1. Common Assessment Framework and related issues
Kathy Dunnett
School Adviser for Integrated Children’s Services

2. Aims of Workshop
Understanding what the Common Assessment Framework is and the related issues
Understanding the background to these developments
Update on developments in Hertfordshire
Understanding on how these issues relate to schools and the role of the Governing Body

3. Background Every Child Matters: Change for Children Five outcomes
Extended Schools providing opportunities and services for all. DfES (2002)
Core Offer – Common Assessment Framework is Swift and Easy Access – early identification and support

4. Victoria Climbe
Victoria Climbie, an eight-year-old from the Ivory Coast, died in London in 2000 after months of torture and malnutrition. A post-mortem found 128 separate injuries on her body. After her carers were jailed for life, a public inquiry under Lord Laming identified at least 12 occasions when she might have been saved by services…………..His key themes were a lack of clarity and a lack of responsibility within agencies.
Lord Laming 2003

5. Key aims of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
A standard national approach
Assessment to support earlier intervention
Improve joint working and communication
Support the sharing of information
Rationalise assessments
Support better referrals, if appropriate
To be implemented country-wide by March 2008

6. The CAF and the lead professional
Lead Professional core functions:
Act as a single point of contact for the child or family
Coordinate the delivery of actions agreed by the practitioners involved
Reduce overlap and inconsistency in service delivery

7. Information sharing for the CAF
Information sharing is vital for the effective implementation of the CAF
Consent is the key to information sharing for the CAF

8. Case Study
A young man of 12 (Dave) came to the attention of school because of a gradual deterioration in behaviour. The Director of Learning carried out a Common Assessment with the mother and Dave and it transpired that there had also been a deterioration in behaviour at home. Father had depression, and had been made redundant from a senior managerial job about 18 months ago. As the job was residential, the family had also lost their home. The family had been moving around the country for over a year, putting up with temporary accommodation, hostels and living with relatives, until finally settling now in a council property in Stevenage. The children (Dave 12, Sharon 10 and Fred 4) had also had to move schools several times.

9. Outcomes Lead Professional: School Nurse
Team Around the Child: Family, Director of Learning, CSF Pupil Support Worker, Community Police Officer
Decisions
Father be supported to look for alternative work
Mum has offered to become involved in cookery classes in school (both she and Dave enjoy cooking)
CSF Pupil Support Worker to undertake some work with Dave on friendships and self esteem
Parents to be supported in parenting with Dave
School can offer Dave guitar lessons from their hardship fund (Dave likes music)
School will also identify which lessons Dave has a problem with to ascertain whether more support is needed
Connexions are going to discuss with Dave what educational qualifications he needs to join the police. (Even though Dave does not fit with the age group that Connexions usually work with.)

10. Facilitating multi-agency working
Multi-agency training and time to get to know partners
Effective evaluation of working together
Clear objectives and structures
The use of common language
Common goals, strategies and understanding
Flexible responses

11. Supportive Infrastructure
10 District Children’s Trust Partnerships and 5 District CAF Managers
10 Multi Agency Support Teams (MASTs)
38 Extended Schools and the multi-agency teams (MATs) of children’s professionals that work around the consortia
Individual Team Around the Child (TAC) (people who are working with the child e.g. school staff, health professional, connexions, education welfare, parents and the individual child concerned

12. My role with Integrated Services
Post established to bring together the Standards Agenda and Integrated Processes; Common Assessment Framework, Extended Services in Schools
Making this understandable and workable for schools, and linking to improved achievement and outcomes for all pupils
Report based on local and national research
Lessons from the Stevenage Pilot

13. Hertfordshire Progress
Implementation model developed, working with Westfield Extended Services pilot
Communications Officer in post – Clare Morgans
Children’s Partnership News
Leaflet – Integrated Practice is Everybody’s Business
Further training and awareness raising events for professionals from October 2007
Developing interim county arrangements for CAF Database

14. Positives for Schools
Other school plans e.g. Individual Education Plans, Individual Behaviour Plans, may be subsumed into the CAF Plan
Less paperwork, less meetings
Increased communication and engagement with other children’s services
A way of challenging other services about their support levels

15. …. and Challenges Communicating and cascading of accurate information
Consistent messages, management of information
Agency resource/capacity barriers to respond to schools
Staff capacity within schools to engage
Line of accountability and decision making
How to embed into core business of schools

16. Next Steps . . .
Is there a named governor for Every Child Matters in your school?
Can you identify what consortia your school is in? Is there a named governor for Extended Services in your school? Is your school engaged?
Does your school have a named person who could link with the District CAF Manager?

17. Next Steps . . .
How is the Governing Body in your school responding the ‘Guidance on the duty to promote Community Cohesiveness’ and its links to Extended Services?
How are Extended Services described in your school Self Evaluation Form?
Is your governing body aware that future Ofsted inspections will be requiring information on Extended Services and how this relates to achievement – particularly of vulnerable groups?

18. Key Contacts
Alan Dinning – Deputy Director, Integrated Children’s Services
Gill Gibson – Head of District Partnership Services
Errol Albert – Integrated Processes Manager
Helen Ashdown – Head of Integrated Children’s Services 0-13
Diane Wagstaff – Integrated Children’s Services Strategy Manager (Extended Schools)
Margaret Marshall – Contact Point Information Sharing Manager

19. Further Information
– for information on the common assessment framework, lead professional, information sharing etc.
– for information on Guidance on the duty to promote Community Cohesion