THE ROLE OF LEAD PROFESSIONAL IN NORTHUMBERLAND

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THE ROLE OF LEAD PROFESSIONALIN NORTHUMBERLAND
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A little bit about Northumberland

• Large, geographically dispersed
• Mix of uban, rural, and loss of traditional
  industries
• Impact on economy and levels of disadvantage
• Implications for lead professional in a diverse
  authority ie challenges for communication and
  integrated working

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Northumberland Families and Childrens Trust

• Established 2004, to enable different
  organisations to work together to improve
  wellbeing of children
• Education Department and Childrens Social
  Services have been amalgamated into one new
  Childrens Services Department. The Directorate
  also includes a senior Health Manager
• Objective of FACT is to improve wellbeing of all
  children and young people in Northumberland
  across the five ECM outcomes
• In 2006, Having a Life plan was published this
  set out how outcomes would be improved, by
  development of childrens centres, extended
  school services and FACT integrated teams

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Where are we up to in Northumberland?

• Local research shows that children and families
  want accessible, consistent services which meet
  the needs of children in the context of the whole
  family and a trusted, lead professional is valued
• Integrated teams have been established around
  school partnerships
• Age specialisms have been abolished, along with
  long term/short term split the resulting
  generic childrens service has promoted
  consistency, ownership and a holistic service
• Documents ie matrix management and thresholds
  support the allocation of services via the use of
  CAFs and identification of lead professional
• Training has been provided to 750 professionals
  around LP/CAF
• Lots of examples of lead professional in
  operation, of use of CAFs increasing, shared
  language developing and holistic approach being
  adopted
• Recent review of integrated teams (not yet out
  for circulation but will be by 4/12/08) include
  recommendations which support embedding of LP/CAF

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Challenges in Northumberland around the LP role

• Dispel fears and anxieties about CAF and LP ie
  work commitment, intrusive for families, when and
  who should be LP
• Confidence in completing CAF and TACs
• Supervision/support for LP
• Embedding CAF and LP

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How to meet the challenges

• Systems to be developed to identify the numbers
  of children requiring LP (to address concerns
  about work commitment)
• Agreed direction and drive from strategic leads
  and managers so that all agencies adopt CAF/LP
• Identification of changes agents to support
  practitioners on the ground
• Practical support for practitioners ie buddying
  up arrangements, managers to chair first TACs,
  shadowing arrangements
• Target operational managers, to promote LP and
  provide supervision and support