DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
STRATEGY FOR EARLY HELP IN
BIRMINGHAM
2015-2017
DRAFT STRATEGY FOR DEVELOPMENT & CONSULTATION
NOVEMBER 2014
Version Control
Version
Date
Author
Change Description
0.8
20.11.14
Dawn Roberts, Narinder
Saggu, Elizabeth Hibbert
Final draft
1.0
27.11.14
Elizabeth Hibbert
Changed to V1.0 following sign off at
Children’s Improvement Board on 24th
November 2014.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
CONTENTS
Foreword ................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
The Vision for Early Help in Birmingham ................................................................................................................ 7
What is Early Help................................................................................................................................................... 8
This is Birmingham.................................................................................................................................................. 9
Working in a climate of change ........................................................................................................................ 10
Principles .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
The needs of Birmingham ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Risk Factors to a good childhood ...................................................................................................................... 12
Risk Factors to a great education ..................................................................................................................... 14
Risk Factors to the best health outcomes ........................................................................................................ 14
Early Help Outcomes Framework ......................................................................................................................... 16
MODEL OF DELIVERY ............................................................................................................................................ 19
Right Services Right Time.................................................................................................................................. 24
Pathways to Early Help ......................................................................................................................................... 27
Draft Early Help Implementation Outcomes and Action Plan .............................................................................. 31
Appendix ONE – Early Intervention Foundation Maturity Matrix ........................................................................ 36
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
FOREWORD
Forward to be written for the final strategy.
Cllr Jones
Peter Hay
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
INTRODUCTION
This Early Help Strategy is for improving the life-chances of children, young people and
families in Birmingham, encouraging families to harness their own resourcefulness to reach
their full potential whilst recognising that some families will need additional support.
Through greater partnership working, better co-ordination of support, consistent
application of clear pathways, we can make better use of our combined resources to make a
difference. Whilst there are many good examples of successful partnership working and
delivery of positive outcomes for children, there is now a clear need to define Birmingham’s
early help offer so that it is effectively delivered across the city and owned by all the
partners.
Public services are operating within a climate of unprecedented challenge as demand for
specialist services rapidly increases against a backdrop of dramatically reducing resources.
Nationally it is estimated that 20-30%1 of children will, at some stage, experience difficulties
which, if addressed early enough, can be prevented from escalating into costly statutory
services. If early help is not offered, this can, in the worst cases, result in children’s social
and emotional development being irreparably impaired and family breakdown. If effective,
early help empowers families to regain control of their circumstances and help transform
the lives of our vulnerable children and young people.
The central importance of early intervention in enabling children and adults to reach their
full potential has been set out in four national reports2. Key messages from these are that
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strong early help services prevent needs escalating within families,
high performing early help services are integrated and co-ordinated at both strategic
and operational levels
families benefit more from preventative, rather than reactive services. This approach
adds value and is cost effective for all concerned.
Early help refers to both the critical early years of a child’s life when the fundamental
building blocks of future development are laid, but also throughout a child’s life. Problems
may emerge at any point through childhood and adolescence and it is important to respond
as soon as difficulties emerge to prevent problems becoming entrenched.
This Strategy is the starting point for all strategic partners and wider stakeholders in
Birmingham, including the voluntary sector and schools, to consider how early help
1
Grasping the Nettle published by C4EO referencing Early identification, assessment of needs and intervention:
The Common Assessment Framework for children and young people, A guide for managers, CWDC, 2009
2
Allen, G (2011) Early Intervention: the Next Steps; Field, F (2010) The Foundation Years: preventing poor
children becoming poor adults; Munro, E (2011) The final report of the Munro review of child protection: a child
centred system; Tickell, C (2011) The early years: foundations for life, health and learning.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
delivered in partnership with children, young people and families can improve life chances,
particularly for vulnerable and disadvantaged families.
The aim is for partners to make a commitment to work differently and work better together.
This means adopting a whole-system approach to service design to ensure families receive
the right support at the right time.
The greatest benefit of delivering co-ordinated early help to children, young people and
their families is ensuring their life chances are maximised so that all children achieve their
full potential, especially those who are potential disadvantaged, without the need for costly
specialist services.
This Early Help Strategy sets out how Birmingham City Council and its partners will work
together to share information, plan, commission and deliver a range of provision to support
children, young people and their families at the earliest opportunity, improving outcomes
and reducing the need for higher cost interventions.
This strategy is for everyone who works with children and young people and their families in
Birmingham. It supports the right service right time framework and the think family
approach that partners are adopting across the city. This strategy is not about setting up
new structures or services but aims to develop a cohesive early help offer embedded within
a whole family approach that builds protective factors and family resilience, enables families
to help themselves preventing situations recurring. The aspiration therefore is to reduce
the demand for high cost, specialist support services.
Early help may occur at any point in a child or young person’s life and includes both
interventions early in life as well as interventions early in the development of a problem. We
seek to offer support early to help families solve problems or to reduce the impact of
problems that have already emerged. To do this we need to work together in an open way
with the child and their family to identify strengths and needs, to find practical and
achievable solutions, and to provide the right amount of information, advice and support.
The Early Intervention Foundation have developed an Early Help Maturity Matrix, and
following an initial self-assessment we found that early help in Birmingham was at a basic
level: Some families get support that helps them when they need it; There is a lot of demand
for late intervention services; Outcomes vary and some children are not doing as well as they
could be. It is our aim and the role of the strategy implementation to achieve a mature level
of early help in Birmingham, this would mean that: All children and their families from
groups that are a priority in a local area can access the support they need, when they need
it. Outcomes for children, particularly those in ‘target groups’ who might otherwise not have
done so well, are excellent and continuing to get better. The Early Intervention Foundations
Maturity Matrix can be found in Appendix 1
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
An effective Early Help Strategy requires full commitment to an integrated multi-agency
approach, consistent application of thresholds and alignment of agency resources. We
believe delivering early help in order to keep children, young people and families safe is not
a single agency responsibility and requires a whole family approach owned by all
stakeholders working with children, young people and families. This includes health, police,
probation, schools/ education, children’s social care, voluntary and community
organisations, the wider public and families themselves. It requires better information and
partnership between those services working with adults and those working with children
and easily accessible information, advice and guidance to help families make their own
informed choices.
The strategy supports the delivery of Birmingham City Council’s strategic outcomes for
children (as set out in the 2014 Business Plan):
 A good childhood, for the best start in life
 A great education to give the best chances for life
 The best care and health outcomes
Early help will link strongly with existing strategies, plans and commissioning intentions that
have a direct impact on children, young people and families. Including:
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The Health and Wellbeing Strategy
The Children’s Improvement Plan
The Education Improvement Plan
0-25 Mental Health Specification
Adult Substance Misuse Specification
Neglect Strategy
Joint Commissioning Strategy
Think Family Strategy
Clinical Commissioning Group local plans
The Youth Promise
Early Years Full Business Case
Supporting People Commissioning Plan
District Plans
Public Health Charter
Homelessness Strategy
Other specialist strategies relevant to our outcomes.
Individual agencies will be responsible for meeting their own performance management
arrangements which should incorporate targets for delivering the Early Help Strategy. This
strategy provides an outcomes framework and includes a set of principles to be applied
across partner agendas and mapped into individual agency performance management
frameworks, priorities and plans, which all partners would report on.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
THE VISION FOR EARLY HELP IN BIRMINGHAM
Early Help is everyone’s responsibility; our
ambition is for all agencies to work together to
help families in Birmingham at the earliest point,
and to help them help themselves in order to
