5

Roles and Resposibilities in Inter-Agency Assessment of Children in Need

Principles of Inter-Disciplinary and Inter-Agency Assessment

5.1 A key principle of the Assessment Framework is that children's needs and their families circumstances will require inter-agency collaboration to ensure full understanding of what is happening and to ensure an effective service response. This chapter elaborates further on the roles and responsibilities of different disciplines and agencies when assessing whether a child is in need under the Children Act 1989. Some children in need may be being assessed concurrently under legislation other than the Children Act 1989. Other children may have already been assessed under different legislation and may be in receipt of services from agencies but not from social services. A further group of children may have parents or other significant family members or caregivers who are in receipt of social services.

5.2 In order to ensure optimal outcomes for children, whilst at the same time avoiding duplication of services or children receiving no service at all, it is important for all disciplines and agencies to work in a co-ordinated way to an agreed plan. Increasingly, there are service developments designed on a multi-agency basis, where teams operate with a pooled budget and shared objectives. An example is Youth Offending Teams.

5.3 There may be a number of voluntary and private organisations and community based groups, whose staff and volunteers have knowledge of a child and their family. In undertaking an assessment, it is important to find appropriate ways of using their understanding of the family to inform the overall analysis of the child's needs and how best to help the family. Communication with staff and volunteers from other agencies and groups should be based on the principles of confidentiality and consent set out in paragraphs 3.46 to 3.57.

5.4 Inter-agency, inter-disciplinary assessment practice requires an additional set of knowledge and skills to that required for working within a single agency or independently. It requires that all staff understand the roles and responsibilities of staff working in contexts different to their own. Having an understanding of the perspectives, language and culture of other professionals can inform how communication is conducted. This prevents professionals from misunderstanding one another because they use different language to describe similar concepts or because they are infiuenced by stereotypical perceptions of the other discipline. The use of the Assessment Framework for assessing children in need provides a language which is common to children and their family members, as well as to professionals and other staff.

Corporate Responsibilities for Children in Need

5.5 Under s17 of the Children Act 1989, social services departments carry lead responsibility for establishing whether a child is in need and for ensuring services are provided to that child as appropriate. This may not require social services to provide the service itself. Following a child in need assessment, for example, a child with communication impairment may require the help of a NHS speech therapist and additional classroom support at school rather than any specialist services of the social services department. The voluntary sector may have an important role to play in contributing to an assessment and providing services to a family.

5.6 This inter-agency responsibility is spelt out in s17(5) of the Children Act 1989.

 

Every local authority - a shall facilitate the provision by others (including in particular voluntary organisations) of services which the authority have power to provide by virtue of this section, or section 18, 20, 23 or 24; and b may make such arrangements as they see fit for any person to act on their behalf in the provision of any such service. Children Act 1989 s17(5)

5.7 The corporate responsibilities for working with children in need and their families have been emphasised in the Government's objectives for children's social services (Department of Health, 1999e).

The Government believes that local authorities corporately have a responsibility to address the needs of such children and young people. There should be effective joint working by education, housing and leisure in partnership with social services and health. Social services alone cannot promote the social inclusion and development of these children and families. However, in partnership with others, social services can play a vital role (p.4).

Inter-Agency Responsibilities for Assessments of Children in Need

5.8 The next section sets out the responsibilities of local authority departments and health authorities for assessing children in need and their families and the basis on which professionals working in statutory agencies and independent settings work with social services staff who have lead responsibility for this task. This section should be read in conjunction with Chapter 3 in Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999) which addresses the primary roles and responsibilities of statutory agencies, professionals, the voluntary and private sector and the wider community in respect of children, and in particular children about whom there is concern that they may be suffering or are suffering significant harm. The following sections address specifically some of the key issues about agency roles and responsibilities when assessing children in need or contributing to other assessments of children and their families. It includes most of the major agencies but is not comprehensive.

Social Services Departments

5.9 The social services department has the lead role for ensuring initial and core assessments are carried out according to the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. In practice this means, planning, preparation, co-ordination and communication with professionals in other agencies, in accordance with the principles set out in paragraph 1.23. This is where inter-agency protocols (and intra-agency where adults services are concerned) can be an effective means of providing a structure for collaboration and lines of communication.

5.10 With any child or family referral, social services should check whether the person with parenting responsibility has needs independent of the child's needs, which may call for the provision of adult community care services. If so, those needs should be further assessed in accordance with Achieving Fairer Access to Adult Social Care Services (Department of Health, forthcoming, a). The assessment of the child's needs and the capacity of their parent(s) to respond appropriately to those needs within their family context, should follow the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families.

