1. SMBC Early Help Model 26/9/13

2. 2 Intervene early to prevent escalation of needs Social Care/ Statutory intervention Early Help Section 17 (CIN) Assessment Early Help (CAF) Assessment Universal services meeting needs Lead professional co- ordinating necessary support Key Worker delivering intensive interventions Social Worker managing the case Build resilience in families and de-escalate needs Children’s Services Prevention Model ‘Early Help’ refers to needs and services before statutory intervention The entire model is designed to de-escalate and prevent escalation of need

3. 3 Context and challenges (1) The Early Help Strategy sets out the importance of creating a new, improved family support offer within Sandwell. This is due to:  Children and family feedback suggesting that that the most important improvements for them were communication and clarity, co-ordination of services and hands on support  The findings of the statistical needs analysis which demonstrate that family dysfunction and neglect are key drivers of escalation of need in Sandwell.  The emerging evidence of the effectiveness of family support in achieving Early help objectives, including a reduction in numbers of Looked After Children and high costs across the public sector of delivering specialist and intensive services  The national drivers, in particular the Troubled Families agenda, requiring local authorities to identify a number of multiple need families and deliver interventions that effect change and positive outcomes  The identified lack of a coherent family support offer for children, and in particular those who sit at the lower end of social care (Child in Need Cases) and those stepped down from social care services. (OFSTED judgement and service mapping)

4. 4 Context and challenges (2) The Early Help Strategy also sets out the need to review the child’s journey through early help and build local networks of services, as:  Many cases are being referred to the current to the family support team, suggesting that Sandwell’s universal services and practitioners are not being supported to hold/ prevent escalation of need  The need profile of different towns varies widely  The current system has not been bought into by partners and does not make effective use of resources across the partnership  The referral and access process for family support are not currently working effectively

5. Early help model overview

6. 6 40,000 families The current picture 600 families Targeted Universa l Plus Universal Approx. 900 (children)LAC/CPP Current DemandTier Current Family Support Provision 500 - 700 (families est.)CIN Children’s Social Care, Family Solutions Many CIN cases unallocated / not being worked with IFSS (also working with some social care cases) CAF Co-ordinators holding high case-load (100+) TYS working alongside CAF in some cases Commissioned family support services working mainly at Tier 3 Children’s Centres Leading some cases Universal Services  Proportionately high levels of demand at tiers 3 and 4, compared to tier 2.  Provision for many CIN cases lacking  Offer ‘below’ social care unclear; despite IFSS being set up  Duplication in roles between family support services – CAF, TYS, IFSS, Commissioned Family Support Services  Lack of ‘real’ work being done with families  Lack of multi-agency ownership for cases within the system- at any tier

7. 7 Tackling the issues 40,000 families 1000 est. families 600f families Targeted Universal Plus Universal Approx. 900 (children)LAC/CPP DemandTierResponse 200 est. CIN Children’s Social Care Consultant Social Workers Risk Assessing Enhanced ‘Core Early Help’ Service EH (CAF) Co-ordinators Universal Services Children’s social care focussing on cases where safeguarding concerns exist Enhanced Tier 3 Team able to deliver effective, intensive interventions with current CIN and complex cases, as well as cases stepped down from social care Focussed offer at tier 2: lighter touch family support from Children’s Centres and other commissioned services All agencies taking responsibility for cases Consultant workers manage risk and support agencies to deliver integrated working Commissioned Family Support Service Children’s Centres Family Support Multi-Agency Lead Professionals Tier 4 cases can access Early Help Service Supporting Integrated Working Targeted work in universal settings

8. 8 The future state Targeted Universal Plus Universal LAC/CPP TierImpact CIN Reduced LAC and CPP numbers Fewer families with complex needs and less ‘bounce’ between Targeted services and Social Care Universal Services meeting needs and identifying vulnerable families early Proportionately more families receiving co- ordinated provision, led by practitioners in services XX Target Demand Enable Prevent Children and families have needs met early Reduced cost across public services Sustainable model of Children’s Services