improve outcomes, overall wellbeing and quality
of life for children and young people.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
WHAT IS EARLY HELP
Birmingham is adopting the definition agreed by all partners at the Birmingham
Safeguarding Children Board in 2014.
Early Help means taking action to support a child, young person or their family
early in the life of a problem, as soon as it emerges. It can be required at any stage
in a child’s life from pre-birth to adulthood, and applies to any problem or need that
the family cannot deal with or meet on their own. It also applies to all children and
young people, with any form of need.
Definition agreed by Birmingham Safeguarding Children’s Board
This requires that agencies work together as soon as a problem emerges or a need is
identified to ensure the child gets the right response, and the right services, from the right
people at the right time. Early help is provided to prevent or reduce the need for specialist
interventions unless they are absolutely the correct response to meet the need and resolve
the problem.
Early help refers to both the critical early years of a child’s life when the fundamental
building blocks of future development are laid, but also throughout a child’s life. Problems
may emerge at any point through childhood and adolescence and it is important to respond
as soon as difficulties emerge to prevent problems becoming entrenched.
This is underpinned by WORKING TOGETHER TO SAFEGUARD CHILDREN (2013) which states
that professionals should, in particular, be alert to the potential need for early help for a
child who:
•is disabled and has specific additional needs;
•has special educational needs;
•is a young carer;
•is showing signs of engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour
•is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as substance
abuse, adult mental health, domestic violence; and/or
•is showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect.
In Birmingham we want to continue to embed THE THINK FAMILY PRINCIPLES OF A ‘WHOLE
FAMILY’ APPROACH across all children and adult services. This approach recognises how
problems that adults and children experience can impact on the whole family and highlights
the contribution all agencies can make in ensuring services are provided to support better
outcomes. More details about our Think Family programme are outlined in the Model of
Delivery.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
THIS IS BIRMINGHAM
BIRMINGHAM IS A YOUNG CITY
45% of residents are under 30
(National average 37%)
and 27% are under 18, approximately
287,000 children and young people.
BIRMINGHAM IS A SUPERDIVERSE CITY around 42% of
residents come from a minority ethnic
group (National average 14%), with
about 50 languages spoken in the city.
31% OF BIRMINGHAM’S CHILDREN
LIVE IN POVERTY, there is considerable
deprivation in Birmingham; the most
deprived wards are predominantly in the
inner city areas.
6% OF 16-19
YEAR OLDS
IDENTIFY AS
BEING A YOUNG
CARER
39% OF CHILDREN AT
AGE 11 ARE OBESE
AND OVERWEIGHT,
higher than the national
average. 23% of children
are obese and
overweight at age 5.
87,000 CHILDREN UNDER 5,
nearly enough to fill a district.
78% of our under 5’s live in 40% of
the most deprived areas
33% YOUTH
RE-OFFENDING RATE
this is lower than the
national average of
35.3%
28% OF BIRMINGHAM RESIDENTS
HAVE NO QUALIFICATIONS
(National average 22.5%)
7.4% of families have an unemployed adult.
6% of young people are not in education,
employment or Training.
6% of the population claim JSA compared
with the national figure of 3.7%
7.7 CHILDREN PER 1000
ARE HOMELESS
12.4% of households
in Birmingham are
overcrowded.
(National average 2.3%)
59.8% OF 16 YEAR
OLDS ACHIEVED 5 A*C GRADES at Key stage
four. Close to the
national average of
60.6%
7000 CHILDREN HAVE
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL
NEEDS, higher than the
national average
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
WORKING IN A CLIMATE OF CHANGE
One of the key challenges for Birmingham City Council is that our Children’s Services are
currently undergoing a programme of change and the immediate emphasis is on improving
services that keep children in Birmingham safe. This means that in the foreseeable future
services for children provided by the Council are supporting those children already known to
agencies, through statutory social care assessments and children on the edge of care. The
Family Support Teams in addition to providing some support to families with Additional
needs in complex situations will provide support and evidenced based interventions in
relation to complex and specialist work that supports the safeguarding teams and has an
outcome focus on:
•Children on the edge of care
•Children subject to statutory plans
•Step down from children in need where more than universal plus needs present
and more complex support is still required
•Step up from TAF panels offering early help to address universal plus and additional
needs, to where complex family support is required
•Think Family system interventions
This means that our early help partnerships with Health, Education and Children’s Centres
as well as others, are key to helping children, young people and families as problems arise
and are crucial to the success of early help in Birmingham. This strategy is the start of the
journey and it is intended that the strategy will develop and strengthen over time. As the
Report of the Birmingham Commission for Children stated:
Leadership must be shared – with all the leaders of the city who want to contribute
to improving the outcomes of the city’s children and young people. Everyone who
pledges their support for this vision must be allowed and encouraged to share in
leading the task of making it a reality. This will mean a renewed leadership role for
the council – one that utilises its unique democratic mandate to facilitate and
convene the resources of the city, districts and neighbourhoods, while allowing
others to take emerging leadership roles.
City Council staff will need to work differently – challenging the values that they have
held over many decades that the council will solve problems and deliver services to
the city’s children and young people. The future role will be in facilitating and
harnessing other people’s resources, as well as providing specialist and expert help
when necessary.
It takes a city to raise a child: Report of the Birmingham Commission for Children.
Supported by The Children’s Society
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
PRINCIPLES
Our early help approach is based on a set of principles:
1. EARLY HELP IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY. The role of all services working
with children, young people and families is to ensure their life chances are
maximised especially those who are potentially disadvantaged.
2. WHEREVER POSSIBLE ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES’ NEEDS WILL BE MET
BY UNIVERSAL SERVICES. Universal services have a role to act early and
appropriately preventing escalation to complex and specialist services staying
involved even if additional support is needed.
3. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ARE RECOGNISED AS KEY PARTNERS. The
voluntary engagement of the family and the child, and listening to their views is
central to defining and shaping the solutions to the problems they face. All services
will use a strength based approach to build resilience, independence and removing
reliance on support services with a strong family focus to work ‘with’ and not ‘to’ in
order to build community and family capacity to help themselves.
4. ENSURING THAT THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IS THE
MAIN PRIORITY. Services will safeguard and promote the health and wellbeing of
children and young people and operate within the right service, right time
framework.
5. ALL SERVICES THAT WORK WITH CHILDREN AND ADULTS MUST WORK
TOGETHER TO DELIVER EARLY HELP. This will include effective information
sharing between professionals and recognising how problems that adults experience
can impact on the whole family.
6. EARLY HELP RESOURCES WILL BE DEPLOYED BASED ON AN
UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE AND
FAMILIES. Services will be commissioned and delivered to maximise our multi
agency resources using evidence based approaches with strong performance
management of positive impact and best value.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
THE NEEDS OF BIRMINGHAM
Our needs analysis sets out key outcomes and risk factors that underpin the development of
this strategy. It attempts to measure outcomes for children and young people and enables
comparisons to be made at city and ward level to identify poor performance against
outcome measures. The use of “contributing factors” helps to improve understanding of
the reasons for poor or good performance against outcome measures. For the City, each
data set, where possible, is compared against national figures and for each ward,
Birmingham averages are applied. The following criteria are used in either case:
The information below begins to highlight emerging themes and issues where activity is
required to improve outcomes.
RISK FACTORS TO A GOOD CHILDHOOD
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT: The claimant proportion is almost double the national average,
6% compared to 3.9%. Second highest unadjusted youth employment rate amongst the
Core Cities.
 Scale: 7,935 young people unemployed and 1,530 (19.3%) unemployed for more than 1
year.
 Areas with the highest youth unemployment: Bartley Green, Kingstanding, Stockland
Green, Sparkbrook, Bordesley Green, Hodge Hill, Shard End, Washwood Health, Aston,
Soho, Kings Norton, Longbridge, Weoley, Lozells and East Handsworth, Brandwood.
YOUNG OFFENDERS: Young offenders with complex needs are increasing. Fewer young
offenders gaining employment, education at end of order.
 Scale: 315 female offenders and 1,447 male offenders.
 Areas with the most young offenders: Aston, Ladywood, Nechells
CHILD PROTECTION: In 2012/13 a low rate of core assessments were undertaken, 155.5 in
Birmingham compared to 204.2 in England.
 Scale: 2,854 children with Child Protection Plan or looked after and 6,131 children
identified as being in need.
 Areas with the highest number of children assessed or being assessed: Bartley Green,
Kingstanding, Stockland Green, Hodge Hill, Shard End, Aston, Nechells, Kings Norton,
Longbridge, Northfield, Weoley, Lozells and East Handsworth, Billesley, Acocks Green,
South Yardley, Stechford and Yardley North
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
OVERCROWDING: Levels are above national average and concentrated in certain areas.
 Scale: 36,446 households overcrowded in city.
 Areas with the highest levels of overcrowding: Sparkbrook, Springfield, Bordesley Green,
Aston, Nechells, Soho, Handsworth Wood, Lozells & East Handsworth
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: Recognised risk factor that impacts on outcomes for children. More
prevalent in younger age groups and pregnancy and birth is often a trigger. Scale: 2,324
arrests and 9,375 children assessed following report of DV to police. For 2012/13 estimated
between 10,000 and 11,000.
 Areas with highest levels of domestic violence: Bartley Green, Kingstanding, Stockland
