CAF Closure and review process at level 2a (one additional need) and 2b (Team
Around the Child)
A CAF and its subsequent reviews are designed to continue for as long as support is required to meet the
needs of a child/young person effectively. The CAF is used with children and young people up to the age of 18
and 24 where a young person has a learning difficulty or disability.
The review and closure of a CAF can allow a smooth and safe transition of the child/young person and
family’s needs to be supported and monitored by a variety of professionals involved within the right threshold
and associated plan. Where children or young people have complex disability needs or a learning difficulty their
CAF may never reach closure as their needs may always be present.
Following on from completing the CAF form and at each Review 2a or 2b TAC (every 4-12 weeks), a decision
should be reached as to whether the CAF can be closed.
The CAF may be closed for a variety of reasons and currently there are 4 possible outcomes:
1. Family Disengaged: where parent/carer or child/young person has withdrawn their consent to the
support identified from the CAF continuing and/or parent/carer or child/young person become uncontactable through various attempts to engage.
2. Needs Met: the child’s and the parents/carers needs respectively, are now well understood and the
appropriate intervention has taken place to enable the child’s needs to be met through Universal
Services
3. Moved to another Local Authority: If moving to another local authority within England, the CAF can
be transferred with consent. See cross border protocol for more information by visiting:
http://www.salford.gov.uk/supportingtools.htm.
4. Moved to Social Care: When a decision has been made by Social Care for the family to be escalated
to Child Protection (CP), Child in Need (CIN), Looked after Children (LAC) but not at the point when a
referral into Social Care has been made or a Children and Families Assessment by a social worker is
being undertaken.
Action plans within the CAF and reviews are essential in identifying a robust plan of what actions
professionals, parent/carers and/or children/young people must carry out to meet unmet needs and highlight
strengths and progress. Actions within the CAF and subsequent reviews therefore need to be:

Specific: Ensure the goal is well defined and avoid unclear objectives

Measurable: Be clear how you will know when the goal has been achieved

Achievable: Set goals by priority through assessing capability and current situation/environment

Realistic: Set goals within the availability of resources, knowledge and time

Time based: Set a time scale for completing each goal which can be reviewed and closed
To close the CAF, the Lead Professional and/or remaining professional should record the decision to close the
CAF on the CAF review and closure form and upload to: http://www.salford.gov.uk/secureupload.htm. If the
case gets escalated to Children’s Social Care (Child in need, Child Protection, Looked After) in between
reviews please email the CAF team at CAF@salford.gov.uk letting us know to close the CAF under the
outcome: escalated to Children’s Social Care, what level (CIN,CP,LAC),name of child, date of birth and who
the named social worker is.
Decisions to close a CAF should always be done in consultation with your line manager, with the agreement
from other professionals involved and the parent/carer and/or child/young person where possible.
***If at any point during the CAF/TAC process, professionals become aware of information that indicates that a child is
suffering, or is at risk of suffering significant harm, a Children's Social Care referral must be made to the Multi Agency
Safeguarding Hub (M.A.S.H.) in line with SSCB Safeguarding procedures on: 0161 603 4500. For any support relating to
Salford CAF Team- Early Intervention and Prevention Team August 2014
CAF Closure and review process at level 2a (one additional need) and 2b (Team
Around the Child)
CAF’s please contact a Duty CAF Co-ordinator on: 0161 603 4239 or visit: http://www.salford.gov.uk/caf.htm for
more information.
Salford CAF Team- Early Intervention and Prevention Team August 2014
CAF Closure and review process at level 2a (one additional need) and 2b (Team
Around the Child)
Professional completes a CAF on a child/young person and identifies
their needs and that of the family.
Has the CAF identified more than one additional agency?
NO – Level 2a
(One additional need)
YES - Level 2b
(Multiple needs)
Professional who completed
the CAF arranges and
attends the first TAC
Is the CAF author’s
involvement going to
continue?
YES
The reviewing of
the CAF will
continue in the
Team Around
the Child
process every 412 weeks. A
lead
professional
must be
identified up to
the point of
closure.
NO
Hand over the
reviewing to the
Team Around
the Child group
to continue
every 4-12
weeks, a lead
professional
must be
identified up to
the point of
closure.
If at any point the amount of
agencies decreases to only one
additional agency (2a) continue to
review the CAF on the CAF review
and closure form.
Professional who completed
the CAF completes the CAF
Review and closure form after
4-12 weeks
Is the CAF author’s
involvement going to
continue?
YES
CAF author
continues to
review the CAF
on a CAF review
and closure
form, indicating
level 2a every 412 weeks up to
the point of
closure.
NO
Hand over the
reviewing to the
most appropriate
lead person still
involved with the
family for them
to review on a
CAF review and
closure form,
indicating level
2a every 4-12
weeks up to the
point of closure.
If at any point 2 or more additional
services become involved hold a Team
Around the Child meeting and
document on the CAF review and
Closure form.
If you have difficulty in deciding who the Lead Professional should be,
please contact a CAF Co-ordinator on 603 4239 for support.
All CAF review documents can be downloaded and should be sent in
via-http://www.salford.gov.uk/secureupload.htm
Salford CAF Team- Early Intervention and Prevention Team August 2014