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EARLY HELP FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN The CAF and Beyond Tuesday 2 nd July 2013. Localised changes to the CAF Form. Delivered by: Gill Downton, CAF Manager. The CAF is NOT simply a FORM to fill in!. It is a 4 step PROCESS which is supported by a standard form The process includes: -
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EARLY HELP FOR VULNERABLE CHILDRENThe CAF and BeyondTuesday 2nd July 2013
Localised changes to the CAF Form Delivered by: Gill Downton, CAF Manager
The CAF is NOT simply a FORM to fill in! It is a 4 stepPROCESS which is supported by a standard form The process includes: - • A consent based holistic assessment focussing on needs and strengths • Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings & an identified a Lead Professional • The delivery of a multi-agency action plan instead of several uncoordinated single agency plans • A review process
Benefits • Early intervention • Improved joint working • Much clearer information about family situations – a structure under which to gather that information • Parent/carer engagement & empowerment • Parent/carer and/or Young Person given a voice • A multiagency plan instead of several service specific plans – reducing overlap & providing common goals and shared responsibility • Engagement of agencies • Preserved history – a picture built up over time • Myth blowing assumptions about who is involved and doing what
New CAF Form Explained • Reduced from 9 pages to 6 • Covers the same three areas as the original form i.e. Development of the child; Parent and carers;Family and environment but with less boxes to fill in! • You can add more than one child to the form so that it can be used as a family CAF • The Form is a PDF - the boxes do not expand instead the text shrinks • The Form can be downloaded from the Bromley Safeguarding Board Website with immediate effect
If including more than one child/YP add a sentence or two under each heading per child/YP
What Makes a Good Assessment- QUALITY OF INFORMATION… • Clear explanation as to what has triggered the CAF (reason for assessment) • Evidence – informed by fact and by attributing information e.g. who said what or observed what • Qualify frequency/ duration, not ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ • Set the scene well – comment on all 3 domains. Note something in every box – do not put N/A or no comments as this has no meaning • Enough detail but not too much; avoid jargon/ acronyms
What Makes a Good Assessment?- ACTION PLANNING • Set a clear plan of action: with dates & who is responsible for delivery • Ensure any actions are achievable and solution focussed • Set a review date and review on a minimum of a 3 monthly basis Review, Review, Review!!
New Leaflet for practitioners – A Brief Guide to the CAF in Bromley
The CAF Team in Bromley Gill Downton – CAF Manager Andrea Bennett – Education Welfare Officer (3 days) Richard Madden – CAF Social Worker Anisha Patel – CAF Social Worker Kayleigh Shaw – Administrator Contact Details: Bromley Central Library, 3rd Floor, High Street, Bromley. BR1 1EX Tel: 020 8461 7174 Fax: 020 8466 0587
Role of the CAF Team The CAF Team (currently 4.6 FTE inc Manager and Administrator) is responsible for: - • providing appropriate training, support, advice and information to practitioners using the framework; • offering a chairing facility for complex ‘Team Around the Child’ meetings; • the management of Information Systems relating to CAF including a central depository for all CAFs; • monitoring and auditing CAF implementation & progress within Bromley. Contact Details: Bromley Central Library, 3rd Floor, High Street, Bromley. BR1 1EX Tel: 020 8461 7174 Fax: 020 8466 0587
Free Training Opportunities • Half day CAF training • Chairing Effective TAC Meetings • Refresher Training (All administered by the Safeguarding Board) • On request briefings and personalised training within individual settings
Reminders • Contact the CAF Team at any stage for advice or guidance • Log that you are completing a CAF with the CAF Team and send a copy to the Team once completed • Update the CAF Team with changes i.e. to LP • Bromley Safeguarding Children Board (info re CAF Training, electronic version of the CAF Form and the Review and TAC min template) http://www.bromleysafeguarding.org/