Green, Sparkbrook, Bordesley Green, Shard End, Washwood Heath, Aston, Ladywood,
Nechells, Soho, Kings Norton, Lozells & East Handsworth,, Billesley, Acocks Green, South
Yardley, Stechford & Yardley North
HOMELESSNESS: High rate in city. Need to understand more about the impact on children.
Scale: 7,344 children affected in 2013/14.
 Areas with highest levels of family homelessness: Stockland Green, Sparkbrook,
Springfield, Bordesley Green, Aston, Nechells, Soho, Handsworth Wood, Lozells & East
Handsworth, Acocks Green, South Yardley
YOUNG CARERS: High level than national average. Scale: Circa 3,800 young people with
caring responsibilities. This figure is self-reported in the census and therefore is likely to be
underestimated.
 Areas with highest numbers of young carers: Stockland Green, Handsworth Wood
There are additional key contributing factors which have a major impact on achieving a
good childhood; currently there is not consistent data on parents within these areas:
PARENTAL SUBSTANCE MISUSE: Alcohol dependency rates are higher than drugs; 27 per
1,000 for couples with children and 38 per 1,000 for lone parents compared with 9 per
1,000 and 24 per 1,000.
PARENTAL MENTAL HEALTH: Children with a lone parent are more vulnerable with lack of
another adult to take on parenting responsibility.
PARENTAL LEARNING DISABILITY: Children are more vulnerable and at risk of neglect or
emotional abuse. Unintentionally they may experience inadequate levels of child care and
at risk of mothers forming relationships with unsuitable partners. There is a lack of
supportive resources for parents with a learning disability and key risk factors for child
protection.
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
RISK FACTORS TO A GREAT EDUCATION
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT: Lower than national average attainment at Foundation Stage
and Primary School. Although below national average for Secondary School the gap is
reduced. Performance is worse for males.
 Scale: Foundation stage = 4,668 males and 3,235 females and primary school = 2,072
males and 1,512 females.
 Areas with lower attainment at the end of Foundation Stage: Tyburn, Shard End, Lozells
& East Handsworth
 Areas with lower attainment at Key Stage 2: Tyburn, Hodge Hill, Shard End, Washwood
Heath, Aston, Nechells, Soho, Kings Norton, Lozells & East Handsworth, Perry Barr, Selly
Oak, South Yardley
PERSISTENT ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL: School attendance is worse than national average
up to year 6. This could be linked with dip in achievement between Key Stage 1 and Key
Stage 2.
 Scale: 3,650 children.
EXCLUSIONS FROM SCHOOL: Young males are more likely to be excluded from school with
links to poorer educational performance compared to females, youth offending and take up
of CAMHS. Scale: 31 females and 201 males.
 Areas with higher rate of exclusions: Bartley Green (5-9yrs), Harborne (10-15yrs),
Quinton (5-9), Erdington (5-9), Kingstanding (5-9, 10-15), Stockland Green (10-15),
Tyburn (5-9), Shard End (5-9, 10-15), Aston (5-9), Nechells (10-15, 16-17), Kings Norton
(5-9), Longbridge (5-9), Northfield (5-9), Lozells & East Handsworth (5-9), Oscott (10-15),
Bournville (10-15), Acocks Green (10-15), Sheldon (16-17)
EARLY EDUCATION ENTITLEMENT FOR 2-YEAR OLDS: Take up is low compared to
Department of Education targets, this is a target entitlement and typically in areas where
there is the most need take up is only just over 50%.
 Scale: 5,157 children eligible and 2,926 take up. (DfE target 4,657).
RISK FACTORS TO THE BEST HEALTH OUTCOMES
OBESE AND OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN: More children are overweight compared to the
national average and increases as children become older – 23% for 4 to 5 year olds and 39%
for 10 to 11.
 Scale: 3,303 children at Foundation stage and 4,593 at primary school.
 Areas with highest weights at age 5: Kingstanding, Ladywood
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
TEENAGE CONCEPTION: Although rates are decreasing remains considerably higher than
national average.
 Scale: 2,248 conceptions.
 The variances between areas are too small to be significant
SUBSTANCE MISUSE: The peak age at treatment centres is 18. 500 young people accessing
treatment centres have complex needs. 1,500 young people require short term alcohol
related interventions. 49% of young people referrals to a treatment centre are from the
Youth Offending Service.
 Scale: 961 substance misuse related admissions to hospital, 1,500 young people require
short term alcohol related interventions and 500 young people accessing a treatment
centre have complex needs.
 Area with highest hospital admissions for substance misuse: Bartley Green, Harborne,
Kingstanding, Tyburn, Sparkbrook, Aston, Soho, Kings Norton, Longbridge, Northfield,
Weoley, Billesley, Acocks Green
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
EARLY HELP OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK
In order to measure the effectiveness of the Early Help strategy, a multi-agency outcomes
framework will need to be developed to capture the performance indicators which measure
outcomes for children, young people and their families.
The following outcomes are suggested for the Framework:
A GOOD CHILDHOOD, FOR THE BEST START IN LIFE
Parents have the confidence to raise their children to have a good childhood and reach their
potential.
• A reduction in unmet need
• A reduction in the numbers of Children at risk of entering or re-entering care
• Reduction in young victims of crime including sexual exploitation
• Reduction in Youth Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour
• A reduction in re-referrals into specialist services
• An increase in the percentage of adults in employment (family)
• Reduced family homelessness
• Reduction in preventable injury
• Reduced incidence of domestic abuse (taking into account increased reporting)
Example measures:
 Number of children coming into care
• Hospital admissions of children aged (0-4 and 5-17)
• Number of families affected by homelessness
 Appropriate levels of Children in Need and Child Protection Plans
 Reduction in re-referrals to specialist services
 Appropriate levels of registered FCAFs and attendance at Team Around the Family
Panels
• Number of children affected by domestic abuse
• Number of first time entrants to the youth justice system, re-offending and custody
rates
 Number of children and young people victims of crime including sexual exploitation
 Adults in education, training and employment
 Number of young people at risk of violent extremism
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
A GREAT EDUCATION TO GIVE THE BEST CHANCE IN LIFE
All children are eager to learn and confident in achieving their potential
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•
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More children attend early education at age 3 and where eligible at age 2
More children achieve a good level of development at the end of the foundation stage
More children have regular attendance at school
All young people are engaged in education training and employment
Example measures
• Number of children attending early education
• Foundation stage profile
• Key stage 4 profile
• Attendance and persistence absence
• Number fixed term and permanent exclusions rate
• NEET rate
• Attainment of vulnerable groups at all key stages
THE BEST HEALTH OUTCOMES
All children achieve good health
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More children and young people maintain a healthy weight
Improved emotional health and well being
Reduced levels of substance misuse
Improved sexual health
Fewer teenage pregnancies
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Example measures
Overweight and Obesity rates at reception and year-6
Number of children receiving support from CAMHS
Number of children and young people receiving substance misuse services
Number of Under 18 conceptions
Hospital admissions?
Diagnoses of Chlamydia in age group
Breastfeeding initiation
Reduction in infant and child deaths
Pre and post screening of Parents receiving help for substance misuse
Pre and post screening of Parents receiving help for mental health and accessing
emotional wellbeing services
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS OF EARLY HELP PROCEDURES
During the implementation of the Early Help Strategy, a framework for measuring the
effectiveness of early help will need to be developed.
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Example measures
Number An increase in social capacity and community capacity
Number of evidence based interventions
Increase in family attendance and agencies attendance at individual TAF
meetings and Panels
Uptake of multi-agency workforce development opportunities
EQUALITY :
We need to ensure that the following groups are achieving more positive outcomes.
Children and young people who:
•are disabled and have specific additional needs;
•have special educational needs;
•are young carers;
•are looked after or is leaving care;
•are teenage parents;
•are young offenders or showing signs of engaging in anti-social or criminal
behaviour
• have a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as substance
abuse, adult mental health, domestic violence; and/or
•are showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect.
•have a parent with complex issues;
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DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
MODEL OF DELIVERY
Our strategy is aspiring to provide an easy to access offer of support that meets a variety of
need at different levels and that is delivered locally on a district-basis and that promotes
self-help.
Early help is part of a seamless response to the needs of children, young people and families
in Birmingham. It recognises that the majority of families will have their needs met by
universal services, but some families, at some point in their lives, might require more
support than universal services routinely offer. From time to time individual family members
might experience significant difficulties requiring specialist services. Support will be
provided from a menu of universal through to specialist services.
Research into what works in early help and feedback from stakeholders and wider partners
indicates that the important features of an effective early help offer include a multidisciplinary approach that deploys a range of professional skills and expertise. Having a
relationship with a trusted worker who can engage the child and their family, and coordinate the support needed from other agencies is also crucial. Professional practice must
empower families and help them to develop the capacity to resolve their own problems.
This should be combined with a holistic approach that addresses children’s needs in the
wider family context, and simple streamlined referral and assessment processes. Services
that are easy to access are essential, with no wrong door, but an ability to communicate,
empower and help families to identify what help they need and where this will come from,
regardless of the immediate professional expertise available. Effective early help requires all
professionals to act early, appropriately and assertively supported by a clear pathway to the
services and interventions available.
What this means in practice is:

EASY TO USE SELF-HELP OPTIONS
To enable families to help themselves, a clear and concise menu of information,
advice and guidance is needed. There are many online websites, telephone helplines
and drop-in advice centres that families can access. Our aim is to link these together
so that this information can be accessed from one place.

CLEAR AND EFFECTIVE PATHWAYS FOR ASSESSING NEED
The delivery of early help services for children & families will be based around the 4
agreed levels of need that may be experienced by children, young people and
families (see section right service right time)
It is our ambition to have an early help assessment and early help tools which the
Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board’s Early Help Sub-group are leading. They
19
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
are also building a suite of early help tools which will help agencies measure the
distance a family has travelled. All assessments which are undertaken need to take
into account the whole family and the Family Common Assessment Framework will
be the basis to move forward.
The work to implement Team Around the Family Panels (TAF Panels) will build upon
the best practice currently in place, to deliver a consistent approach to early help
across the city. The TAF Panel is a multi-agency group which meet weekly at a
locality level. The overall aim is to ensure effective early help is provided to families
and to reduce the need for specialist or crisis intervention services. It is our
ambition that the TAF Panels will be able to make referrals into a range of complex
and Specialist services.
 Give advice and support for early help services in Birmingham in Universal Plus
needs level and Additional needs level (following Right Service Right Time
guidelines)
 Access cases and ensure that the appropriate agency is co-ordinating the support
needed and Advise on change in Lead Practitioner (for example if Housing
identify early help is required but it may be appropriate for the Health Visitor to
become the lead practitioner)
 Advise and help to unblock difficult situations within the multi-agency
environment
 Make referrals into a range of Complex and Specialist Services for further
assessment
The Early Help Brokerage and Support Service (EHBSS) will offer support and advice
to all organisations completing a Family Common Assessment (FCAF) or CAF. They
will advise organisation when to present a case at the TAF Panel.
Early Help Assessment, the Early Help sub-group of Birmingham Safeguarding
Children Board are working on a whole family Early Help Assessment and distance
travelled tools.
The Think Family Programme, funded by the Troubled Families Unit (DCLG), will
continue to focus on families with multiple high cost problems but extend its reach
to look at earlier intervention and prevent families’ problems from escalating. This
extended programme will commence in April 2015 and families will be eligible if they
meet two of the following criteria:
• Parents and children involved in crime and anti-social behaviour
• Children who have not been attending school regularly
• Children who need help
20
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
•
•
•
Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion and young people at risk of
worklessness
Families affected by domestic abuse
Parents and children with a range of health problems