5.11 With any adult referral, social services should check whether the person has parenting responsibility for a child under 18. If so, the initial assessment should explore any parenting and child related issues in accordance with the Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. This will determine if the child is in need, and the nature of services required to support his or her family, under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989. Further assessment should be undertaken and services provided as appropriate, following this Guidance. The assessment of adult needs should follow the Achieving Fairer Access to Adult Social Care Services Guidance.

5.12 Where the child is looked after or there is concern about significant harm, the responsibilities of local authorities are clearly laid out in Children Act 1989 Guidance and Regulations (1991) and in Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999). Although social services will continue to work closely with other agencies in such circumstances, it is social services which has a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and to ensure that this is effectively carried out.

5.13 The role of the key worker for a child whose name has been placed on a Child Protection Register is set out in paragraph 5.76 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999). It states that the key worker has responsibility for completing the core assessment of the child and family and securing contributions from core group members and others as necessary.

5.14 For children looked after and children whose names have been placed on the child protection register and who are subject to a child protection plan, the responsibilities for monitoring and reviewing the children's progress (including safety) are set out in the same Regulations and Guidance (Department of Health 1991; Department of Health et al, 1999). Social services departments have lead responsibility for ensuring these reviews take place within the prescribed time scales. As stated in Chapter 4, there are no such regulations governing the review of welfare of other children in need. However, it is essential that agreements are reached on an inter-agency basis about how best to monitor and review children in need plans. The lead agency for this activity may not necessarily be the social services department, as another agency may be better placed to undertake this responsibility.

5.15 In the process of all relevant agencies working collaboratively to construct and agree the child in need plan, decisions will have been made about which agencies will provide the necessary services. Careful thought should be given to which professional would be best placed to have lead responsibility for co-ordinating the review of the child in need plan. Amongst the considerations will be the respective roles and responsibilities of the various agencies.

Voluntary and Independent Agencies

5.16 Voluntary and independent agencies are key providers of a number of different types of services for children and families. They may be undertaking or contributing to assessments for a range of purposes: under the terms of a service agreement with a social services department, in partnership with other agencies or organisations or as part of the service they provide in response to direct referrals from children and families. Their staff's knowledge and use of the Assessment Framework when undertaking an assessment will enable information to be organised within a common framework, using a common language. This will be particularly important where the assessment has been commissioned by a social services department.

Health Authority

5.17 Every Health Authority is required to work with local agencies and trusts to consider the health needs of their residents and then determine local priorities and ways to address those needs. In particular Health Authorities and Primary Care Groups and Trusts should ensure that they participate in inter-agency planning and co-operation through Children's Services Plans and Quality Protects Management Action Plans, and that there are clear cross references in the Health Improvement Programmes.

5.18 The Health Improvement Programme is a jointly agreed health strategy which has the support of the local authority, NHS Trusts and Primary Care Groups. Services for healthcare for vulnerable children should be described and the health authority should ensure that local services and professionals contribute fully and effectively to local inter-agency working to safeguard children and promote their welfare.

5.19 The Health Authority should agree with Primary Care Groups and Trusts (PCG/Ts) how the local health service obligation to contribute to assessments involving inter-agency working should be discharged locally. Service specifications drawn up by PCG/Ts should include clear service standards for assessments of children in need. For children where there are grounds for concern that they are suffering significant harm these must be consistent with local Area Child Protection Committee protocols.

5.20 NHS Trusts and PCG/Ts are responsible for providing acute and community health services in hospital and community settings, and a wide range of staff will come into contact with children and parents in the course of their normal duties. Staff should be alert to concerns about a child's health and development and should know how to act upon these concerns in line with local protocols. Conversely, they should also be aware of how adult patients with, for example, physical or mental illness may require help to carry out their parent roles successfully.

5.21 Most health professionals, in the NHS, private sector, and other agencies play an important part in the lives of children and their parents. Because of the universal nature of health provision, health professionals are often the first to become aware of the needs of children or that some families are experiencing difficulties looking after their children. They should consider what help would benefit those families. Social services departments can assist health professionals by providing information about help that is available in the community and through their own departments.

