Common Assessment Framework

Awareness

Victoria’s Web

VICTORIA

CLIMBIE

AMBULANCE

TAXI DRIVER

CHURCH 2 CHURCH 1

DISTANT RELATIVE

FRENCH

TEACHER

CHILD MINDER

FRIEND

POLICE

LIAISON HEALTH VISITOR

COMMUNITY HEALTH VISITOR

SENIOR NURSE

GP 2

PRACTICE NURSE

GP 3

PRACTICE NURSE

NSPCC

SENIOR HOUSE

OFFICER

ENFIELD SSD

HARINGEY SSD

BRENT SSD

CONSULTANT PAEDIATRICIAN

NURSE 4

NURSE 1

HOSPITAL 1

PAEDIATRIC REGISTRAR

NURSE 3

GP 1

NURSE 2

A&E SENIOR HOUSE

OFFICER WARD

SISTER

A&E NURSE

BRENT POLICE

PC

SERGEANT

SERGEANT

PC

SERGEANT

ENFIELD HOSPITAL

SOCIAL WORKER

MANAGEMENT

ACTON SSD

SERGEANT

DET INSPECTOR HARINGEY

POLICE

SOCIAL WORKER

HARINGEY SOCIAL

SERVICES

SOCIAL WORKER

TEAM MANAGER

SENIOR PRACTITIONER

IMMIGRATION

EALING HOMELESS FAMILIES

EALING SOCIAL

SERVICES

SOCIAL WORKER 2

SOCIAL WORKER 1

SOCIAL WORKER 3

SOCIAL WORKER 6

SOCIAL WORKER 5

SOCIAL WORKER 4

HOSPITAL 2

NURSE 2

PAEDIATRIC REGISTRAR

NURSE 4 NURSE 3

NURSE 5

FRENCH SPEAKING

NURSE

SENIOR HOUSE OFFICER

NURSE 1

PYSCHOLOGY

CONSULTANT PAEDIATRICIAN

CONSULTANT PAEDIATRICIAN

NURSE 6

REGISTRAR 2

A&E CASUALTY OFFICER

REGISTRAR 1

REGISTRAR 3

DERMATOLOGY Produced by Kay Welsh June 2003

Duties placed by theChildren Act 2004

Section 10 & 11Co-operation to improve well-being and to safeguard and promote welfare

Each children's services authority in England must make arrangements to promote co-operation between - the authority; each of the authority's relevant partners; and such other persons or bodies as the authority consider appropriate.

What is CAF?

Using the CAF will help us develop a common understanding of strengths, as well as needs and how to work together to meet them.

The CAF will help us assess children and young people’s additional needs for services, earlier and more effectively.

The CAF is a shared assessment and planning framework to help us in our work with children, young people and families.

The CAF principles

Holistic

Child and young person

centred

Voluntary and only undertaken

with consent

Focused on strengths

as well as needs

Coordinated (only ever one active CAF

episode per individual)

A standardised process

supported by a form

Able to improve links to specialist

assessments

Content of the CAF: Assessment of Strengths and Needs

Development of Child

• Health

• Emotional and social development

• Behavioural development

• How the child feels about his or her self

• Family and social relationships

• Self-care skills and independence

• Learning

Parents and Carers

• Basic care, ensuring safety & protection

• Emotional warmth & stability

• Guidance, boundaries & stimulation

Family and Environmental

• Family history, functioning & well-being

• Wider family

• Housing, employment & financial considerations

• Social & community elements and resources, including education

Joint Access Teams (JATs)• Joint Access Teams are Nottinghamshire’s key mechanism for

early intervention and prevention

• 42 JATs covering 45 Families of Schools

• Referral to JATs use the first two pages of the Common Assessment Framework form

• JATs provide an opportunity for a single conversation about a child or young person (aged 0-19) with early intervention or targeted needs

• The core membership of the JATs are made up of practitioners from a range of agencies working within the geographical area of a family of schools

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/jointaccessteams

When to use the CAF: Continuum of needs

Activity

Nottinghamshire Continuum of Children and Young People's Needs

www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/pathwaytoprovision

Discussion

Consider the children/young people within your setting:

• Discuss their level of need using the Pathway to Provision document

• How effectively are their needs being met using your current processes?

If not sure what to do(with consent from the family, or if there is no consent the child can be discussed anonymously)

The CAF Process

Discuss with child/young person and family

Gain consent for CAF

Identification of additional needs

Log CAF Early Intervention Team: 01623 433291

Complete CAF form as far as possible Speak to other practitioners, use the ‘My Feelings’ tool

Gain written consent to share the CAF with other services

Joint Access Team

At each stage, consider if there are any safeguarding concerns

If so, undertake the appropriate action & discontinue the CAF process

If need further advice & support

Team Around the Child Meeting- Agree Review/Action Plan- Agree Lead Professional- Date of review meeting set - Update Early Intervention Team

All CAFs are collected centrally, please send to;

Claire FlexneyEarly Intervention TeamMeadow House, Littleworth, Mansfield, NG18 2TB

Or password protected/encrypted to; caf@nottscc.gov.uk

Child or young person’s needs met by assessing agency

Send a copy of the CAF form to the Early Intervention Team

Close CAFComplete young person/parent questionnaire

Lead ProfessionalVision: All children and young people with additional needs who

require support should experience a seamless and effective service in which one practitioner takes a lead role to ensure that services

are co-ordinated, coherent and achieving intended outcomes

Core Functions

Act as a single point of contact for the

child or family

Reduce overlap and inconsistency in the services received

Co-ordinate the delivery of actions

agreed by the practitioners involved

What does this mean for you?

Please consider the following:• What is your role within the CAF process?• Is the CAF process within your agency clear?• What further steps to you need to take to be

confident in triggering a CAF within your agency?

Further Development

• CAF Training (1/2 day)

• Lead professional Training (2 hours)

• Briefing sessions

• CAF Champions Events

• NSCB training – County Council

• Attend and observe a JAT meeting

Useful InformationLocal Linkswww.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/commonassessmentframeworkwww.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/pathwaytoprovisionwww.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/jointaccessteamswww.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/nscb

Families Information Servicewww.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/fiswww.parents.info/nottinghamshireTel: 0800 781 2168 or 01623 520694 - for people calling from a mobile

National Linkswww.education.gov.ukwww.everychildmatters.gov.uk/integratedworkingwww.cwdcouncil.org.uk/integrated-workingwww.cwdcouncil.org.uk/sharestreet

ContactsEarly Intervention District ManagersAshfield – Rachel Clark - rachel.clark@nottscc.gov.ukGedling – Anne Murphy - anne.murphy@nottscc.gov.ukMansfield – Vicki Melling - vicki.melling@nottscc.gov.ukNewark and Sherwood – Liz Lowe - liz.lowe@nottscc.gov.ukRushcliffe – Nicola Turner - nicola.turner@nottscc.gov.uk01623 433225

CAF Project Manager Claire Flexney

claire.flexney@nottscc.gov.uk

01623 433181

Early Intervention Service Administrator – CAF Training and logging CAFsRachel Radford

rachel.radford@nottscc.gov.uk

01623 433291