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Derbyshire & the BHLP pilots – an overview. Ian Johnson Assistant Director, Safeguarding and Specialist Services, Children & Younger Adults. Derbyshire. Large diverse County of 985 square miles and a population of nearly 750,000 and growing. Minority ethnic population 1.5%.
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Derbyshire & the BHLP pilots – an overview Ian Johnson Assistant Director, Safeguarding and Specialist Services, Children & Younger Adults
Derbyshire • Large diverse County of 985 square miles and a population of nearly 750,000 and growing. Minority ethnic population 1.5%. • County Council and 8 Borough Councils • Viewed as relatively affluent although average earnings are below national average. • Areas of social deprivation in the former coal mining and textile areas of the North East, North West and South West of the County, unemployment as high as 5.8% (national ave. 2.3%) • Also areas of rural deprivation and isolation. • Approx 168,000 children and young people aged 0-19 in Derbyshire. • 8473 referrals to Children’s Social Care in 2007/8. • Currently more than 540 children looked after.
Children & Younger Adults • Children’s services department established in 2006 • Seven districts with District Managers for • 0 – 11 • 11 – 19 • Safeguarding • District Managers in post since September 2007 • Each District has Children & Young People’s Partnership and Plan • Making Links team set up in October 2006 to lead on CAF, ContactPoint, eCAF, Integrated Children’s System, etc. • Common Assessment Framework training and hence use of CAF commenced in October 2006
What Was The Budget Holding Lead Professional Pilot • Derbyshire was one of 14 local authorities selected to be part of the Budget Holding Lead Professional pilot project across the country. The aim of the pilot was co-ordination of a multi – agency team of practitioners around a child to clearly identify early intervention of need. This then empowered Lead Practitioners, together with the Team Around the Child including family members, to identify needs that could be met and sustained by accessing a budget. • A clear process was developed for access to payment from the budget. This successful pilot is now being rolled out across Derbyshire as ‘Flexible Funding’ using the same principles of early identification and needs met. • Examples of purchases: Counselling services, hypnotherapy, housing bonds, home set up costs, travel costs, home safety equipment and positive activities.
BHLP Eligibility Criteria • Child has additional needs 2. A common assessment or an agency’s more specialist holistic assessment has been completed. The action plan in the assessment identifies how outcomes will be improved and what sort of services will be purchased. 3. A Lead Professional has been appointed and is undertaking the role as set out in Lead Professional guidance. 4. The Lead Professional has identified suitable additional resources that can be purchased and has the agreement of the child, parent or carer and the Team Around the Child. The additional resources may include: • Purchase of services • Purchase of items • Direct payments for specific purposes
BHLP Pilots • Commenced October 2006 with £250K grant from DCSF • Glossop – children aged pre-birth -19 years • Targeted Youth Support Service Area – young people aged 11-19 years living in the Bolsover, Clowne, Shirebrook, Cresswell, and Staveley, Brimington and surrounding villages • Children aged from pre-birth to the end of school year 2 in the Cotmanhay Children’s Centre reach area. • Children aged 8-16 years in the Pingle School catchment area. • Each with multi-agency Steering Group, and District Manager as Decision Advisor. • County Project Board set up initially for the Pilots • Making Links team providing central administration and support.
OUTCOMES • Tenancy bonds for young vulnerable homeless – this initiative was the catalyst in bringing together three district housing authorities in developing a joint strategy for vulnerable young homeless people. • Specialist counselling provision for an eight year old child that had lost her vision over a very short period of time. The provision also supported the practitioners working with the child in the way of training and strategies. • Safety equipment – stair gates, garden gates, provision of skips for rubbish to promote safe and healthy playing environments for children. • Purchase of two motor scooters from the ‘wheels to Work’ initiative to enable rurally isolated young people to access training courses.