The General Practitioner and the Primary Health Care Team

5.22 The General Practitioner (GP) and other members of the primary health care team (PHCT) are well placed to recognise when a child is potentially in need of extra support or services to promote health and development, or may be at risk of suffering significant harm. Primary care team members should know when it is appropriate to refer a child, as a potential child in need, to social services for help and support, and how to act on concerns that a child may be at risk of harm through abuse or neglect. When other members of the primary care team become concerned about the welfare of a child, the GP should be involved in discussing these concerns. The GP and primary health care team will have an important contribution to make to initial and core assessments of children in need.

5.23 The GP and the primary health care team are also well placed to recognise when a parent or other adult has problems which may affect their capacity as a parent or carer, or which may mean that they pose a risk of harm to a child. While GPs have responsibilities to all their patients, the child is particularly vulnerable and the welfare of the child of paramount importance. If they have concerns that an adult's problems or behaviour may be causing, or putting a child at risk of harm, they should follow the procedures set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999).

Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and School Nurses

5.24 Nurses work in a variety of settings where they are likely to meet vulnerable children and their families. They will consider the circumstances in which it would be appropriate to refer them to social services departments for further assessment. They will then continue to work in partnership with social workers, general practitioners and others to contribute to integrated assessments, through sharing facts and professional opinions and by helping children and families identify and address their own needs.

5.25 The midwife and health visitor are uniquely placed to identify risk factors to a child during pregnancy, birth and the child's early care. Health visitors and school nurses monitor child health, growth and physical, emotional and social development. In addition, health visitors are aware of the health of the parents and may identify particular difficulties, for example, postnatal depression in mothers. The regular contact health visitors and school nurses have with children and families gives them an important role to play in the promotion of children's health and development and the protection of children from harm. Many of these staff provide parental support services or parenting sessions and programmes. Some also offer leadership to local schemes which support parents.

Paediatric Services

5.26 If, in the course of a social services department assessments of children in need, an opinion from a specialist paediatric service (including child development teams which are multi-disciplinary and may include a social worker) is required, the service should be requested by or after consultation with the appropriate member of the Primary Health Care Team. Where an urgent opinion is required, because there are grounds for concern that a child is suffering significant harm, this should be sought in line with local child protection procedures.

5.27 A paediatrician and/or a child development team may already know a child who is being assessed by a social services department. This will certainly be the case for children with chronic or recurrent significant illnesses and for disabled children. Social workers based in child development teams should be guided by the Assessment Framework when preparing their contribution to a multi-disciplinary assessment of a disabled child and family. Health professionals seeing such a child will have a contribution to make both to an assessment of need and in advising on medical and child development services that would be of benefit to the child and family. Information should be shared with the informed consent of the parents and of the child (obtained in a way appropriate to the child's age and understanding).

5.28 Many paediatric services have an identified lead Community Paediatrician for children in need who can advise social workers and parents on how to gain access to services. Within the health services, community paediatricians can raise awareness of the difficulties faced by vulnerable and disadvantaged families. Innovations are being proposed (eg. within Health Action Zone schemes) for the introduction of one stop shops where social services and health staff can work together to provide supportive and therapeutic services for children and their families.

Professionals Allied to Health

5.29 Other professionals allied to health, for example audiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists will also have important roles to play in the lives of some disabled and developmentally delayed children. Of these professionals, speech therapists are the most likely to be involved in the assessment of children in need. This is because the language development of children is most often affected by adverse environmental and family circumstances. Speech and language therapists can also provide expertise to facilitate communication with a child during an assessment.

Mental Health Services

5.30 Mental health problems are relatively common in children. Preliminary results of a recent survey found that around 10 per cent of 5-15 year olds in England, Scotland and Wales has some type of mental disorder sufficient to cause considerable distress and substantial interference with personal functioning in most cases (Office for National Statistics, 1999). Children of families in Social Class V (unskilled occupations) were about three times as likely to have a mental health problem compared with those in Social Class I (professionals). There are strong associations between family income and the mental health of children.

5.31 The evident increased likelihood of children in need having a significant mental health problem indicates the importance of specific consideration being given to their mental health needs. Not all children and young people, however, will require the help of specialists and, for many, effective and straightforward interventions at an early stage may prevent more serious problems developing later.

5.32 Those children and young people with more severe and complex disorders will require both specialist services and community based support to ensure the best possible outcomes. Social workers and other staff working within such services, whether in hospital or community child and family mental health service settings, should draw on knowledge of the Assessment Framework to inform their contributions.

