Practitioner's Toolkit
Every Child Matters: Change for Children is a new approach to the well-being of children and young people from birth to age 19.
The programme places better outcomes for children at the centre of all policies and processes involving children's services. These outcomes are:
- Be healthy
- Stay safe
- Enjoy and achieve through learning
- Make a positive contribution to society
- Achieve economic well-being
The aim of the 'Every Child Matters: Change for Children’ programme is to help services working with children, to work in more joined up ways and to share information appropriately, so they can better meet the needs of children and young people. Joined-up working across professional and agency boundaries is a key factor in improving outcomes for children, young people and families in Bristol. By working more closely together it will create services by which the needs, interests and welfare of the children and young people can be better protected. They are entitled to services that not only safeguard them but also support them in realising their full potential.
The Children Act 2004 provides the statutory basis to make sure that the necessary changes happen. The Act places a duty on those working with children and young people to work together effectively to improve outcomes for children. Standardised ways of working and supporting tools have been developed nationally and must be adopted locally by all organisations to ensure consistency of approach and service experience for families. These are summarised below:
1. Information Sharing guidance which includes a flowchart and handbook for practitioners which sets out good practice for the way information should be shared. Appropriate and timely sharing of information underpins the Every Child Matters programme and practitioners need to feel confident in sharing information as part of their every day work with children, families and other agencies.
2. The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a new assessment to be used by all agencies to assess children aged 0-19’s needs based on the five every child matters outcomes. The assessment takes a holistic approach to a child’s needs rather than from a single service perspective.
3. If the common assessment results in the need to work with more than one agency then there is the new role of the Lead Professional who acts as coordinator of contact for the child, family and other agencies. This helps to improve co-ordination and liaison across services. The Children Act 2004 sets out an agenda for integrated front-line services through, amongst other things, the Lead Professional role. The statutory guidance sets out clear expectations for the implementation of the role.
4. Multi-agency working arrangements to bring different agencies together either round the table at panel meetings to review common assessments or through stronger working relationships through what is known as integrated frontline delivery.
5. The Bristol Local Information Sharing System (BLISS) contains very basic data about children across Bristol from birth until their 18th birthday. It also holds the contact details for agencies that are working with them. This will greatly improve the ability of professionals working with children to communicate with each other.
It works by extracting data from computer systems which are used by different agencies across the city working with children and families. BLISS also acts as an access point for the eCAF system for practitioners to record Common Assessments electronically.
6. A service directory called One Big Database to provide information about services for families across the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area.
By embedding these practices it should deliver the following benefits for children, young people and families:
- Better joint working between different agencies
- Improved information sharing between practitioners
- Helping children earlier when problems first begin to emerge
- Preventing children from slipping through the net of services
REMEMBER – if you are concerned that a child or young person is at risk of harm please contact your local social care duty team.
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