Merton Children’s Services -from Good to Great Children’s Trust & MSCB Partners Workshop – 12 March 2013
Jan 14, 2016
Merton Children’s Services -from Good to Great
Children’s Trust & MSCB Partners Workshop – 12 March 2013
Context
• Deficit reduction• Welfare benefit changes• Changes for partner agencies: Health, Police,
VCS, schools and academies• Local population changes• Increased public expectations on service• Tougher inspection regimes
Our ambitions• We have the highest ambitions for all our C&YP and will
judge our success by a range of criteria including:– Providing or commissioning services or settings which
are judged good or outstanding;– Improving outcomes, closing gaps: particularly for
vulnerable C&YP– Demonstrating C&YP views & ambitions have informed
our service offer and their improvement– Evidencing that our EIP work has prevented C&YP
from developing higher needs or stepping down from intervention and developing resilience and independence
Children’s Trust Values
• Keeping the child/young person at the heart of our work.
• Equality, equity, inclusion and valuing diversity – judged on our impact on the most vulnerable
• Local accountability and partnership• Making a difference – continuous improvement• Promoting a learning culture• Promoting a culture which listens to, responds to
and which values C&YP
Where Are We Now?
• Retained a strong partnership ethos and commitment, despite turbulence – ethos of co-operation - collaboration – integration
• Safe services; good services; improving services• Actively using evidence of what works• Bar rising-inspection & expectations• Sharper targeting – ensuring impact & using
resources wisely and well
Responding to these changes
• Restructured CSF: CSC & YI, MASH, Transforming Families & Supporting Families
• Refreshing tools to support: CYPWB Model, Common & Shared Assessment (CASA), Single Assessment, referral pathways
• Refreshed commissioning of external early intervention services – process ongoing
Service ManagerPermanency & Placements &
LAC
Head of Children’s and Families Social Care & Youth Inclusion
Service ManagerSafeguards, Standards &
Training
MASH
Bond Road
S47 Assessment Team
VCT
CASA
Strategic Lead for MARAC, MAPPA, OMP
Fostering
Adoption
14+ Settled LAC & Leaving Care
LAC Nurse
Virtual School Link
Core Social Work Teams
Wraparound Child Protection Project (To be Developed /Commissioned )
Strategic Lead for CAMHS, MST
YOT
TF Casework Team
Rapid Response EI Service –Adolescents Team (to be developed /commissioned)
ETE Team
Service ManagerMASH &
Child Protection
Service ManagerFamily &
Adolescent Services
Service ManagerSocial Work Intervention
Services
Role of Principal Social Worker
QA
IROs
LSCB
Training & development
Children, Schools & Families Dept CSC & YI
Children, Schools & Families Dept
EDUCATION Head of Children, Schools & Families Education
Strategic Managerfor School
Improvement
Strategic ManagerSpecial EducationalNeeds, Disabilities
& Inclusion
Strategic ManagerEarly Years.
Children’s Centres& Childcare
•School Improvement•Governor Services•Virtual School for LAC•Schools ICT•Professional Development Centre•Chaucer•Diversity & Equalities
Strategic Manager Education Inclusion
•Education Welfare Service•Virtual Behaviour Service•Commissioning of Alt Education ProvisionCommissioning of Youth Services•Youth Services Delivery•Education Lead for CAMHS
•CWD Social Work Team•Portage, Early Support & Targeted Inclusion•Speech & Language•Language & Learning•Education Psychology•Short Breaks Service•Statutory SEN/ Transitions•Sensory Impairment•Parent Partnership
•Supporting Families•0-5 (Enhanced Service)•EYFS Quality Standards & Workforce Development•Children’s Centres& Early Help• Childcare Sufficiency & Access•Family Information•Direct Provision (APG, Day Nursery, Pre-school, Children’s Centres
Purpose of the MASH
• In Merton the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) will be the central resource and the single front door for all contacts to children’s services where there is a ‘concern’ in relation to a child and their family.
• The MASH will:– Manage referrals received.
– Research information held on professional databases of our Partner agencies to enable social care to make an informed decision.
– Provide a secure and confidential environment for professionals to share information.
– Identify low-level repeat referrals which taken in isolation may not appear concerning.
– Prioritise referrals using a BRAG rating.
– Refer to other agencies
Role of the MASH
MASH MA Staffing
• The MASH will be staffed by professionals from:– Children’s social care– Police– Probation– Housing– Health– Education (0-19 yrs)– Youth Justice
MASH Process/Procedure• Before making a MASH enquiry, agencies will
need to consider if the child or young person’s needs could be met by services from their own agency, or by other professionals already involved with the family (Universal).
• Agencies would be encouraged to make an enquiry only when they consider a family requires either an enhanced or specialist service, or when there is an immediate concern (Enhanced and Specialist).
