Integrated processes

These are the shared processes which all services/agencies will use to identify children and young people who have additional needs and who need support. Meeting needs early is part of the prevention and early intervention strategy and ensures that vulnerability does not escalate into long term need for higher level services.

Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a universal holistic assessment of need. It should be used where needs are unclear, are unmet or where an additional agency needs to be involved. It can be used as a single agency action plan, or as a means of assessing which other services might be needed. It must be completed in collaboration with the child, young person or family and with their consent.

Team around the Child is the name given to a multi-agency team which works together to support a child, young person or family who has a CAF.

Lead Professional is a function carried out by one of the team around the child members. They are the main point of contact and coordinate the TAC action plan.

eCAF is a web based system on which CAFs can be created, stored and accessed; a date for local implementation has not yet been agreed. 

Early Intervention & Prevention Panel processes include the CAF and the EIP Panel. If a practitioner feels that the criteria for a CAF are met they send the completed CAF to the EIP team based in Amersham. Many are directed to a Team around the Child meeting immediately.  Those which are more complex are discussed by the multi-agency EIP panel which makes recommendations. Possible outcomes are a TAC, TAP, a professionals meeting, prevention support delivered by the YOS.

Team around the Provider (TAP) is one of the possible outcomes from the Early Intervention & Prevention Panel. Higher level services can provide support to a CAF completer and their service, and this builds capacity in universal services. It is an alternative to the Team around the Child.

Please note completed CAFs should be sent to:

Intervention and Prevention Team
Buckinghamshire County Council
Amersham Area Office
King George V Road
Amersham
HP6 5BN

01494 586363 or caf@buckscc.gov.uk 

Information Sharing

Information sharing is one of the processes which underpins Integrated Working.  This is of relevance to all front line practitioners

To complement the HM Government information sharing guidance materials, a set of 4 ‘How To’ guides have been developed to give practitioners and managers practical advice on various aspects of operational practice:

• How to explain information sharing and seek informed and explicit consent to share personal information
• How to judge capacity to consent to sharing of personal information
• How to record personal information sharing decisions
• How to share personal information securely

These short guides can be used by individual managers and practitioners or as tools to support training.  Initial feedback on these guides from the recent IS and CWDC events has been very favourable. 

Find them here:- (this will open a new window)
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/strategy/integratedworking/a0072915/information-sharing