9. 9 Universal services – Tier 1 Universal services to play vital role in meeting the needs of children and families at the earliest point, through:  Working together to deliver the core offer – in development – includes education, childcare, parenting provision, advice services, play services, health visiting, school nursing, policing, voluntary and community sector organisations  Delivering extra services where possible to meet needs at the earliest stage, e.g. school nurses delivering low level emotional health and wellbeing services where necessary, schools employing social workers  Where low level emergent needs can be met by universal services, signposting effectively to other services, e.g. a parenting programme  Providing settings for targeted interventions; e.g. parenting programmes delivered through schools; youth services working with Looked After Children  Using pre-Assessment checklist to ensure that universal provision is meeting children’s needs  Identifying vulnerable families through effective information sharing.

10. 10 Universal services – Tier 1 Additional support to be put in place to identify vulnerable families and the right services for them:  Focus on effective data ‘flow’ between agencies, e.g. health visitors and the council  Development of the Family Profiling Tool – using indicators to predict vulnerable families, best on the ‘Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI)’ developed in Sandwell  Development of the online Family Services Directory to provide a searchable database of services- for families and practitioners – with the Voluntary and Community Sector  Development of ‘Families in Sandwell’ webpages to offer advice and information for families.  Working on a way of creating networks of universal practitioners – in line with the COG model

11. 11 Universal Plus – Tier 2 Co-ordinated multi-agency working with a new, supported lead professional role:  Early Help Co-ordinators caseloads at this level of need will be ‘phased out’, as they support other agencies to act as lead professionals.  Practitioner who is based placed to meet the core needs of the family appointed as lead professional (with some scope for family choice)  Lead professional to act as advocate for family and to take ownership for all agencies meeting their needs through leading Team Around the Family Meetings and co-ordinating work from agencies.  Children’s Centres and Commissioned Family Support Services to offer Tier 2, lighter touch family support – and will act as lead professional in many cases.

12. 12 Universal Plus Case Dedicated children’s centre family support Commissioned family support services Multi agency lead professional Family support required? Yes, age 0-5 Yes, age 5+No Service best placed to hold the case will do so Universal Plus – Case holding model

13. 13 Lead Professional Enablers Early Help journey workshops have identified five ‘must-have’ key enablers that need to be put in place in order for the new tier two model to be implemented effectively: EnablerDetail 1 Limit number of Lead Professional (LP) allocations per agency Due to resource/ capacity issues partners asked for a cap on the number of allocations per agency, e.g. 5 per school. Potential impact on agencies should be modelled 2 CAF co-ordinators to play development, supervision and transition role for LPs Includes non- line management supervision, chairing of initial TAF meetings & support line 3 CAF business support to continue to set up meetings / process minutes (NB LPs responsible for minute taking) Involves continued use of existing capacity 4 COGs to offer escalation route – to EHPPB- and better local network of professionals to aid LPs in practice. See COGs slide 5 Improved integrated working documentation, tools and training to comprehensively cover lead professional working Being developed by DW and WH These will be rolled out with the Lead Professional model

14. 14 Targeted – Tier 3 Enhanced Early Help Core Service delivering intensive, whole family interventions for complex cases, including cases currently classified as Children in Need (CIN).  Crisis intervention team (Family Focus) offering short term crisis interventions, especially at the edge of care  Intensive Family Support Service offering intensive interventions – can be 12 months (+) with highest and complex need families, including multi-agency staff  Focused Family Support offering interventions for multiple need families  Early Help Co-ordinators helping transition cases to lower level support  Early Help Social Workers risk assessing cases and working with family support workers  Psychologists working with all staff to improve ability to affect change with difficult families

15. 15 Targeted – Tier 3 Core Team Makeup ServiceFTE Case complexity Average worker caseload Case capacity (snapshot) (families) Case capacity (year) (families) Intensive Family Support Workers 11High10110147 Intensive Family Support Workers (using CIN resource) 7High106080 Focussed Family Support Workers 5Medium17.588175 TYS Prevention (as FFS Workers) 9Medium17.5158315 Multi-agency FFS workers2Medium17.53570 Family Solutions – Crisis intervention 2HighNot case holding Therapeutic InterventionCommissioned intervention Early Help Co-ordinators7Step Downs40280560 Total40--7301347 Consultant Social WorkersAdult psychologists