MASH & Child Protection Service Structure
MASH & Child Protection Service Manager MASH Partner Line Management
CAF, Bond Road etc. MASH Team
First Response Team
MASH Team Manager
MASH Partner Staff (navigators)MASH Screening Officers (x3)
MASH Social Workers (x2)
Education 0-19 yrs
Probation
Youth Justice
Housing
Police (x4)
Health
Admin Support (x2)
First Response Social Workers (x4)
Expert Practitioner
First Response ATM
MASH ATM
VCT
BRAG ratings
• Red: There is a potential child protection issue (e.g. serious injury to the child).Requires immediate action, and information from MASH navigators is expected within 2 hours.
• Amber: There are significant concerns but immediate action is not required (e.g. ongoing DV issues in the household).Requires information from MASH navigators within 6 hours.
BRAG ratings
• Green: There are concerns regarding a child’s wellbeing but these do not meet statutory requirements (e.g. poor school attendance).Requires information from selected MASH navigators within 24 hours.
• Blue: There is no safeguarding concern and the issue can be dealt with by a Universal service.No MASH response required. Advice or referral to a Universal service may be provided.
BRAG ratings
• Green: Concerns regarding a child’s wellbeing but without meeting statutory requirements (e.g. poor school attendance).Requires information from selected MASH navigators within 24 hours.
• Blue: There is no safeguarding concern and the issue can be dealt with by a Universal service.No MASH response required. Advice or referral to a Universal service may be provided.
• Red: Potential child protection issue (e.g. serious injury to child).Requires immediate action, and information from MASH navigators is expected within 2 hours.
• Amber: There are significant concerns but immediate action is not required (e.g. ongoing DV issues in the household).Requires information from MASH navigators within 6 hours.
Process mapScreening Team receives CP Referral or CASA contact
If a social care case is open, pass to allocated
social worker
If no social care case is open, level of concern is identified
Pass to relevant agency or NFA
Allocate to First Response team
MASH process
MASH manager decision
MASH manager decides on BRAG rating
MASH manager decides on BRAG rating
Refer to enhanced service or other social work team to complete single assessment
NFA
RAG
Child Protection issueSafeguarding concern (not CP)
No concernB
Carry out single assessment, referring to MASH navigators for
real-time info
Receiving Teams
MASH
VCT
Central Social Work
Teams
FirstResponse
Team
Bond Road
Supporting Families
Transforming Families
YOT&
My Futures
Voluntary Sector
Services – Specialist
Level
EWS
ICWD Social Work
Next Steps
• A performance framework for MASH is being developed.
• Agencies will begin working on the 12th floor to ensure a fully operational MASH team by April.
• The Information Sharing Agreement will be signed by the Project Board.
• The necessary IT systems will be procured and/or put in place.
• A ‘dry run’ for the MASH team will be carried out to ensure the process is robust.
Further information on MASH
• Further information is available on the Merton MASH webpage at www.merton.gov.uk/mash
• The London Safeguarding Children Board also has information on MASH across London at www.londonscb.gov.uk/mash
• Or contact [email protected] or [email protected] from the Merton MASH Project Team.
CSF Dept. Early Intervention services
• 0-5 years – Supporting Families Team
• 5-18 years – Vulnerable Children’s Team
• Transforming Families Team
FUNCTIONS OF SF, VCT & TF
• Referrals via MASH process• Step down from specialist intervention• Casework and case management approach (assessment
and planning)• Single assessment• Direct work with children/young people & families• Brokerage to commissioned services• Advice, guidance and support to practitioners working at
universal level
Work in Progress
• Simplified Child/YP Well-Being Model: universal; enhanced & specialist
• Single assessment - inc specialist• Simplified our approach to Common and Shared
Assessment• New child protection referral form
• Builds on success of CAF implementation within Merton Well Being Model (MWBM) since 2005 as tool supporting joint working across all services
• New dedicated MASH Child Protection Referral Form now distinct from ….
• … new simplified Common and Shared Assessment (CASA) tool within Early Intervention services (formerly CAF)
• CASA at Universal Level to have seamless interface with new Single Assessment tool at Enhanced and Specialist levels
Principles of CASA(Common and Shared Assessment)
Continues to
•Support sharing of information
•Focus on Strengths as well as Needs
•Holistic Family focus
•Empowering for family, while working jointly with practitioners as member of Team Around the Child (TAC) or Team Around the Family (TAF)
•Remains consistent with other LAs CAFs or equivalent
Principles of CASA(Common and Shared Assessment)
Assessment Framework Triangle
27
Introduction to revised form 1 - CASA
Introduction to Child Protection Referral Form
MWBM Additional Needs Indicators
Roll out of CASA and new CP Referral Form
• To be launched with MASH roll out• Forms supported by dedicated simple Guidance Sheets• CASA Training to replace CAF Training: details on Merton website at
www.merton.gov.uk/caf will dovetail with www.merton.gov.uk/casa • CSF Induction and LSCB Child Protection Training will reflect new
CASA and CP Referrals processes• Sets of Additional Needs Indicators updated to align with new 3-band
‘Triangle’ model versus former 5-band ‘Rainbow’ model• Merton Well Being Model (MWBM) is being updated to reflect all of
the above, and supporting practitioner handbook will continue to be available as on-line central point of reference and guidance: www.merton.gov.uk/mwbm