5.33 An assessment of the mental health of a child or young person will attempt to unravel the various factors that have played a part in the causation of any particular problem or difficulty. This will include an assessment of those factors that are protective as well as those that constitute a risk to the child. As understanding about the aetiology of mental disorders in children increases, it is clear that attention must be given as much to intrinsic factors in the child, such as inherited temperamental characteristics, as to the external social and family infiuences. This is particularly relevant for children with hyperkeinetic disorder, for instance, whose parents otherwise might feel totally responsible for their child's difficult, demanding and hyperactive behaviour.

5.34 Child and adolescent mental health services provide a range of psychiatric and psychological assessment and treatment services for children and families. There may be very specific reasons why a specialist child mental health professional may become involved. The possibility of a psychotic illness (eg. schizophrenia), suicide or risk of self harm, the consideration of medical or psychological treatment for hyperkeinetic disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), attachment disorders and an assessment of post traumatic stress following severe trauma are all clear cut examples. A referral may also be made for an assessment of individual family factors which contribute to a child's disorder and to ascertaining the therapeutic needs of the child and family members. Many requests, however, are less specific and these often relate to the complexity and chronicity of problems experienced by children who have suffered from a variety of disadvantages and adversities. Assessments of aggressive and oppositional behaviour of a child, family functioning, parenting capacity, and attachment between parent and child are other examples of important mental health tasks where child and mental health services might usefully contribute. In these circumstances a consultation or planning session may help clarify who is best able to undertake which task and what types of intervention may be most appropriate to help the child and family.

5.35 Some children and young people may require admission to hospital for psychiatric treatment. The legal framework governing the admission to hospital and treatment of children is complex. The use and relevance of the Mental Health Act 1983 or the Children Act 1989 should be considered particularly where consent is an issue. Professionals charged with responsibility for helping the child will use the statutory framework which refiects the predominant needs of the child. The Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice (Department of Health and the Welsh Office, 1999) contains essential guidance (see in particular chapter 31) which should inform the assessment and treatment of children who are either formal or informal patients.

5.36 Adult mental health services, including those providing general adult and community, forensic, psychotherapy, alcohol and substance misuse and learning disability services, have a key role to play in the assessment process when parental problems in these areas have an impact on their capacity to respond appropriately to their children's needs (see paragraphs 6.18 to 6.22 on commissioning specialist services). Crossing Bridges (Falkov (ed), 1998) was developed to help staff working with mentally ill parents and their children. It provides a rich source of training material for both adult and children's services staff.

5.37 There are two specific pieces of guidance regarding children visiting parents, other family members and close friends in psychiatric settings where social services departments may be asked to assess whether it is in the best interests of a child to visit a named patient.

5.38 The Visits by Children to Ashworth, Broadmoor and Rampton Hospital Authorities Directions (HSC 1999/160) and the Guidance to Local Authority Social Services Departments on Visits by Children to Special Hospitals (LAC(99)23) sets out the assessment process to be followed when deciding whether a child can visit a named patient in these hospitals. When a social services department considers it has powers under the Children Act 1989 to undertake the necessary assessment, it is required to assist the hospital by assessing whether it is in the interests of a particular child to visit a named patient and providing the special hospital with this information.

5.39 The Circular Mental Health Act 1983 Code of Practice: Guidance on the visiting of psychiatric patients by children (HSC1999/222 LAC(99)32) sets out principles to underpin child-visiting policies in respect of children visiting patients in other psychiatric units. This guidance emphasises the importance of facilitating a child's contact especially with their parents or other key family members, wherever possible. Where there are child welfare concerns, the Trust may ask the social services department where the child is resident to assess whether it is in the best interests of a child to visit a named patient.

Psychologists

5.40 Psychologists - clinical, counselling, educational, forensic - who work with children and families are well placed to contribute to core assessments and to offer a range of services to support children in need and their families. In particular, educational psychologists working with children, their parents, schools and other agencies to promote children's social, emotional and intellectual development will have a significant contribution to make.

Education Services

5.41 A major protective factor in a child's life is having good relationships and succeeding in school. Education staff, through their day to day contact with pupils, have a crucial role to play enabling children to have positive experiences in school - academically and through good relationships - as well as ensuring and observing their wellbeing. Education Welfare Officers and Educational psychologists may, through their work with schools, have knowledge of a particular child. If a child is thought to be in need, social services departments may be able to assist. With parental agreement, these concerns may be discussed with the local social services department and a way forward agreed on identified matters.

