Safeguarding and Support Services
Birmingham Children, Young People and Families Directorate
Remodelling of Family Support and Safeguarding April 2013 1
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Birmingham’s vision for our children and young people
“Every child in every part of the City should achieve their potential. We will provide early help and support to those children and families who need it and, working together, will ensure that every child has the belief, aspiration and support to be their best.”
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Children’s Plan Priorities • Prevention
• Integration
• Aspiration
• Safeguarding
• Participation
• Excellence through partnership
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Strategic Intent
Better prevention (public health) services
Increased early support for families
Fewer children in care (1500)
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Lord Laming 2003‘it is not possible to separate the protection of children from wider support to families. Indeed, often the best protection for a child is achieved by the timely intervention of family support services’.
further highlighted by Professor Munro, 2011. ‘the provision of early help is vital to keeping children safe’.
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Early Help Pathway: Principles• Its never too early• Do the basics well • ‘begin at the end’• ‘no wrong door’• Common Assessment• Evidenced based
practice• Clear roles and
responsibilities
• Invest in pre-natal, early years and parenting
• ‘Think Family’• Trust professional
judgement and collaborate
• Needs led (data)• Invest in workforce
learning and development• Long term approach
Safeguarding and Support Services
Early Help Pathway: Priorities
1. Commitment to early help 2. Improve coordination and reach3. Improve availability of information4. Invest in our workforce5. Embed a common language6. Coherent set of procedures7. Review the risk management guidance 8. Develop and integrate targeted services9. Embed a Common Assessment
Safeguarding and Support Services
Vision: Safeguarding and Support service
‘through integration we will provide a comprehensive and seamless offer of ‘early help’ through to targeted and specialist services; with the intention of reducing the incidence of significant harm and unnecessary escalation of children and young peoples needs’.
right support from the ‘right service, right time’.
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Today Transformation/Change Future
Silo working- internally and across partnerships
Multitude of transfer/referral points
Inconsistent service Provision
Process &Performance
ICT
Accommodation
Organisation
People.Teams &Culture
Finance &Benefits
TransformationTeam &
Communications
Collaborative and integrated working
More consistent and seamless journey for children and their families
Consistent, needs led and high quality of service
Transformation Journey
VISION
Safeguarding and Support Services
Principles• Needs led approach
• Change the language, services to children not process (e.g threshold, needs a CAF, IA, s47)
• No wrong door
• Acute and complex not only Social Care response
• Encourage a conversation that helps find a solution rather than a stand off
• Avoids reframing of a concern to a child protection matter
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
‘There is a vital role for professionals working in universal services – health, education, police and early years – to identify the early signs of abuse and neglect and to work together to deliver coordinated services to children and families.’
1. Identify and intervene with children and families which may require help from more than one agency
2. Support integrated working and share relevant information
3. Co-ordinate and deliver a multi-agency service response that is evidenced based which is responsive to the needs of children and their families and informed by a common assessment
Working Together – Consultation Document 2012
Early Intervention
Safeguarding and Support Services
Right Services
Right TimeMeeting
Children’sNeeds
• Focused on NEED• Child at the Centre• Support offered to the family• Birmingham’s model • All agencies use same indicators
Safeguarding and Support Services
Achieving the Vision - proposed new model of service
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding & Support Teams
Integrated CIC teams
CIAS
Child & The Family
Locality Area Safeguarding and Support Service
Safeguarding and Support Services
Proposed locations – Hub Children’s CentresEast• Oaklands Park• Kitts Green*• Dyson Gardens• Fox Hollies/Golden Hillock*• Park Road*
South• Albert Bradbeer (Merrishaw)• Reameadow• Chinnbrook• Doddington*
West & Central• The Willows• Birchfield• St Thomas*
North• Circle• Featherstone*
Safeguarding and Support Services
Safeguarding and Support Services
Integrating partners • Responsive to local needs
• Potential to improve co-location and integration in Children Centre areas and include Health Visiting Service, Community Midwifery, Family Nurse Partnership and Sexual Health etc.
Key Virtual Partners• Adult and Community Services; Youth and
Connexion Services, Housing • Schools
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Safeguarding and Support Services
Benefits of the proposal • Reduction in the multitude of transfer/referral points • More consistent and seamless journey for children and their
families• More resources devoted to the needs of children and families• Emphasis on front line practice improvement• Effective integration, economies of scale and considerable
more scope for flexibility• Strengthened management oversight and opportunities to
develop and retain excellent practitioners• Early Help and access to Social Care expertise, Evidenced
based practice and Team around the child; good partnership working
• Think family / troubled family approaches• Consistent application of the risk management principles
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Safeguarding and Support Services
Benefits of proposed model for partners
• Better and more effective information sharing across partnerships
• Reduced duplication of effort• Better coordination and use of resources• Potential for knowledge and skills transfer
through co location and strengthened partnership arrangements
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Safeguarding and Support Services
Benefits for children and their families
• Fewer ‘hand offs’ for children and seamless journey for the child
• Access to the right help from the right service and the right time
• Consistent, high quality, needs led service provision
Safeguarding and Support Services
Any Questions?
Feedback can be submitted online via: http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/supporthubs
For any further information contact: [email protected]