Bromley Children’s Safeguarding Board Partnership Launch Partnership Working in Bromley Mark Thorn Head of Children’s Social Care Referral & Assessment

What is Partnership? Working together to keep children safe and ensure their needs are met? Information sharing Integrated frontline services Commissioning Partnership with Parents/Agencies The Children Act 1989/2004 Working Together 2010 Partnerships in Bromley

Why work in Partnership? Working in partnership should be the normal way to do business Improve service user experience and outcomes by minimising organisational barriers Improve communication and reduce duplication Shared responsibility through Developing Partnerships Group to establish priorities Single assessment processes (CAF & Referrals to Children’s Social Care Agreeing eligibility and shared access across agencies (Thresholds) Pooling resources to improve early intervention

Threshold Criteria Common Assessment Framework Bromley Continuum of Need & Intervention Step up / step down

Partnership with Agencies Multi- Agency Working The Munro Review of Child Protection (2011) The Child’s Journey – Systemic Approach – Child Centred Providing Team Around the Child / Young Person within all Services Facilitating expertise – The Lead Professional!!! Common set of shared concerns / plans and outcomes Early identification of issues and support Professionals want social work expertise at the right level of need We are all part of the system!!!

Multi-Agency Partnership Working in Bromley Referral and Assessment - Use of CAF as a referral form to Children’s Social Care not effective -Lack of clear pathways to early intervention services results in many children and young people being inappropriately referred to Children’s Social CareOFSTED (2011) What we want to achieve Professional confidence and competence when managing complex child in need / child protection cases Consistent, timely and transparent management of referrals / cases across the area Reducing uncertainty amongst professionals by ensuring they always get a response to referrals Balancing the need to release resources to support early intervention and for direct work where there are more serious concerns

Multi-Agency Partnership Working in Bromley (2) Referral & Assessment Team Borough wide Referral and Assessment Team to promote consistency Increased ability to assess children’s needs leading to reduced levels of unnecessary child protection referrals and assessments Teenage and Adolescent Parenting Support Service (TAPSS) Focus on vulnerable young people at an early stage to avoid family / placement breakdown and need for substitute care More resources released to focus on intensive family support Development of a Multi Agency Support Hub (MASH) to manage all police Merlin contacts to Referral and Assessment Increased and improved levels of cooperation and coordination of services Increased levels of cooperation and coordination of services by agencies via CAF and ensure appropriate referrals to Children’s Social Care