SPEEDY AND EFFECTIVE PROCESSES FOR SHARING INFORMATION BETWEEN
AGENCIES
To enable early help to be more effective it is our ambition to refine the following
areas:
o Clear information sharing arrangements
o Joined up IT systems
o Common use of assessments agreed at BSCB
o Availability of effective Information, advice and guidance

HIGH QUALITY, FLEXIBLE AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES FOCUSSED ON EARLY
INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION
To provide an excellent level of early help that will fulfil our vision will need:
o A good understanding of all services offer including Health, city council,
Schools and PVI sector, joining up these resources under a lead professional
o Services which can provide quality evidence to the effectiveness of early help
o An excellent understanding of early help good practice including evidence
based interventions.
o Best use of resources available which will respond flexibly, this includes
targeted funding i.e. pupil premium

EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP WORKING
There is a need for a strong flexible and adaptive partnership and leadership which
will drive early help understanding, practice quality and continuous improvement. A
whole range of partners are needed to ensure that a ‘whole family’ approach is
adopted across all services for children and adults.
It is essential to secure accountability within and between services as a key driver,
ensuring that respectful behaviours, attitudes and relationships between
professionals are modelled at all times.

FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY AND BEST USE OF ALL EARLY HELP RESOURCES
There are a number of key public funding streams that feed into the early help field.
Birmingham City Council’s social care funding is largely targeted at Additional and
Complex & Specialist need levels, this funding will continue to be directed towards
these higher levels of need. The council also support some children’s services within
universal plus needs level, for example Children’s Centres, parenting support and
services to support children with special education needs and disabilities. The
21
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
council’s Public Health funding is used to commission a range of services, many of
which meet universal and universal plus needs.
Other areas of the council also have a part to play in early help and fund services
across a range of needs levels, this Youth Services, Housing and local services
including leisure centres.
Schools play a major part in the provision of services at a universal and universal plus
needs level particularly recognising the use of the pupil premium to support
disadvantaged pupils to raise attainment.
Funding for services within the Universal and Universal Plus needs level, come a wide
range of sources, including Health, the Third Sector and fee-paying income. The
Early Help Strategy must ensure that all funding is being used to best meet the
combined needs of the children, young people and families of Birmingham, pooling
resources where necessary and avoiding duplication.
•
A COMMISSIONING FRAMEWORK FOR EARLY HELP
The challenging financial climate demands a broader commissioning framework
across partner agencies to direct the commissioning intentions for early help and
whole family approaches and maximise effectiveness, impact and value of all
available resources.
Our service mapping shows that there is an extensive range of provision in the City
delivered by Birmingham City Council and our partners including Third Sector
organisations, schools, health, children’s and adult services. There is likely to be
some duplication, some gaps in provision but also great scope for using our
combined resources more effectively. We recognise that while there is some good
practice and evidence of co-ordination and integration, that this is variable across
the City and results in patchy and inequitable provision. Therefore there is a risk that
some families do not receive the right help at the right time. Our aim is to consider
how to align commissioning intentions and plans across adults and children’s
services, at pan-Birmingham and district level so that we Influence and advocate for
children and young people’s outcomes, prioritising the commissioning and
contracting of:
 mental health, substance misuse and Learning disabilities
 schools and further education
 housing related support
 domestic abuse
 community safety
 all partners provision for parenting and family support
Alongside this there is a need to marshal resources beyond established institutional,
professional and budgetary confines, including closer working with DWP to ensure
the most vulnerable families access the support and services available to them and
are supported into training and employment.
22
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
We also seek to work in partnership with Third sector organisations and businesses
to release the social capital within our communities and increase the role of
volunteers and peer support.

A SKILLED AND COMPETENT WORKFORCE
To ensure quality and effective early help, a programme of multi-agency
opportunities will build upon the good practice that is already available, this will
include:
o Workforce demonstrates commitment to professional learning and evidence
based practice
o Commitment to Partnership working
o Frontline work is needs led and based on high quality data analysis and
scrutiny of local evidence
o Culture of working together
o Culture of working ‘with families’
o Sharing information and resources
o Workforce development opportunities are integrated where appropriate to
further develop multi agency understanding and knowledge.
o Multi- agency training and development opportunities – Example Level 4 TF

