Making it Happen
Working together for children, young people and families

KNOWING WHEN
TO SHARE
Practical guidance on information sharing

gathering
Information
The Common Assessment Framework

COORDINATING
DELIVERY

The role of the lead professional

1 Making It Happen Working together for children, young people and families

Every Child Matters
Tools and processes to help make it happen
In England, more than four million people, across public, private and voluntary sectors work with children. If you’re one of them, this booklet is for you.
It looks at how better information sharing and multi-agency working, coupled with new tools and processes such as the Common Assessment

The tools covered in this booklet will also help achieve many of the standards set out in the National
Service Framework for Children,
Young People and Maternity
Services and contribute towards the schools achievement agenda.

Framework (CAF), the lead professional role and ContactPoint, are all designed to help deliver effective services for children, young people and families.
Frontline staff explain what this means in practice for them, and for the children, young people and families they work with.

Key processes and tools
The continuum of needs and services
A key part of the reform of children’s services is the integration of systems and processes, so that the needs of children and families are met in a more effective way.
Many local areas do this through a
‘whole-systems’ approach where the needs of children and families

Key:

ner

ractitio

Single p

Targeted support
Integra

pe

yo un g

In

hild ren Childr en add with itio no na id ln e ee nt ds i

with s en d ildr nee
Ch plex m co

N

a

d fie rs

Lead professional not required

tutory m st a t fro s por rvice sup t se ed ialis rat ec eg r sp
Int o

all c

g b etwe har in en n s pr a c tPoin io Cont t ac t a ti n w e m r i d th Chil r ti o fo dditional needs
T

e

s for

T

Referral to social care (open case on Integrated Children’s
System [ICS]) from this point

Relevant practitioner takes on lead professional functions N

an d I

port

n

Universal s ervice N

Lead professional not required

I = Identification and action
T = Transition
N = Needs met

ted sup

I

I

e

The visual below describes this spectrum of support as well as the relationship between the different tiers.

Children and families are supported most effectively when CAF, the lead professional role, and information sharing procedures are planned and

Common Assessment
Framework (CAF) from this point

l op delivered in a coordinated way to offer integrated support across the continuum of needs and services.

lie along a continuum, supported by flexible and responsive services which become increasingly targeted and specialist according to need.

Practitioner already required by statute or
T
best practice to take on lead role
N

2

“By completing a CAF and getting a full picture of Jane’s needs and the agencies working with her, we were able to provide services much more effectively.”
Chris Purcell

Case study
Chris Purcell is a Support Worker from the Flexible Support Team in
Kirby. She explains how integrated working contributed to making a dramatic difference to one young person’s life.
Thirteen-year-old Jane came from a broken home, had poor school attendance and, following a bereavement, had begun self-harming.
“By completing a CAF and getting a full picture of Jane’s needs and the agencies working with her, we were able to provide services much more effectively,” says Chris.
“Previously she was in contact with eight people, which involved a lot of duplication of effort and was overwhelming for her. By understanding her needs better we were able to reduce this to just three
– with great results. She’s much happier, is dealing with her grief and has returned to education, learning new vocational skills.”
It might look like some of the new tools and processes may increase your workload but this example
demonstrates