5.42 Schools and colleges may on occasions be asked by a social services department for information about a child for whom there are concerns about their health or development, abuse or neglect. The education service itself does not have a direct investigative responsibility in child protection work, but schools and other maintained establishments have a role in assisting the social services department by referring concerns and providing information for s47 child protection enquiries. The role of the independent schools in relation to child protection is the same as that of any other school (Paragraphs 3.12 and 3.15 in Working Together to Safeguard Children, 1999).

5.43 When a child has special educational needs, or is disabled, schools and educational psychologists will have important information about the child's development, their level of understanding and the most effective means of communicating with the child. This information should be sought before beginning an assessment. The school and the educational psychologist will also be well placed to give a view on the impact of different types of treatment or intervention on the child's care or behaviour.

5.44 Social Inclusion: Pupil Support (Department for Education and Employment,1999a) sets out government guidance on pupil attendance, behaviour, exclusion and re-integration of children at school. It takes a multi-agency approach to supporting schools and enabling them to help pupils with behavioural difficulties, including poor attendance. Where a pupil may be at serious risk of permanent exclusion from school or engaging in criminal activity, a Pastoral Support Programme should be set up to plan interventions to help the pupil remain in school. The social services department should as appropriate be involved in the programme (see paragraph 5.5 of Circular 10/99). In addition to contributing to work undertaken with pupils by staff from other agencies, social services departments can assist directly by working with individual children and their families who are experiencing difficulties which impact on the child's educational progress. This could include work with children who are caring for a sick or disabled adult, or where there are relationship difficulties within the family, or where a child has suffered abuse or neglect. In such situations where a child and family is referred to a social services department for help with difficulties identified at school, an initial assessment will be undertaken using the dimensions in the Assessment Framework to ascertain if the child is in need and what help could be offered to respond to the particular needs of the child and their family.

5.45 Children looked after can experience a range of problems at school due to the disruptions experienced prior to and during care. These disruptions often include breaks in education. Good liaison with schools is important, both to ascertain the school's assessment of these young people and their current needs and to plan with the school how these needs can best be met. Guidance on the Education of Children and Young People in Public Care (Department for Education and Employment and Department of Health, forthcoming) sets out the importance of education to young people in public care and the action that local authorities (education and social services departments) must take to safeguard the education and thus the future of these young people.

5.46 Learning Mentors are a new resource, being introduced in secondary schools in major cities as part of the Government's Excellence in Cities initiative. They will work closely with pupils to help them to overcome barriers to learning. They will provide intensive counselling and support to a small number of pupils facing significant problems, and will perform a 'signposting' function for others, helping them to access other agencies and local systems of support, such as business and community mentoring schemes and social services. It will be important for learning mentors to work closely with local social services departments in supporting the pupils in their charge.

5.47 Part of the learning mentor function is to participate in progress checks for pupils in year 7 and year 9. They will also draw up individual targets for the pupil to achieve at school. Each school will have its own assessment arrangements in place for progress checks, but all learning mentors will be informed about the Assessment Framework, and encouraged to use a consistent format in order to facilitate effective information sharing.

5.48 The Connexions strategy (Department for Education and Employment, 2000) will introduce a universal network of Personal Advisers for young people. The Connexions Service will seek to develop a common assessment tool, with a common core and sections related to specific problems a young person might face, that can be used by all Personal Advisers to assess a young person's needs. Its use will allow different agencies to agree on how a young person's needs can be met either directly or through referral, and encourage a co-ordinated response to a young person's needs. The development of this assessment tool will take full account of this framework for assessing children in need.

5.49 For most young people, the end of compulsory education (at around the age of 16) marks a significant decision and transition point in their development towards adulthood. Government maintained schools have a legal duty to prepare children for this decision and transition by providing a programme of careers education and guidance during the last three years of their compulsory education. Various assessment methods are used to help children identify their occupational interests and potential. The methods include self-assessment questionnaires, standardised tests and practical tasks which are formally assessed.

5.50 In 1999 the Department for Education and Employment established a new form of provision for young people who had failed to make a successful transition from compulsory education. This programme - known as the Learning Gateway - is run jointly by careers services and Training and Enterprise Councils. Personal advisers help 16 and 17 year olds who are struggling to find their way to identify realistic career goals and to obtain a suitable learning or employment opportunity. This often involves some remedial education/preparatory training in basic skills and personal effectiveness before the young person is ready for mainstream provision. The Department for Education and Employment has provided comprehensive Guidance on Assessment in the Learning Gateway (Department for Education and Employment, 1999b). This covers both vocational assessment and the assessment of pre-vocational learning and development needs such as personal effectiveness and social skills.