EFFECTIVE ANALYSIS OF IMPACT AND PARTNERSHIP ENGAGEMENT
As outlined in the early help framework, there needs to be robust evidence of early
help effectiveness both on a good practice case development and also panBirmingham outcomes improving. Work in this area will include:
o Developing and implementing an effective performance management and
quality assurance framework that assesses impact
o User engagement tools to collect feedback from children and families and
review and redesign services
o Defining governance accountability and partnership model that supports
community engagement (families, community groups, third sector
organisations)
o Transformation of business processes and culture leads to effective delivery
of early help.
23
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
RIGHT SERVICES RIGHT TIME
Children and families are supported most effectively and efficiently when services and
information sharing are planned and delivered in a coordinated way. The vision across
Birmingham is to deliver the right service to the right child supported by flexible and
responsive professionals. Our early help pathway will deliver Birmingham’s right services
right time model agreed by BSCB and our wider partners:
•Level 1: Universal Needs – Children, Young People and Families are generally
progressing well and achieving expected outcomes. Their core needs are being met
effectively by universal services without any additional support. Professionals will
work with families, to make sure all general needs are being met.
•Level 2: Universal Plus Needs – Children, Young People and Families are
experiencing emerging problems which result in them not achieving expected
outcomes. They are likely to require early help/intervention for a time limited period
to prevent their needs escalating and seek to help them move back to Level 1. This
support is best provided or co-ordinated within a universal setting by those
professionals already working with them.
•Level 3: Additional Needs – Children, Young People and Families who are
experiencing significant additional needs which may be numerous or more
serious/complex in nature. This is having a significant impact on their achievement of
expected outcomes and is likely to require more targeted support, potentially from a
number of agencies. This may require the identification of the lead professional to
co-ordinate the range of responses across all relevant agencies to support the child
and family.
•Level 4: Complex / Specialist Needs – Children, Young People and Families who are
experiencing very serious or complex needs, where the child is suffering or at risk of
suffering significant harm or impairment and this is having a major impact on their
achievement of expected out4comes. Their needs will be such that they require
intensive support from one or more specialist services.
The following table gives further information on the outcomes, the needs and the services
that typically might be represented at each of the right service right time levels.
24
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
Levels
Needs
Services that contribute to the
outcome
All children and families have core
 Education provision including
needs such as parenting, health and
schools
Outcome: Children are
education - All children have a right to  Health Services; GPs, School
supported by their family
and in open access universal a range of services – professionals will Nursing, Midwives and Health
Visitors
services to meet all of their assess families to make sure their
general needs are met.
needs and achieve positive
 Early Years Services i.e. childcare,
outcomes.
early education, stay and play
activities
 Police and emergency services
 Youth and Leisure Services
 Careers advice and Job Centre Plus
 Information advice and guidance
i.e. online directories, helplines,
self-service
Level 1 - Universal
Level 2 - Universal Plus
Outcome: Children are
supported by their family
and offered additional
support in appropriate
universally accessible
services to meet all of their
needs and achieve positive
outcomes.
Children and families who would
Universal Services provide access
benefit from or who require extra
to:
help to improve core needs such as
 Children’s Centres
education, parenting, health,
 Advice agencies (Citizens Advice /
behaviour and emotional wellbeing Welfare / Benefits / Housing)
requiring a response from within a
 Targeted Health Support (Health
universal setting and/or signposting to Visitors / School Nurses / Speech
other support means.
& Language / Family Nurse
Partnership)
 Low-level / time-limited support
(Parenting / family support /
counselling)
 Education targeted support
(educational / attendance / PSE)
 Birmingham Careers Service
(Young People)
25
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
Levels
Needs
Services that contribute to the
outcome
Level 3 - Additional Needs
Vulnerable children and their families
with multiple additional needs or
Outcome: Children and
whose needs are more complex such
families are offered
as children and families who have a
additional support that will disability resulting in complex needs,
help them make significant where there is low parental
change and improvement in capability/ capacity, poor engagement
their lives, enabling them to with key services such as school or
move into universal services health, challenging behaviour, mental
and meet all of their needs
health, substance misuse and
and achieve positive
domestic abuse This requires a more
outcomes.
coordinated and complex response
which brings agencies to support the
child and family.
Working together with Services
above:
 Emotional and mental health
support
 Family Support (Intensive and
Think Family)
 Child Development Centres
 Tier 2 Mental Health Services
(Children and Adult provision)
 Substance Misuse services
(Children and Adult provision)
 Supported accommodation
 Targeted support for Disabled
Young People i.e. Short break
services
Level 4 - Complex /
significant needs
Working together with Services
above:
 Children’s Social Care / Child
Protection / Care Proceedings /
Fostering and Adoption and
Residential Care
 Laces
 In-patient and continuing health
care / Health care for children with
life limiting illness / Tier 3 & 4
CAMHS
 Youth Offending Service
 Probation
 Specialist support services for
Disabled YP including Education,
Health and Care Plans and Looked
after YP
 MASH
Children and young people who have
suffered or are likely to suffer
significant harm as a result of abuse or
Outcome: Children and
neglect. Families reach the highest
families receive a range of
levels of need due to significant
specialist and/or statutory
mental or physical health needs or
interventions/ support that involvement in crime/substance
keeps them safe and allows misuse at a significant level. Children
them to make significant
whose parents and wider family are
change and improvement to unable to care for them. These needs
their lives, enabling them to may emerge after a series of, or
step-down into additional
despite, targeted interventions or be
needs services.
sudden and/or so serious as to require
immediate request for specialist and
statutory services.
26
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
PATHWAYS TO EARLY HELP
AT ANY POINT
SEE
An individual working with a child, young person or family recognises early on that there is an emerging
need, concern or there are risk factors to the child or young person achieving good outcomes.
CONSIDER: If this is a safeguarding concern, then this must be raised with the MASH (Multi-agency
safeguarding Hub) and the procedure for that service followed.
PLEASE NOTE: If at any point a specialist assessment is required then you may need to refer directly to
that service, the Early Help and Brokerage Service may offer advice and support and the TAF Panel may be
able to make some referrals for specialist assessments or TAF Panel members will be able to advise.
Specialist Assessments might include:Safeguarding – Children’s Social Care / Education, Care & Health Assessment – Specialist Health
Assessments – Specialist Health Treatment – Probation – Police – Educational Psychologist, Child
Development Centres etc.
UNIVERSAL NEEDS
PLAN
Once an emerging need or concern has been identified then the universal service involved with the child,
young person or family will be able to offer information, advice and guidance to that family to address that
need.
DO
Most families will be able to help themselves, especially when guided to the relevant information and
guidance; occasionally the service may need to facilitate how this happens.
REVIEW
A formal review would not happen but if the family need more support or the need is not meet by the
family acting upon the information, advice and guidance then the Universal Plus level should be used.
27
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
UNIVERSAL PLUS NEEDS
SEE
If the need is greater than action that can be taken at a Universal level or this has already been tried and
there is still a need
PLAN
1 If your organisation can meet this need of this child or family from within your own resources (single
agency response) work with the family to bring together a simple assessment of the need and to write a
support plan.
2 If a multi-agency approach is required to meet this need (multi-agency response) and your organisation
can lead this, bring together the relevant agencies and the family to make an assessment of the needs and
to write a support plan.
3 If a multi-agency approach is required to meet this need (multi-agency response) but your organisation is
not appropriate organisation to lead this, take advice from the Early Help Brokerage Service who will
support you to take this to the Team Around the Family Panel (TAF Panel).
If you need any support to complete your assessment, plan or to bring partners together, take advice from
the Early Help Brokerage Service. At any point during your assessment and planning stage, you can refer a
case to the TAF Panel
1 if there are blockages in your plan
2 the level or needs are greater than expected
3 guidance is needed on additional assessments to support the family
DO
Ensure that the planned support is being delivered, either directly by your own organisation or with the
other identified partners
REVIEW
Ensure that the support plan is regularly monitored with any partners and the family, once the desired
outcome has been achieved then the plan can be ended. If the outcome is not achieved, having tried a
range of options, or if the concern or needs increase then escalate this to the TAF Panel for support. It is
important that the Universal Agency continues to be involved with this child, young person and family.
28
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
SEE
If the needs are greater than the response available at Universal Plus level, or a more specialist assessment
is needed to understand the needs of the child, young people or family use the Additional pathway. Some
