Process for tracking and monitoring multi-agency CAF`S

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is intended to promote more effective identification of children’s needs. It is particularly suitable for use in integrated early intervention work, where we work with families as soon aswe realise that a child or young person is experiencing difficulties. The CAF helps

practitioners to identify a child or young person’s strengths, needs and goals. It can be

shared between services and used as a starting point for planning coordinated multiagency intervention. It has been designed specifically to avoid children and families having to tell and re-tell their story and so reduce duplication of effort and wasted time. Early intervention should invariable lead to earlier access to support, better outcome and reduces escalation of issues and problems.

The CAF can be summarised in three keyareas

  • Preparation

A good CAF support effective collaborative relationship with other professionals to ensure a holistic provision of services for children and families

A good CAF should be child focused, demonstrate good engagement with parents /carers and identification of areas for change

  • Planning and delivery

To deliver the plan a TAC meeting is convened to consider:

How things are currently working out for the young person (baseline outcomes)

What changes are needed to enable those outcomes to be improved and why.

What action each person should take to ensure these changes are made (thereby linking actions to outcomes.

  • An outcomes approach

All action plans should be outcome focused and be clearly linked to needs identified in the CAF assessment

  • Monitoring and tracking CAF`s

All CAF`s received via the duty desk are seen by the Team Manager.

If threshold is met the case is allocated to an Early Help Worker within 24

CAF assessments will be completed within 15 days of receiving the referral and a TACmeeting to be convened within 10 days of completion of the CAF assessment

TAC meetings decision to be reviewed 6 weekly to measure outcomes of the planand set new targets if the need arise.

If a case remains open longer than 3 months the allocated worker will complete a 3 monthly case summary

All family members who contribute to a CAF will be asked to complete a feedback form that will comment on the outcome of the intervention

The allocated worker will complete the tracking sheet on all cases where a CAF has been completed. The aim of the tracking sheet is to avoid drift, improve the devolvement and implementation of plans and to ensure outcomes are measured against set goals