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Contents

1. Introduction
2. Common Assessment Framework (CAF)
3. When to Consider making a Referral to Children's Social Care
4. Prior to Referral to Children's Social Care
5. How to make a Referral to Children's Social Care
6. What to Expect after making a Referral
7. Children's Social Care Involvement and Case Closure
   
   Appendix 1- Children's Social Care Referral Form

1. Introduction

This policy set out the use of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) within Children's Social Care.

From 1 October 2009 all referrals for Children's Social Care are submitted on a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) form attached to a Social Care Referral Form.  This replaces the Multi-Agency Referral form previously in us.

2. Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) for children and young people is a shared assessment tool used across agencies in England. It can help practitioners develop a shared understanding of a child's need, so they can be met more effectively. It will avoid children and families having to tell and re-tell their story.

The CAF is an important tool. It has been designed specifically to help practitioners assess needs at an earlier stage and then work with families, alongside other practitioners and agencies, to meet them.

Bromley has a CAF Team which has been set up to support the implementation of the CAF by offering advice, support and training opportunities to practitioners completing CAFs and/or acting as Lead Professionals.

Copies of the guidance and general information about the CAF can be found on the Department for Education website. For further information the CAF Team can be contacted:

Common Assessment Framework Team
Bromley Central Library, 3rd Floor
High Street
Bromley BR1 1EX

Tel: 020 8461 7174

3. When to Consider making a Referral to Children's Social Care

Bromley Safeguarding Children's Board (BSCB) has a 'Continuum of Need Triangle' designed to assist members of the Children's Workforce to think about the needs of children and young people in a holistic and common way.

The BSCB document sets out when a referral to Children's Social Care should be considered and the range of children who may be in need of specialist assessment, support or intervention. For further information please refer to the 'BSCB Safeguarding Continuum document'.

4. Prior to Referral to Children's Social Care

Before making a referral to Children's Social Care every effort should have been made to work with the child/young person and family involving other professionals as necessary.

It is expected that before a referral to Children's Social Care is made a CAF will have already been completed and the Lead Professional should be clear about the child's needs and the outcomes expected from the referral. The CAF must be completed with the consent of the child and/or the parent.

In reaching a decision to refer a child or young person to Children's Social Care, the referring professional is expected to have reached a considered judgement about the level of risk, need or vulnerability of the child or young person. It is expected that the CAF will help the professional in making their judgement. A CAF should be used by professionals with children and young people who have additional needs to enable a broad view to be formed about these needs and assist with judgements about any additional help which may be needed.

Guidance on the CAF process and completing a CAF for managers, practitioners and Lead Professionals is available from the Department for Education website.  Information is also available on Team Around the Child (TAC) meetings as a way of working with children and young people who have unmet support needs, and require support from more than one service to meet these needs. Further information and advice is available from the CAF Team (for contact details see Section 2, Common Assessment Framework).

Where there are doubts about whether or not a referral should be made the relevant Referral and Assessment Team (RAT) should be consulted (for contact details see Section 5, How to make a Referral to Children's Social Care). General information and advice on child protection issues is available from the Quality Assurance Unit.

Quality Assurance Unit

St. Blaise Building,
Civic Centre, S
Stockwell Close,
Bromley, BR1 3UH

Tel: 020 8313 4325

5. How to make a Referral to Children's Social Care

From 1 October 2009, all referrals to Children's Social Care should be made using a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) Form attached to the Social Care Referral Form. (See Appendix 1- Children's Social Care Referral Form) This replaces the Multi-Agency Referral Form which was previously in use.

This will save practitioners time as they will not have to repeat the information they will have already recorded on the CAF Form. It will also provide Children's Social Care with good quality information which will help them to provide an appropriate response. The broad assessment information in the CAF will inform and be the basis for an assessment if it is required.

It is expected that in nearly all instances a CAF will already have been completed prior to a referral to Children's Social Care as part of the assessment process to support early intervention - the only exception to this should be in urgent and immediate child protection situations.

The Social Care Referral Form which should be attached to the CAF Form has a section for the referrer to record whether:

• A full CAF has been completed with the child/young person and/or their parents consent and interventions have been unsuccessful or needs have escalated; or
• The Social Care Referral Form and CAF Form have been completed to follow up an emergency telephone referral and no consent has been given; or
• The Social Care Referral Form has been completed with additional information to follow up an emergency telephone referral and a previous CAF Form and accompanying action plans have been attached.