agencies will be able to refer directly into services offering additional needs level services; others will use
the TAF Panel as a gateway in.
PLAN
If an additional assessment is needed, this will be carried out and the Early Help and Brokerage Service
with support and advice the agency carrying out the assessment. After this assessment if early help
support is required your organisation may be the appropriate agency to lead this support at a universal
plus level.
If a child, young person or family meet the criteria for family support from the Family Support and
Safeguarding Hubs or the Think Family criteria, then an appropriate agency will be allocated to the family,
who will build upon any assessments and plan already undertaken.
DO
The agency leading the support plan will ensure that the planned support is being delivered.
REVIEW
The agency leading the support plan will ensure that the support plan is regularly monitored with any
partners and the family, once the desired outcome has been achieved then the plan can be ended. If the
outcome is not achieved, having tried a range of options, or if the concern or needs increase then escalate
this to the appropriate Complex/Specialist agency or use the TAF Panel if required. It is important that the
Universal Agency continues to be involved with this child, young person and family.
COMPLEX/SPECIALIST NEEDS
SEE
Complex/Specialist agencies will receive referrals from a number of sources and will use their own criteria
prioritise cases
PLAN
Any specialist assessments will be undertaken by the appropriate agency using a multi-agency approach
when needed
DO
Any appropriate action will be undertaken by the agency; sometimes this may involve other agencies to
deliver certain aspects of support. It is important that the Universal Agency continues to be involved with
this child, young person and family.
REVIEW
Once the desired outcome has been achieved, a step-down from complex/specialist may be required.
Where step-down is to early help and for Children’s Social Care then this will take place through the Early
Help Brokerage Service or the TAF Panel. Other complex/specialist services may have other step-down
routes not within early help, the TAF Panel members will advise on these.
29
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
Early Help Pathway
Universal
Universal
See
I identify a
concern, an
incident, a pattern
or an Indicator of
risk
Plan
Review
The needs are met or I
need to be escalate
this families needs?
YES
needs
met
End of early
help process
No – Needs escalated
Step-up to Universal Plus Needs
Is this a
safeguarding
concern?
YES
We gather and record
information as an
assessment of need and
make a plan
We directly provide
support and monitor
the plan, if one is in
place.
NO
YES
Use safeguarding
procedure
The needs can be
met by a multi-agency
coordinated approach
YES
My organisation brings together
a multi-agency team and
complete an integrated support
plan .
NO
Some situations will
need a specialist assessment
to understand the level of
support that will be required to
access universal and
universal plus services
Early Help Brokerage &
Support Service provide
advice and support via hub
Advice &
Support
Additional
Needs
identified
Complex / Significant
needs identified
Specialist Assessment
required to contribute
to ISP
Refer to MASH
process
Specialist Assessment
required to contribute
to ISP
My organisation directly
provides support and if we are
the Lead agency we monitor
the the Plan
YES
We review the Plan –
We monitor and track
progress with the
family and all those
who are part of the
plan
Outcome
Achieved?
NO
My organisation escalates
the families needs to the
TAF Panel for
consideration to step-up
Refer to TAF Panel
My organisation is
For help to resolve
identified as the lead agency
Local issues
or escalation
Team Around
Family PANEL
Advice &
Support
AdditionalNeeds
Needs
Additional
UniversalPlus
Plus
Universal
I will take action and
provide Information Advice
and Guidance to the child or
family
I will provide IAG and action to meet
the need. My organisation will
facilitate how this happens
The needs can be met
by a coordinated
approach by my
organisation
Complex
Complex
Significant
Significant
Needs
Needs
Do
YES
Appropriate Lead agency
identified by TAF, TAF
build on ISP – Plan
delivered using agencies
identified
Review the Plan Monitor and track
progress with family
and those who are
part of the plan
Outcome
Achieved?
NO
Team around the family
to escalate needs
to the appropriate agency.
Use TAF panel if required
Specialist Assessment
required to contribute
to complex process
Step-up to specialist
assessment?
30
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
DRAFT EARLY HELP IMPLEMENTATION OUTCOMES AND ACTION PLAN
Outcome / objectives
Clear strategic planning for multi-agency
working - having all partners signed up to
the EH multi-agency strategy with
accountability and commitment to deliver
on the action plan
Action
Timescale
Early Help Strategy signed off and agreed with Key By April 2015
strategic Partners
Lead
BCC
BSCB and Think
Family Board to
support
Governance for effective early help established with
strong corporate and political support?
Clearly agreed and effective thresholds
pathways, signposting and language with
partners to produce multi-agency approach
Embedding Right Services Right Time
Supporting children’s safeguarding board to
promote Right Service, Right Time and common
language
Agree the early help pathway within the strategy
All partners to support BSCB to develop
assessment tools for all levels across the RSRT
model.
Develop Early Help Information, Advice and
Guidance ‘Service Directory’ for professional and
early help workforce to aid signposting and joined
2014/15 –
BSCB
Refresh
2015/16 – relaunch
2016/17 - embed
2014/15
All Partners
2014/15
BCC, BSCB,
Think Family
Board
2014/15 – define BSCB
2015/16 –
supported by
develop
BCC
2016/1 –review?
2014/15 – plan
BCC
2015/16 –
develop
31
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
up working (MCIB)
An Early Help multi-agency workforce with
appropriate knowledge, skills and
awareness that builds capacity and
confidence
Communities and families have access to
information and advice to build knowledge
and capacity and are engaged to shape
future support
Tools – risk assessment and assessment tools
designed agreed and implemented by all early
help partners
2015/16
BSCB
supported by
BCC
System and process for identification and referrals 2015/16
designed understood and embedded
BCC
Early help workforce training and awareness
raising designed, delivered and impact assessed
2016/17
Develop excellent Early Help Information Advice
and Guidance for Self Help online - MCIB
2014/15 – Plan
2015/16 Develop
2015/16 – Plan
2016/17 Develop
BSCB
supported by
BCC and all
partners
BCC
Design excellent Information, Advice and
Guidance over the phone or face to face which
provides additional guidance required
BCC
Focus on effective evidence based short
interventions building long term solutions with
the child and family which stops reputation and
dependence
2015/16
BCC and
commissioners/
partners
Child and Family feedback is actively sought to
understand accessibly of Information, Advice and
Guidance and assessment of support, including
how local needs are being addressed by local
2015/16 – Plan
and engage
2016/17 –
feedback fed
BCC and
commissioners/
partners
32
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
resources.
A Commissioning Approach which effectively
addresses and delivers early help support for
those children and families whose needs
would be positively met by this approach.
Effective performance monitoring,
management and quality assurance (BCC or
all partners?) to help maximise resources by
understanding the most positive impact
a. Using Needs Analysis to inform
priorities
b. Improving information sharing
Commissioning response at a district level which
can evidence response to local needs and based
on a thorough understanding of both the
population and the needs of children, young
people and their families
A Commissioning approach by all partners to sign
up to encourages providers to deliver early help
by including in measurable outcomes in
intentions, specifications, plans and frameworks
We will establish joint commissioning
arrangements to ensure effective and efficient
commissioning of services and to maximise
resources for all partners
Undertaking regular local needs analysis which
underpins the local commissioning of services and
monitors effectiveness of early help
An IT system designed and implemented to
improve case management and information
sharing across all professionals involved in a
holistic approach.
Using the needs analysis to inform priority areas,
develop and implement an Early Help
Performance Framework to measure and
evidence impact and plan future investment including targeting and maximising resources for
the most impact for the right children and in the
right areas.
into
improvements
2015/16
BCC
2015/16
BCC
2015/16
BCC and
commissioners
/ partners
2014/15 ongoing BCC and key
partners
2015/16
BCC
2015/16
BCC and key
partners
33
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
We have a multi-agency approach to early
help with co-location at a local level to
improve identification and targeting of
resource
Gather data known at current point and run
Baseline
2015/16
BCC
Monitor and review at regular intervals – 6
months/annual?
2016/17
onwards
BCC
Agreed citywide approach to Family support
2015/16
across multi-agency roles with strong
performance management to show positive
impact at universal plus and additional needs
levels
This early help strategy assumes that early help
will be delivered to children, young people and
families with universal and universal plus level
needs and that family support from the Hubs will
offer support to families on the edge of care with
additional or complex / specialist needs.
Early Help ensures best use of targeted Early Early Years Review completed which recommends 2014/2015
Years Services.
a future model for Early Years
– Full business case due March 2015
Early Help aligns with the Think Family
Priority families have effective early intervention
approach and supports the mainstreaming
through the ‘Think Families’ programme
of the approach
There is a clear, understood interface with other
services
Think Family approach to family support is
adopted more widely across family support in
BCC
BCC
34
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
Birmingham
Problems faced by one person in a family can
affect all the other family members in different
ways. Think Family helps to overcome these by
providing services that meet the needs of your
whole family, rather than supporting one person
individually.
Think family extended programme rolled out
across family support
35
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
APPENDIX ONE – EARLY INTERVENTION FOUNDATION MATURITY MATRIX
What stage of
progress has been
reached?
Important parts of
delivering EI well
Basic level
Early progress
Substantial progress
Maturity
PLAN