16. 16 Journey Maps – Early Help Where child is suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm or impairment, a social care response will be triggered; otherwise the case will be allocated to the appropriate level of response

17. 17 The new CAF Journey The Early Help Child’s Journey Process is designed to prevent needs escalating and support de-escalation of needs where they do (right support, right time)

18. 18 Role and scope of the COGs A COG is a locality based, problem solving forum consisting of a range of partner agencies, who meet together to share information and devise joint action plans around families with the aim of providing early help. A COG is designed to streamline the multi-agency approach required for Early Help, provide better outcomes for families in Sandwell, and make effective use of partner resources. Primary responsibilities of the COG Identify the Lead Professional Ensure that all cases have a TAF plan with an appropriate level of response. Review impact of TAF plans within three months to monitor progression. Resolve any inter-agency cooperation issues that arise and ensure that all agencies are providing services agreed. Ensure that closed cases have a clear exit strategy that supports a transition to a lower level of need, recommending communications with key agencies. Highlight the need for resources where there is unmet needs to commissioners Spot purchase of resource for local unmet needs Provide reports to Early Help Partnership Performance Board when required, with respect of wider strategic issues i.e. unmet need, workforce development, local commissioning etc. Inform and assist the Families and Communities Together (FACTs) agenda

19. 19 CAF Journey Improvements RecommendationDetailT’scaleOwner Clarity on responsibilities at Tier 1 / Universal Level, especially where signposting to additional services To be included in the new integrated working procedures OctTBC Family Information Service to align with Children’s centres Embed FIS workers in children’s centres (+ ACCESS/ MASH) to increase signposting role and reduce duplication 2013TBC Promote use of eCAF and clarify relationship with Safety Net To be included in new integrated working procedures and OctTBC New process for identifying vulnerable C&YP who are new to the borough To resolve a specific identified issue- including responsibility for assessment Oct/ Nov TBC Rebrand and relaunch the CAF as the Early Help Assessment Includes promotion amongst agencies not using it: VCSO, YPs Services etc. OctTBC Implement measures to ensure that child voice is included in CAFs and family action plans New TAF toolkit to include child voice guidance C&YP engagement to be recorded on eCAF by agency and reported to EHPPB NowTBC Clear guidelines and support for families that don’t engage Need to decide on an escalation route for these families- COGS/ MASH and include in integrated working procedures OctTBC Develop outcomes measurement system for TAF action plans To be based on Child Outcomes StarOct/ Nov TBC Develop multi-agency quality assurance framework Agree with EHPPBOct Nov TBC

20. 20 Additional service requirements – parenting Current provisionProposed amendmentsCost implicationBenefit 3 Family support interventions deliver 1:1 programmes (IFST, TYS) Children’s Centre offer various programmes- low take-up Ensure enough practitioners at tier 3 trained to deliver 1:1 parenting interventions to deliver to complex families -Level 3 Triple P (TBC)? Elsewhere key workers will ensure attendance and engagement with suitable programme, through liaison with parenting support manager Workforce development costs Additional costs in terms of time for practitioners to be modelled Hardest to engage / most complex families have intensive 1:1 support 2 Children’s Centre offer various programmes- low take-up Co-ordinated suite of programmes delivered in settings most likely to engage parents at this level- schools/ children’s centres -Level 2 Triple P (TBC)? -Lead professionals ensure engagement and progress Co-ordination cost (1 FTE?) Children’s centres already commissioned to deliver these Addresses current issue of non- engagement 1 CCs offer various programmes- low take-up Schools trained in Changes programme Co-ordinated suite of programmes delivered in settings most likely to engage parents at this level- schools/ children’s centres - Level 1: Changes (TBC)? Co-ordination cost (1 FTE (included above) Financial incentives for completed programmes in schools? Optimises current capacity (150+ practitioners trained in Changes) A parenting co-ordinator will work to embed effective parenting provision across the borough and the tiers of need: All parenting provision to be measured and evaluated for effectiveness