5.51 Youth and Community Workers have close contact with young people. They should be alert to any concerns about a young person's welfare and know how to refer to the social services department if they consider a child would benefit from its help. They will also be well placed to assist in a child in need assessment. In some instances joint working may be appropriate.

Special Educational Needs Code of Practice

5.52 Education legislation does not distinguish between disability and special educational needs. Not all children with special educational needs have a disability. Equally some disabled children do not have special educational needs. In January 1999, schools in England identified 20% (1.52 million) of their pupils as having some form of special educational needs, and 3% (248,000) of pupils had statements of Special Educational Needs.

5.53 Special educational needs cover a wide spectrum of needs/difficulties including emotional and behavioural difficulties which are described within the code as:

• Emotional and behavioural difficulties may result, for example, from abuse or neglect; physical or mental illness; sensory or physical impairment; or psychological trauma. In some cases emotional and behavioural difficulties may arise from, or be exacerbated by, circumstances within the school environment. They may also be associated with other learning difficulties.
• Emotional and behavioural difficulties may become apparent in a wide variety of forms - including withdrawal, depressive or suicidal attitudes; obsessional pre-occupations with eating habits; school phobia; substance misuse; disruptive, antisocial and unco-operative behaviour; and frustration, anger and threat of actual violence (Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, paragraphs 3.65 and 3.66).

5.54 Under the Education Act 1996, local education authorities have a duty to identify and make a statutory assessment of those children for whom they are responsible who have special educational needs and who probably require a statement of their special educational needs. A child is said to have special educational needs if (s)he has:

A learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for him

5.55 A child has a learning difficulty if:

 

a. he has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children his age; b. he has a disability which either prevents or hinders him from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of his age in schools within the area of the LEA, or c. he is under the age of five and is, or would be if special educational provision were not made for him, likely to fall within paragraph (a) or (b) when over that age.

5.56 Having decided that a statutory assessment should be made, the local education authority must seek parental, educational, medical, psychological and the social services department's advice. Where a child is known to a social services department, the social worker should draw on information which has already been gathered and is on the child's file. At the same time, the social services department may decide to undertake a child in need assessment under s17 of the Children Act 1989, to ascertain whether social services would benefit the child and family.

5.57 The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Practice (1994) sets out the duties of health authorities and social services departments in respect of children who may have special educational needs as follows:

All those bodies to which the Code applies must, of course, fulfil their duties. But it is up to them to decide how to do so, in the light of the guidance in the Code of Practice. All those to whom the Code applies have a statutory duty to have regard to it; they must not ignore it. Whenever the health services and social services help schools and LEAs take action on behalf of such children those bodies must consider what the Code says.

5.58 When a statement of special educational needs has been completed, the social services department will be provided with a copy of the statement and the accompanying advice from professionals. This information can assist social services in current or future work with the child and family.

Day Care Services

5.59 Day care services - family centres, early years centres, nurseries (including workplace nurseries), childminders, playgroups and holiday and out of school schemes - play an increasingly important part in the lives of growing numbers of children. Many services will be offering a range of support to children and families experiencing problems and stress. This makes them well placed to intervene early and resolve difficulties before they become more serious or entrenched.

5.60 Day care services may identify children where there are concerns about their developmental progress or wellbeing, or alternatively parents who may have difficulties in responding to their child's needs sufficiently or appropriately. Day care services may contribute by:

• identifying and referring families to social services departments;
• contributing to the assessment of children and their parents or caregivers, sometimes providing a specialist assessment of family relationships;
• providing services which support the child's development and strengthen the parents' capacity to respond, through routine work or as part of a child care plan which is monitored and reviewed.

Sure Start

5.61 Sure Start is an area based programme providing universal services for children under four and their families in some of the most disadvantaged communities. Sure Start aims to improve the health and wellbeing of children and families before and from birth, so children are ready to thrive and succeed when they go to school.

5.62 Local programmes work with parents and parents-to-be to improve the life chances of young children through better access to:

• family support;
• advice on nurturing;
• health services;
• early learning.

