Early Help Elaine Morrison – Head of Early Help and Youth Voluntary Sector Summit October 2014

1. Early Help Elaine Morrison – Head of Early Help and Youth Voluntary Sector Summit October 2014

2. Early Help - Feedback from inspection of services for children in need of help and protection, children looked after and care leavers. • Early Help – Definitions • Current and future processes • Feedback from partners • Early Help offer • Immediate actions

3. The Inspection • 25 June 2014 – 16 July 2014 • 10 Inspectors • Self Evaluation: RI • Feedback at end of inspection: RI • Moderated judgement: Inadequate

4. The Judgement • Backlog of assessments • QA, oversight and challenge • High caseloads • Thresholds and Early Help • Adoption too slow • Education and progression of LAC

5. Ofsted and Early Help Findings: ‘Poor understanding of thresholds by some of the statutory partners, together with poor engagement of agencies in early help, are contributing to high demand, which is not being effectively addressed. ‘The local authority receives high rates of contact and referrals. Although the early help offer was agreed with partners in December 2013, not all partners are ready to work with lower risk but complex situations’ Areas for improvement: ‘The local authority and its partners need to ensure that early help is targeted and co-ordinated effectively, so that families receive the support when need is first identified and the number of referrals to children’s social care reduce as a result.’

6. Early Help Public Service workers acting early, appropriately and assertively supported by a clear pathway to services and interventions available as early and as soon as possible to tackle issues which can emerge at any age.

7. Threshold

8. Early HelpCurrent Process • Level 1 - Universal Services • Level 2 - MCAF - Lead Professional - Team around the Family - Support and Interventions

9. Beyond Early HelpCurrent Process • Referral to Contact Centre – call logged • Passed to First Response Team • Triaged to SW for SW assessment • NFA • CiN (new teams recently in place) • CPP • Or NFA • Troubled Families currently cohort-driven

10. Early HelpFuture process • Level 1 - Universal Services • Level 2 - MCAF (EH Assessment Tool) - Lead Professional - Team around the Family - Support and Interventions - EHO - additional interventions - additional training - Early Help Coordinators

11. Beyond Early HelpFuture Process • Advice and guidance from enhanced Contact Centre – with triage to • Referral to MASH Or • Referral to Early Help Coordinator • MASH • SW assessment • Key Worker intervention • FIP, AO, CiN

12. MASH Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub • A co-located multi-agency team (Health, GMP, Education) • Sharing information and intelligence to identify level and complexity of need • Triage to the appropriate service

13. Early Help Coordinator Role: • Provide advice and guidance • Support for the MCAF process - Organise training and networks - Guidance for Lead professional (assessment, planning and review) • Unblocking problems • Identify Lead Agency (‘step down’ referrals) • Support to SRF Children Partnerships

14. Feedback from Partners Communication • There is a lack of clarity about our early help offer. • Ensure that partners have access to information about what is available and how to access it. • Communication needs to be targeted appropriately. Should not be limited to Head Teachers

15. Feedback from Partners Threshold Document • Current Threshold document not clear • Partners not fully engaged in development. • Lack of clear pathways through the continuum of Early Help. • Schools to co-produce a refreshed threshold document.

16. Feedback from Partners Language and Definitions • A need for clearer definition of Early Help and the links with Troubled families programme. • Troubled families programme, complex dependency and children in need programmes are unclear, need for clear description including referral and access criteria.

17. Feedback from Partners Manchester Common Assessment Framework (MCAF) • MCAF process too bureaucratic. • Can be a barrier to Early Help • Lack of engagement from partners and families. • The issue of parental consent for MCAF can be a barrier to effective multi-agency working.

18. Feedback from Partners Partnership Working • Clear commitment to multi-agency approach. • Not all partners as committed to Early help leading to a lack of shared responsibility and gaps in response from partners. • A need for improved information sharing agreements across all partners.

19. Early Help Offer • Building Resilience and Self efficacy • Capacity and ability to parent • Family support • Advice giving / sign posting • Therapeutic interventions / counselling • Employment / work readiness / skill

20. Early Help - Immediate Actions (September to January) based on feedback • Early Help Co-ordinators in each of the 5 SRF areas. • Refresh Threshold Document including referral pathways and guidance. • Review MCAF and co-produce with schools an EH Assessment Tool. • Develop and improve the EH Directory (FSD). • Increase and enhance the EH training programme. • Develop a clear communications plan for schools. • Commission interventions to support Early Intervention (TAF) and Assertive Interventions. • Audit current EH offer in schools.

21. Early Help and Voluntary Sector Partners • Define and articulate the contribution of the VCS • Capacity issues • Support needs • Unlock the creativity and innovation

22. Early Help and the VCS • Children’s Board • SRF Children’s Partnerships • Early Help Implementation Steering Group • Task and finish groups • VCS networks/leaders group