IRT in Bolton Strengthening Partnerships

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Identification, Referral and Tracking
(IRT) of Children and Young People
Presentation for Primary Partnership Governors
Open Meeting 27th October 2003 Mike Chapman
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Introduction

• The Laming Report a background.
• Government Response Green Paper consultation.
• Who is Bolton Unlimited?
• What is Bolton Unlimited about?
• What is Bolton Unlimited not about?
• Why are we doing it?
• How are we doing it?
• Schools Pilot.
• Electronic Data Interchange
• What does this mean for schools Key messages

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The Laming Report

• A report into the murder of child abuse victim
  Victoria Climbié.
• Victoria died of hypothermia and 128 separate
  injuries.
• Her Aunt and boyfriend were sentenced to life
  imprisonment for her murder.

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Victoria Climbié

• Only in the country 10 months
• Known to 6 Local Authorities
• Contacts with -
• 3 Housing Authorities
• 4 Social Services
• 2 Child Protection Teams and Police
• Referral made to NSPCC
• Local Church (Possessed by evil!!)
• Twice in hospital
• Not known to Education

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Could it Happen in Bolton?
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(No Transcript)
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The Laming Report

• 108 recommendations.
• Green Paper proposals in response.
• Local Committees for Families.
• Local Management Board. (to monitor effective
  interagency working on child welfare and
  protection)
• Schools told to step up child protection
  efforts.
• Creation of a national children and young
  peoples data base. (to record every contact with
  a member of staff from the police, health and
  local authorities)

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Green Paper ResponseEvery Child Matters4 Main
Areas

• Supporting parents and carers.
• Early intervention effective protection.
• Accountability integration locally,
  regionally nationally.
• Workforce reform.

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Every Child MattersSupporting parents and
carers.

• Parenting Fund - 25M over 3 years
• Improved Universal Services giving better support
• Targeted and Specialist support
• Compulsory Action

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Green Paper Response Early intervention
effective protection.

• Information sharing, (National Data base put on
  hold). IRT system
• Single Unique Identity Number
• Common assessment
• Lead professionals
• On the spot service delivery from
  multi-disciplinary teams based in and around
  schools and childrens centres Extended Schools

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Every Child MattersAccountability
integration locally, regionally nationally.

• Director of Childrens Services
• Lead Council Member for Children
• Childrens Trusts
• Local Safeguarding Children Boards
• Minister for Children, Young People and Families
• Better joined up work
• Integrated Inspection System (OfSTED)
• Children's Commissioner

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Every Child MattersWorkforce reform.

• Workforce reform strategy
• Recruitment Campaign
• New Childrens Workforce Unit (DfES), raising
  attractiveness status, improving skills and
  collaborative working
• Common Core Training
• Sector Skills Council (SCC) for Children and
  Young Peoples Services
• Leadership Development programme

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Who is Bolton Unlimited?

• Bolton Identification, Referral and Tracking
  Project, now called Bolton Unlimited.
• One of 10 National Trailblazers.
• Steering Group in place from Oct 02.
• Final Bid submitted Dec 02.
• Project Team in place from Jan 03.
• Responsible to the Children and Young Peoples
  Unit (CYPU - part of DfES)

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What is Bolton Unlimited About?

• Sharing important information
• more effectively
• more appropriately
• more securely
• Reducing re-assessment and professional time
• Less intrusive for children, young people and
  their families
• Frees up professionals to get on with their own
  practice.

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What is Bolton Unlimited about?

• Closing gaps between services, so that children
  dont get lost.
• Strengthening and developing the Child Concern
  Model.
• Building on good practice in Bolton in order to
  lead the way nationally.
• Increasing positive outcomes for Children and
  Young People.

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What is Bolton Unlimited not about?

• Introducing a new computer system.
• Creating new tasks or responsibilities for
  schools.
• A Big Brother system to track bad kids.

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Why are we doing it?

• Because we have to
• Every UK Authority has to introduce IRT by April
  2004.
• Every authority can apply for 100k to do so.
• Because we need to
• Many of the recommendations made in the Laming
  Report into the death of Victoria Climbie can be
  addressed by IRT. The Green paper promotes IRT.
• Because it will help to provide better services
  for children, young people and their families.

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How are we doing it?

• Govt grant of 1m via the Children Young
  Peoples Unit within DfES.
• Spend is divided approximately 60/40 between
  technical solutions and soft solutions.
• Full time project coordinator, full time Child in
  Need facilitator, with management team seconded
  part time from partner agencies.
• Project coordinator reports to the Steering
  Group.

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How are we doing it?

• Technical solutions
• To allow workers within partner agencies to share
  information on children young people at risk
  safely, securely, appropriately and with due
  regard for data protection and confidentiality
• Builds on existing systems does not replace
  them
• Does not create a new database pulls
  information from partner systems

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Simplified Hub System
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Schools Pilot

• 12 Schools Identified and agreed
• Withins Red Lane Top Oth Brow
• Deane St Marys Brandwood
• Smithills Johnson Fold Church Road
• Hayward Lever Edge Sunning Hill
• Sorry, no Farnworth, Westhoughton or Horwich
  Schools! No nursery or Special schools either!!

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Schools Pilot FindingsMain Issues

• Child Concern Model Knowledge, use of
  consultation. calling Child in Need Meetings, use
  of Multi-Agency Referral form.
• Lead Practitioners Resources, holidays.
• Workload Training, Teacher cover, answering
  unmet need.
• Reluctance to Share Information /involve parents
  or guardians.
• Lack of Knowledge of Services.
• IT issues
• Did not experience difficulty in identifying a
  Lead professionals as was anticipated.

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What does Bolton Unlimited mean for Schools?

• All schools and all other services will be
  involved from April 2004.
• There will then be an alerting procedure for
  lower levels of risk. (i.e. Lower than Child
  Protection)
• Information from other services should be more
  readily available contact people known.
• Schools will have a way of registering their
  concerns for other services to see.
• The system will operate electronically thus
  saving duplication.

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Key Messages for Schools

• No child in need can be ignored by any service.
• Schools cannot pass the buck nor can anyone
  else.

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AVCO Electronic Data Interchange
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Making Use of Electronic Data Exchange

• Many forms will be redundant.
• Reduces duplication.
• Reduces requests to schools for information.
• DfES has a strategy to increase its use.
• Common Transfer file is now a DfES requirement.
• Full information is on the LEA web site.
  http//www.boltonlea.org.uk/im/

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Making Use of Electronic Data Exchange

• All schools will need to be making use of
  Electronic Transfers of Information.
• Electronic Transfers of information rely on
  clean, accurate information.
• Admin. Time should be saved e.g.. Reduction in
  form filling etc. No repeat filling in of basic
  information. No repeated requests for the same
  information.

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Most important of all

• We need to learn the lessons of the Climbié
  enquiry
• THE KEY PRIORITY IS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR
  CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE