The Child Action Model

• The context for change in children’s services

• Developing integrated services in Gloucestershire

• The concepts behind the model

• Outline of model and how it works

• Questions

Children’s Services – The Context for Change

• Children Act 1989 – ‘Every authority has a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of

children in need…. By providing a range and level of services appropriate to those needs’ Section 17

‘Every local authority shall take…steps to identify the extent to which there are children in need within their area’ Schedule 2

‘Where it appears to a local authority that any authority or person could…help in the exercise of any of their functions…they may request the help of that authority or person……and…’an authority whose help is so requested shall comply with the request’ Section 27

What Happened?• Focus on safeguarding rather than promoting

welfare

• Messages from Research – too many children caught in the CP net

‘160,000 children & families a year …drawn into CP process…..but only 25,000 registered’

….and too much focus on abuse at expense of general needs –

‘in over half of (CP) cases, families receive no services at all following investigation’ Messages from research

This led to………• Focus on prevention, earlier intervention and integration of services

• Recognition that children’s needs cut across agencies –Sure Start, YOS, Connexions

• National Assessment Framework ‘effective collaboration requires a common language to understand the needs of children and a joint commitment to improving outcomes’

This led to …….

• Climbie Enquiry – 12 chances to save her life over 10 months

• IRT - system to facilitate information sharing across agencies

• Green Paper – Every Child Matters

• Children Bill

Gloucestershire’s Response

• CYPSP – all heads of service, chaired by County Council CEO

• IRT project initiated

• Development of common language assessment model

• Child Action Model\Child Action Project

Child Action Model

• Continuum of need

Low level needs -likely impairment

High level needs - significant impairment

Complex needs - impairment

Child Action Model

• Thresholds

Low level needs - likely impairment

Complex needs -actual impairment

High level needs - significant impairment

ThresholdT

hres

hold

Continuum of Need

• Services

Child Action Model

Low level needs - likely impairment

Complex needs - impairment

High level needs- significant impairment

Continuum of NeedThreshold T

hres

hold

Multi Agency

SSDSingle

Agency

Child Action Project- putting theory into practice

• Staff funded by SSD & Children’s Fund

• Based in schools

• Point of contact for school staff

• Assess needs by using common language assessment tool

• Identify community resources

• Coordinate services and/or signpost

Child Action Model

Low level needs - likely impairment

Complex needs - impairment

High level needs - significant impairment

Continuum of NeedThreshold T

hres

hold

Single Agency

Multi Agency

SSD

Child Action Project

• Provide a catalyst and example of how integrated services can work in practice

• Plan to extend project to all communities and localities

• Once established, aim to withdraw Child Action staff

Child Action Model - the Bolton system

Initial identification of concerns by agency

IRT

Completion of common language assessment – Needs, Threshold,Outcome, Service

Level of Need\Threshold

Low level Complex High level

Single Agency Multi -Agency SSD

Monitoring and Review

SERVICE PROVISION

Summary

• Long recognised that services intervene too little and too late

• Recognition that children’s needs cut across agency boundaries and integrated approach needed

• Child Action Project is vehicle for ‘kick starting’ integrated services across all localities

Summary- Key Elements

• Agency that identifies concern carries out assessment

• Key Worker

• Single agency or Joint commissioning of services

• Services ‘wrap’ around child - child is at the centre

Questions