An EI Plan (something that sets out
what everyone has agreed to aim at
and do to make good EI happen) is
being developed
Planning is starting to inform
decisions about where money should
be spent.
Work underway to understand more
about local families’ needs.

A Plan is in place that sets out what all
local agencies are doing to provide EI
well. (May be either a separate
document or evidenced in other plans)
Plan is based on a good understanding
of what local families need.
Money is spent mostly where there is
evidence that it can be used
effectively.

Increasing use of shared approaches
to assessment of families’ needs.
Processes for allocating families to
the right support are being
improved.
Information sometimes being shared
so everyone who needs to know
about a family does.
Some staff aware of EI and are being
trained to better deliver effective
early help for families.

There are consistent approaches to
assessment across many agencies.
Reasons for allocating families to
different types of help are clear.
Information is often shared effectively.
Lots of staff understand and talk about
their role in providing good EI.
Many are given good support to help.
Staff often join up to do work with
families alongside other agencies.

Some services are being monitored
to check how well they are doing,
some to a high standard.
There is a lot of variation in what is
being looked for and measured.

All services are being monitored and
their success measured.
Work is happening to design an
approach that does this so that
everyone is working to the same goals,
have good quality results, and can
measure how things change over time.

EI is seen as important.
Not yet being put into
practice via a good plan
and portfolio of
services.


DELIVER


EVALUATE


A few common
approaches to
assessing how families
are doing and sharing
this information
between agencies.
A few staff are
beginning to focus on
EI as a priority.
Measuring the success
of services is seen as
important
It isn’t always done,
and when it is, it is to
varying levels of
quality.




















An EI plan (either a separate plan or ‘golden
thread’ in all major strategies and plans) has
been informing how all local agencies deliver EI
for a while. It is based on full understanding of
local needs.
Many agencies pool money to pay for EI support,
and commission it to jointly agreed outcomes.
EI Services provided for ages 0-19, with evidence
to show they work.
There are clear, aligned processes for identifying,
assessing providing appropriate help to children
and families at an early stage, understood and
agreed across all local partners.
Information on family needs and strengths is
being shared efficiently all the time.
All staff have an excellent understanding of EI
and the roles they play. They have high quality
training and support to do their jobs.
Staff always deliver in a joined up way.
Everyone is working to the same ultimate goals
around improving children’s lives, and have
agreed measures to check how well they are
meeting them.
All services are having their success and impact
measured in a good quality way.
This information helps inform planning about
how to run services better.
36
DRAFT EARLY HELP STRATEGY – November 2014
LEAD
FAMILY
FOCUS
Basic level
Early progress
Substantial progress
Maturity







As a result
of these
things…
Some important local
agencies support EI and
talk about its
importance.
Children and families
are sometimes asked
for their views on how
things are going or
what is it best to do to
provide effective help.
A lot of services aren’t
yet as joined up as they
could be.
Some families get
support that helps
them when they need
it. There is a lot of
demand for late
intervention services.
Outcomes vary and
some children are not
doing as well as they
could be.





A partnership group is responsible
for EI and there’s an agreed
definition of what it means.
They are owning the plan.
Some key partners are talking
publicly about EI.
Children and families are asked what
they think and feel about EI services
through formal consultations.
Some families get support that is
centred on them, their needs and
their strengths, but this is still patchy.
Some community projects are
helping out.
Families say that they can often
get help that works, when they
need it. A lot of outcomes for
children and families are showing
signs of improvement. Overall
children are doing around as well
as nationally.






A partnership actively owns the EI
Plan.
It is clear who is in charge of which bits
of delivering the plan.
Everyone talks about EI with the same
understanding and messages.
Lots of partner promote EI.
CYPF are often involved in coming up
with how services and support should
be designed and run.
When a family needs help they can
often go to one point of contact and
get a range of services.
Help is provided through joined up
work around families. This adds to
some support from communities.
Most families say they are getting
support that works when they need
it. This is reflected in improving
outcomes across priority groups and
overall children are doing better
than average. It is clear where more
improvement is needed and plans
are in place for how to get there.






All local partnerships play a part in delivering EI.
The group that leads the plan makes sure
everyone knows what is happening and their
role.
Senior leaders are all ‘champions’ for EI in public
locally and nationally.
Families are involved in designing and delivering
services.
It is easy to access all support needed through
one point of contact. (‘No wrong door’)
All families get well coordinated help delivered
by joined-up teams.
Families are at the centre of the support
provided.
Support takes account of family and community
strengths, which are a big part of local delivery.
All children and their families from groups
that are a priority in a local area can access
the support they need, when they need it.
Outcomes for children, particularly those in
‘target groups’ who might otherwise not
have done so well, are excellent and
continuing to get better.
37