Assessment The Request for Early Help Escalation of concern via the Multi Agency Safeguarding Referral form. Communication The strength based conversation Voice of the child The team around the Child/ family Each of these methods of recording information, has been designed in keeping with Manchester’s Signs of Safety approach. As a result, our Quality Assurance Framework can be used to improve the completion and eventual outcome on each form. Each of the above areas, is a core aspect of working in partnership with young people and families. Additional information and advice on improving the child and family experience of support at an Early Help level, can be found on the Manchester City Council webpage: manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppractitioner

The Early Help Assessment Quality Assurance Framework Working together with key partner agencies across Manchester, we have developed a clear method for the evaluation of completed Early Help Assessments. This method can also be used by professionals to self evaluate the quality of the Requests for Early Help Forms and Multi Agency Safeguarding Referral forms they submit. The following slides provide an insight to the evaluation framework and its actual use.

Manchester Early Help Assessment Quality Assurance Tool This tool is designed as a self-assessment tool to be used by practitioners and managers. IMPORANT – Please go to Section 2 which contains the Quality Assurance Guidance Document that supports the scoring and grading of EHA’s Name of Person/Agency being Quality Assured     SCALE OF SCORING PER AREA Disagree Partly Agree 1 Agree 2 TOTAL SCORE OUTCOME EQUALS 0-8 - Inadequate 9-13 - Requires Improvement 14-20 - Good 21-24 - Outstanding   EHA Assessment Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 A1 The family details are clearly recorded

Manchester Early Help Assessment Quality Assurance Tool This tool is designed as a self-assessment tool to be used by practitioners and managers.   GUIDANCE FOR EARLY HELP ASSESSMENT QUALITY CHECKS   Disagree Partly Agree Agree A1 Family details are not recorded All details including address are not legible Family details include only some full names, date of birth/age for all family members, recorded as living in the family home. All details including address are partially legible Family details include full names, date of birth/age for all family members recorded as living in the family home. All details including address are clearly legible. A2 The assessment has no clear examples/statements in any of the five areas of life, exploring what’s working well and what needs to happen next and why. The ‘what needs to happen’ section (The plan) does not reflect the parent’s willingness/ability to consider undertaking agreed tasks themselves. The assessment has clear examples/statements in 1 to 3 of the five areas of life, exploring what’s working well and what needs to happen next and why. The ‘what needs to happen’ section reflects the parent’s willingness/ability to consider undertaking agreed tasks themselves. The assessment has clear examples/statements in 4 to 5 of the five areas of life, exploring what’s working well and what needs to happen next and why. The ‘what needs to happen’ section reflects the parent’s willingness/ability to agree in undertaking agreed tasks themselves.

Disagree Partly Agree Agree   Disagree Partly Agree Agree A3 There are no areas or issues of need recorded, Yet this is not reflected by any corresponding statements of things working well. E.G. Both parents are working and happy in their work therefore there is no reason to complete the what could be better or what needs to happen columns in the work life section There are up to 2 to 5 actual/probable areas/issues of need recorded. However these are recorded in the wrong sections of the form. Areas/issues of need should not be recorded in the sections Headed “What’s Working well?” or “What needs to happen. There are 2 to 5 clear areas/issues of need recorded in the “What could be better and why “section of the form. A4 Any recording related to the parent/s appears to be the views, beliefs and or opinion of the professional/s. The E.H.A shows recording of a summary of the parent/s reported views. e.g. Mum feels everything at home is fine The E.H.A shows recording of clear statements made by the parent/s. e.g. I am able to pay the rent for this house and is a much better house than our previous property The E.H.A reflects agreed actions to be taken by the parent.

Assuring Quality The Early Help Assessment Journey Support for Partner Agencies