Referrals should be made to:

Referral and Assessment Team - West/ Penge:

(covering Crystal Palace, Penge and Cator, Clockhouse, Copers Cope, Kelsey and Eden Park, Shortlands, West Wickham, Bromley Town, Hayes and Coney Hall, Plaistow and Sundridge, Mottingham, and Chislehurst North)

Yeoman House,
4th Floor,
57 - 63 Croydon Road,
Penge,
SE20 7TS

Tel: 020 8462 7050, Fax: 020 8461 7018

Referral and Assessment Team - East/ Orpington

(covering Cray Valley West, Cray Valley East, Orpington, Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom, Darwin, Biggin Hill, Farnborough and Crofton, Petts Wood and Knoll, Chislehurst, Bickley and Bromley Common, and Keston):

The Walnuts,
High Street,
Orpington,
BR6 0UN

Tel: 0208 461 7319, Fax: 020 8461 7346  

Emergency Duty Team

(at weekends and outside normal working hours)

Tel: 020 8464 4848

Referrals where the Child/Young Person is at risk of significant harm

If there is a concern that a child or young person has suffered Significant Harm or may be at immediate or acute risk of suffering significant harm, a referral should be made immediately to the relevant Referral and Assessment Team (East or West) by telephone.

Out of office hours the Emergency Duty Team should be contacted.

The referral will need to be followed up with a completed CAF Form and Social Care Referral Form within 48 hours. In these cases the CAF form will still be used as the referral form into Children's Social Care but it is not expected that consent would have been sought from the family or that the CAF would have been logged with the CAF Team.

The CAF Form must be completed and attached to a Social Care Referral Form for a referral to Children's Social Care.

6. What to Expect after making a Referral

A decision will be made by Children's Social Care within 24 hours about what will happen to a referral and the referrer will be informed by telephone and letter. A duty worker may need to clarify the concerns, ensure they have all the necessary information and in some cases make checks with other partner agencies.

Once the duty manager has made a decision about what will happen next, the referrer will be informed. If Children's Social Care decides to take no further action (after these initial enquiries) the referrer will be informed about the decision with the reasons why. A copy of the letter will be sent to the CAF Team who can be contacted for advice. Where Children's Social Care is planning to conduct an Initial Assessment this will be completed within 10 working days.

7. Children's Social Care Involvement and Case Closure

During Children's Social Care involvement with a child/ young person, the social worker assumes the role of the Lead Professional. Once these concerns have been addressed and/or resolved the social worker completes or updates the CAF to identify 'additional needs' which need ongoing support. The social worker will give consideration to who will carry out the role of the Lead Professional and seek the views of the young person and/or parent(s). The social worker will contact the preferred Lead Professional and discuss this with them. Usually, the Lead Professional will already be a practitioner who is familiar with the case and has supported the child or young person during Children's Social Care intervention. With the families consent the social worker then passes the CAF on to the Lead Professional who should then register the CAF with the CAF Team.

If the child has complex multiple needs, good practice should mean that the social worker arranges a final case closure/ Team Around the Child (TAC) meeting and invites the lead professional to the meeting as well as other practitioners. The young person (where age appropriate) and/or parent/carer(s) must also be present.

At the meeting the following steps will take place:

• The social worker leads the final case closure/TAC meeting and informs the practitioners that the case will be closed to social care and support will be continued using the CAF and explains the reasons why;
• The social worker checks out consent again with the young person and/or Parent/Carer(s). If there is agreement then the CAF process will commence;
• The social worker will then provide a copy of the recommendations and most up to date support plan to the lead professional, as well as the signed CAF form;
• At this stage the case will close to the social worker.

After the meeting the Lead Professional should register the CAF with the CAF Team.

If consent is not given by the young person and/or parent/carer for Children's Social Care to pass the CAF on to the identified Lead Professional, Children's Social Care will notify the relevant agencies to monitor the case and notify Children's Social Care if necessary.

Appendix 1- Children's Social Care Referral Form

Click here to view Referral Form

End