5.63 Sure Start programmes provide a range of co-ordinated services, locally determined, to meet national objectives and targets and local priorities. These are likely to include:

• outreach and home visiting;
• support for families and parents;
• support for good quality play, learning and childcare experiences for children;
• primary and community health care, including advice about family health and child health and development;
• support for children and parents with special needs, including help accessing specialised services.

5.64 Sure Start programmes are run by local partnerships bringing together people from statutory agencies, voluntary and community organisations and local parents to plan and organise local services. The involvement of local parents in Sure Start partnerships ensures that services are responsive to local needs and will strengthen local communities, and build capacity and confidence.

5.65 Sure Start provides an opportunity for early support and intervention and to ensure that health, education and social services are actively engaged in supporting the most vulnerable pre-school children. Some children and families using Sure Start services may be referred to or known to social services departments as children in need. Co-ordinated assessments will therefore be essential as part of providing effective services to secure optimal outcomes.

Youth Offending Teams

5.66 The principal aim of the youth justice system, to prevent offending by children and young people, is set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Under this Act, the Local Authority, acting in co-operation with every chief officer of police and police authority and every probation committee and health authority in the local authority's area, has a duty to 'secure that, to such extent as is appropriate for their area, all youth justice services are available there' (s38) and that a Youth Offending Team is in place (s40) comprising police and probation officers, social workers and education and health staff. The Youth Offending Teams (YOTs), which are multi-agency, have responsibility for co-ordinating or delivering the provision of local youth justice services and helping to implement the Youth Justice Plan (s41).

5.67 The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales has developed an assessment profile, ASSET, for use with all youth offenders who enter and leave the youth justice system. ASSET provides YOTs with a consistent means of assessing the needs of individual young people and the risks of their re-offending, causing harm to themselves or to others. The profile covers the areas of a young person's life most linked to offending behaviour including living arrangements, family and personal relationships, education, employment and training, lifestyle, substance use, physical health, emotional and mental health, personal identity and cognitive and behavioural development. In addition, there is a detailed risk of harm assessment for use when the profile suggests that the young offender has the potential to commit serious harm to others. The profile will assist practitioners plan a programme of interventions to meet the identified needs of the young person and reduce the factors associated with risks of re-offending, causing harm to themselves or to others.

5.68 It will be important for YOTs completing ASSET to liaise within social services departments about young people with whom social services have had or have contact. Prior assessments of need undertaken by social services departments can inform the work of YOTs. Similarly, assessments undertaken by YOTs will be an important source of knowledge if the young person continues to be worked with as a child in need under the Children Act 1989 or is re-referred to the social services department for help following their involvement with the youth justice system. The dimensions of the Assessment Framework in this Guidance are consistent with those of the youth offending assessment profile. The key difference is that ASSET concentrates in depth on areas of a young person's life most likely to be associated with offending behaviour.

Housing

5.69 Housing Authority staff, through their day to day contact with members of the public, may become aware of concerns about the welfare of particular children and should refer to one of the statutory agencies as appropriate.

5.70 Equally, Housing Authorities may have important information about families which could be helpful to social services departments carrying out assessments under s17 or s47 of the Children Act 1989. In accordance with their duty to assist under s27 of the Children Act 1989, they should be prepared to share relevant information verbally or in writing, including attending child protection conferences when requested to do so.

5.71 The provision of appropriate housing can make an important contribution to meeting the health and developmental needs of children. Housing Authorities should be prepared to assist in the provision of accommodation, either directly, through their links with other housing providers or by the provision of advice.

5.72 Social services departments have a duty under section 20(3) of the Children Act 1989 to accommodate any child in need aged 16 and 17 whose welfare is likely to be seriously prejudiced without the provision of accommodation. At the same time, Housing Authorities are required under the Housing Act 1996 to secure accommodation for people who are homeless, eligible for assistance and in priority need. Homeless young people may frequently come to the notice of both housing and social services and will need to be assessed to establish whether they should be provided with accommodation. There is a danger that in these circumstances young people may be passed from one agency to another and it is important therefore that joint protocols are agreed between housing and social services in the matter of how and by whom they are to be assessed.

Police

5.73 The role of members of the Police Force can be seen quite broadly in terms of the overall wellbeing and welfare of children and their families. They have a key role in their knowledge of local communities. Information may be available from the police either generally about local environmental factors or specifically about family or household members. Their contribution in referring children and families to social services departments and in providing information and advice should be considered when undertaking a child in need assessment. The role of the police in relation to safeguarding children is set out in paragraphs 3.57 to 3.64 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999).

