Northamptonshire Children

1
Northamptonshire Children Young Peoples
PartnershipEarlier Intervention for Families
the Common Assessment Framework in Corby

• Sue Cordwell Corby Excellence Cluster
  Coordinator
• Richard Ward NCC Information Sharing
  Assessment Programme Manager

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The issue of multiple assessments

PCT
Universal Education
EWS
Social Services
LEA SEN
Connexions
YOT
CAMHS
All Other Agencies
Universal healthcare
Social worker
Ed Welfare Officer
Personal Adviser
Education Staff
SENCO Ed. psych.
Child psych.
Health visitor
YOT worker
Healthcare Staff
All Other Practitioners
Conduct Disorder
Statement of SEN
Risk to parents
Children in Need including in need of protection
APIR
ASSET
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Common Assessment

• Common
• Assessment - not a referral form
• A Framework
• A toolkit to assess needs at an early
• stage and to prevent them escalating
• Adds value
• To work most effectively needs to be used in
  partnership
• Is part of a culture change

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Culture change does happen

• Life on Mars

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Issues raised at Early Engagement Events
Children Young People at centre involved
Trust
Leadership and responsibility
Making multi agency working work for
all children young people
Information sharing communication
Clarity of roles and responsibilities
Equalities
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Feedback from service users

• I was asked lots of questions. I gave all
  information freely although I used to get sick of
  telling the same story over and over again. It
  was apparent there were no shortcuts it was
  always me repeating the full story
• It would be good to have a standard form that
  agencies could use instead of having to complete
  long questionnaires(Parent A)
• The first 8 years of the childs life, many
  different people had assessed her. Yet, she came
  with no history for her to be assessed again.
  (Parent F)

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Feedback from service users

• To gain an understanding of my family needs
• and our strengths and difficulties, I think the
• best way is to be interviewed
• life became a little bit easier after he
  started nursery school. His teacher was very
  understanding and patient with him. We had
  previously discussed his problems with her, and
  with lots of support from her, he did thrive. I
  realised that there are people who can help,
  which does now make me feel more positive.
  (Parent D)

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Supporting working in partnership

• Revised Common Assessment form leaflet
• Online learning
• Face to face training
• What is Common Assessment?
• Multi agency working
• Links with other initiatives
• Working in partnership with parents

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Scenario 2

• Exercise included in face to face training
• Is neither a perfect example of best practice or
  an accurate reflection of reality but does cover
  relevant points
• Will be developed to demonstrate best practice

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While watching the scenario

• What would this meeting have felt like for mum
  and Ben?
• How could this meeting have been conducted more
  effectively?

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Contact details

• Sue Cordwell
• 01536 464954
• SCordwell_at_northamptonshire.gov.uk
• Richard Ward
• 01604 237558
• rcward_at_northamptonshire.gov.uk