Action Learning Set CAF, Lead Professional & Service Directories- Joining Up

1. Action Learning Set CAF, Lead Professional & Service Directories- Joining Up Sandra Woodward Policy Officer, Bridges Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland

2. Proposal Agreement of CAF as common referral and assessment form across the region Agreement that SLA's/funding agreements under new Children's Services arrangements reflect usage of CAF across the region Explore possibilities to link service directories and share national/ web based directory info where possible. Delegates cascade this proposal to appropriate decision makers/depts - powerpoint and notes available!

3. The partnership so far... Lincolnshire Carolyn Knight - Integrated Assessment Manager Rob Gregory - Acting Service Manager Leicestershire Susannah Jordan - Children’s Services Programme Manager Leicester Susan Harrison - Service Manager Children’s Federation Rutland Clive Hadfield - Children’s Services Authority (CAF lead) Bridges - Information Sharing & Assessment (ISA)

4. Across LLR district - how does it work? • 5 trials (primary transition, 2 x extended schools, SureStart, JYIP) • Bridges responsible for training, co-ordination, monitoring of CAFs • Working towards CAF replacing district interagency referral form to SSD • All using same CAF and guidance • CAF/LP works around multi-agency meetings • Undecided how this model is supported post trial - Mar 06

5. What needs to happen before CAF is implemented? - Key lessons from trial • ‘Common core’ for workforce - IT skills, data protection/info sharing training • Offer themed workshops e.g. ‘difficult conversations’, multi-agency working • Existing within agency and multi-agency information sharing arrangements improved e.g. school 2 school arrangements • Cross-agency performance indicators • Knowledge of agency service remits – access to service directory

6. 3 Key elements • 1. Opportunity • Attending meetings, part of own system, written into job • descriptions, protected time, agreed by unions • 2. Mechanism • CAF Form eCAF, toolkit – inc. consent forms etc. • 3. Management permission • Part of extended school, Children’s centre, Children trust/authority planning, LAA’s • Cost/ benefit analysis for individual partners • Some partnership training arrangements with agencies • Accepting CAF as a referral form to agency

7. Challenges in LLR • Not co-terminus (e.g. Connexions L&R) • L,L&R working at differing speeds and from different cultural positions • Budgets! Making sure equitable contribution from each LA - formula based on no. of children • What is the product and who owns it?

8. Questions to groups • 1. What is the added benefit in actually adopting this approach? • 2. What is needed to adopt this approach? • 3. What would be the key processes for obtaining agreement across region? How could this be transferred to other districts within East Midlands? • 4. What are some of the big policy issues that might need to be addressed?

9. Responses • 1. What is the added benefit in actually adopting this approach? • Teases out complexities of working across borders • Exposes existing duplication, malpractice and offers suggestions to improve • Follows child across district • Reduction in planning time as agreed across district • Stage of progress means chance to ‘do it together!’ • Shared expertise

10. Responses • 2. What is needed to adopt this approach? • Common standards in training • CAF training as part of common core training set • When is a live CAF ‘live’? Expiry date needed to prompt reassessment • Cross border information sharing protocol • Kitemark to visually show CAF agreed across region • Senior level agreement • Decide on regional specialisms to take implementation forward • Development of Regional Meetings and Training/Learning Event

11. Responses • 3. What would be the key processes for obtaining agreement across region? • All ISA partnership boards and the overarching Children and Young People’s Partnership boards will need to • agree the principles, • sign the info sharing protocol and • cascade to staff teams

12. Responses • 4. What are some of the big policy issues that might need to be addressed? • Regional CAF training to become a qualification which can work towards the Common Core Skills • Role of unions (NUT/NASUWT etc) and the conflict with the completing CAF/lead professional and teachers ‘revised’ role • CAF as part of the new inspection criteria • Links with other specialist assessments • CAF and ICS – are they compatible