5.74 Protecting life and preventing crime are primary tasks of the police. Children are citizens who have the right to the protection offered by the criminal law. The police have a duty and responsibility to investigate criminal offences committed against children, and such investigations should be carried out sensitively, thoroughly and professionally. The police should be notified as soon as possible where a criminal offence has been committed, or is suspected of being committed, against a child.

5.75 The police have a responsibility to co-ordinate and lead the risk assessment and management process for the exchange of information about all those who have been convicted of, cautioned for, or otherwise dealt with by the courts for a sexual offence; and those who are considered to present a risk to children and others (see paragraphs 7.37 and 7.38 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999)).

Probation Services

5.76 Probation Services have a statutory duty to supervise offenders effectively in order to reduce offending and protect the public. In the execution of that duty, probation services will be in contact with, or supervising, a number of men (and, to a far lesser extent, women) who have convictions for offences against children. When undertaking assessments of children in need social services staff should draw on the knowledge probation services have about family members or other adults in contact with a child and family, who may have committed offences against children.

5.77 The Probation Service has an important role in working with men and women in prison who may be parents of children under the age of 18. Probation should be informed by social services if an assessment of a child whose parent is in prison is being undertaken and should be asked to contribute. There may be a range of issues when a parent is in prison which will need careful assessment and planning, for example, contact between parent and child; reunification and release arrangements; resettlement in the community. Joint working between probation and social services may be essential to securing the wellbeing of the child.

5.78 In addition, specialist probation officers working in the family courts may be alerted to child care concerns through their investigations as court welfare officers, for example, through work with families under Family Assistance Orders (s16 of the Children Act 1989).

The Prison Service

5.79 The Prison Service works closely with other agencies to identify any prisoner who may represent a risk to the public on release. Regular risk assessment takes account of progress made during the sentence, and informs decisions on sentence planning for individual prisoners, including sex offender treatment programmes. Governors are required to notify social services departments and the probation service of plans to release prisoners convicted of offences against children and young people so that appropriate action can be taken by agencies in the community to minimise any risk to children or young people (Instruction to Governors 54/1994).

5.80 The Prison Service has a duty to safeguard the welfare of those children aged under 18 in its custody. From 1 April 2000, all Prison Service Establishments in the new under 18 estate are required to appoint a child protection co-ordinator; and to establish, in consultation with local ACPCs, arrangements for acting on allegations or concerns that a young person may have suffered, or is at risk of suffering significant harm
(HM Prison Service, 2000). A s47 enquiry and core assessment is undertaken concurrently drawing on knowledge of the Assessment Framework.

5.81 When a young person is entering or leaving a Young Offender Institution or prison, it will be important for there to be close liaison between staff in the prison service and the social services department, regarding children already known to a social services department or who are considered likely to benefit from the provision of social services assistance on their release.

5.82 The Prison Service may ask a social services department to carry out an assessment regarding a baby whose mother is in prison (HM Prison Service, 1999). This may be to assist the Service decide whether it is in the best interests of a baby to live with his or her mother in a mother and baby unit. In rare instances, it may be as part of the process of making s47 enquiries where there are concerns about the safety of a child who is living with his or her mother in a mother and baby unit. Mother and baby units are not a place of safety. A prison governor may refer children to a social services department if she or he believe the baby is at risk with the identified carer or other adults.

Armed Services

5.83 In England, social services departments have statutory responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children of Services families. When Services families (or civilians working with the Armed Forces) are based overseas, the responsibility for their welfare is vested with the Ministry of Defence. All three Services provide professional welfare support and in some cases, medical support, to augment those provided by local authorities.

5.84 When social services departments are undertaking assessments of children in need, contact should be made with the welfare service appropriate to the particular Service. Appendix 2 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999) gives details of these Services and contact numbers. The roles and responsibilities of the Armed Forces in respect of safeguarding children of Services families or of ex-Services families are set out in paragraphs 3.89 to 3.96 of Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999).

Summary

5.85 This chapter has elaborated the roles and responsibilities of a range of agencies, organisations and disciplines that work with children and families. Understanding these roles and responsibilities is a cornerstone of effective inter-agency, inter-disciplinary working. Individual practitioners will use their professional relationships and networks to assist them achieve good outcomes for children and their families. Quality collaboration at an inter-personal level requires effective organisational arrangements to support these informal processes and ensure good inter-agency working is not solely dependent on the commitment of dedicated individuals.

Prepared 29 March 2000