The

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The
Project
Sheffield Identification Referral and Tracking A
briefing event forVoluntary and Community
Groups28th January 2004
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Agenda 28th January 2004
9.45am Refreshments 10.00am Welcome and
Introduction Annie Franklin, Voluntary Sector
Champion 10.10am IRT in Sheffield Claire
Bullement, SHIRT Project Manager Followed by
questions 10.40am Professional Development
Programme Jayne Kerr, SHIRT Professional
Practice and Development Manager Followed by
questions 11.00am SAFETYNET the supporting IT
system James Randall, SHIRT ICT Manger Followed
by Questions 11.30am Issues for the Voluntary
and Community Sectors Final question and answer
session
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Welcome and Introduction Annie
Franklin Voluntary Sector Champion
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Voluntary Sector Champion

• Annie Franklin appointed (on a consultancy basis)
  from beginning of November
• Working one day a week for SHIRT
• Role
• to liase with VCS groups and inform them about
  SHIRT
• to organise events and seminars for the sector
• to feedback issues for the sector in the
  development of the SHIRT work (ICT, training and
  info sharing)
• to identify VCS groups to engage in the pilot in
  Manor, Darnall, Attercliffe and Tinsley.

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Todays event

• Opportunity for Voluntary and Community Sector
  (and some private childcare providers) to
• Learn about IRT why it is being developed and
  how
• Learn about SHIRT and developments so far,
  including
• Staff
• Professional Development programme
• SafetyNet ICT tool
• Information sharing
• The pilot
• Ask questions about issues of concern
• Register interest in being involved with the
  pilot (if you work in the pilot area).

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IRT in Sheffield Claire Bullement SHIRT Project
Manager
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Identification Referral Tracking (IRT)What is
it?

• Policy from Children and Young Peoples Unit
• IRT nationally will underpin the prevention of
  vulnerable children not being recognised
• Sheffield is one of ten trailblazer status
  authorities
• View of missing children pilots it is much
  easier to go missing now than it ever was before
• Responding to the issues highlighted in the
  Laming Report and the green paper Every Child
  Matters

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Some Background and ContextWhat is the Vision
for IRT in Sheffield?

• Its about children and families, not numbers and
  percentages
• Its focused on prevention rather than expensive
  containment or cure
• Its a way of working, improved professional
  practice, supporting children to achieve positive
  life outcomes
• Ensuring that childrens service practitioners
  from all agencies areable to quickly and easily
  communicate with each other
• Preventing children falling through the net
  ofsupport provision
• Early identification of children that may need
  additional support

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Tiered Model of Need
TIER ONE
UNIVERSAL SERVICES
mainstream school / primary healthcare
TIER TWO
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
2a advocacy e.g. interpreting services2b
additional universal support e.g. Homestart,
Surestart, health visitor practice review2c
coordinated family support services e.g.
educational social work, domestic violence and
drugs projects
TIER THREE
SPECIALIST SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES \ FAMILY
SUPPORT
Secondary prevention services to support,
safeguard and protect childrene.g. educational
psychologist, child \ adolescent mental health
services, social work support
TIER FOUR
CARE AWAY FROM HOME
Service provided away from home to meet
childrens needs or to protect themselves or
others
CARE PROCEEDINGS
ADOPTION PLANNING
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What do we need to do?

• Input from approx 2,000 Sheffield practitioners
  - champions
• Children, young people and families focus
• Who else is working with a child outside of my
  service?
• Professional practice, enhanced inter-agency
  working
• Promote a common language - agreed definitions of
  vulnerability
• Clear processes to support data sharing
• Collective recognition of early signs of concern,
  responsibility
• To share each others assessment information

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What issues does the project face?

• Culture, attitude and support
• Responsibility
• Resource, audience and timescales
• Legal/professional restraints
• Quality of existing data storage/updates
• Other projects, CCIS, ICS, RYOGEN
• Multi-agency working needs to be the NORM rather
  than the best practice example

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Legal Framework

• Developed legal position allowing data processing
  and clarify legal basis for IRT
• Building on existing agreements in the city to
  consolidate the practical uses for data sharing
• Implementation of agreements into SAFETYNET
  providing practitioners with the relevant
  information on data sharing when they need it

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Professional Development Programme Jayne
Kerr SHIRT Professional Practice and Development
Manager
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Sheffield SAFETYNET Professional Development
ProgrammeA new approach to child-centred practice

• Good professional practice, not systems, will
  protect and improve outcomes for children
• Objectives of the training
• raise awareness of assessment tools
• provide clarity around information sharing
• improve knowledge of other agencies
• increase commitment to working together

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Outcomes for children and families

• Early identification of need and more effective
  interventions
• Reduced number of assessments undertaken
• Less time on assessment more time for service
  delivery
• More appropriate referrals - best fit between
  needs and services

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Sheffield SAFETYNET Professional Development
ProgrammeCourse Content

• Using the SAFETYNET system
• Professional practice modules on
• assessment commonalities
• information sharing
• working together
• Interactive theatre - Shadows on the Wall
• powerful, emotional impact
• commitment to do things better
• Unique training package for ALL workers in
  Childrens Services - 1st step towards workforce
  reform agenda
• Our children, not your children

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SAFETYNETThe supporting IT system James
Randall SHIRT ICT Manger
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Sheffield SAFETYNET How will SAFETYNET support
the vision of IRT?

• Internet based portal Available to all
  organisations who work with children, not
  restricted to organisations who have access to
  theCouncil Network
• A true information system SAFETYNET draws on
  existing information from Education, Health,
  Social Services and others, childinformation is
  never entered directly into SAFETYNET
• Accessible Information Practitioners will be
  able to quickly identify what other organisations
  and, in most cases, what other individuals are
  working with a child.
• Effective, coordinated intervention The simple
  fact that practitioners can quickly identify who
  else is working with a child or young person is
  the first vital step towards truly effective
  multi-agency working
• Early Identification Analysis of what
  information is requested by practitioners can
  lead to the early identification of the potential
  need for early intervention

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The SAFETYNET SystemAn Information Portal for
Childrens Services Workers
Static menu items shown on all pages
An information centre showing significant events
for workers
Special Functions
A summary of updates and changes to specific
children
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The SAFETYNET SystemThe Child Record Screen
Use of icons to support an accessible, simple
look and feel
See at a glance which organisations hold
additional information
Simple list of individuals working with the child
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The SAFETYNET SystemPractitioner Information
Primary Contact information is maintained on all
SAFETYNET users
Clear organisational attachment information
A fully self contained, secure e-mail system
allowing confidential information to be e-mailed
across organisation boundaries
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The Sheffield SAFETYNET SystemMaking an enquiry
Simple Information search that can make use of
wildcards
Notification of missing or lost children
Clear functions to minimise the infringement of
individual privacy
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The Sheffield SAFETYNET SystemGeneral Enquiries
and Early Identification
Minimal information about the child or young
person
Reasons for viewing records are requested and
audited
General Enquiry is formally utilised as part of
the SAFETYNET identification processes
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The Sheffield SAFETYNET SystemEarly
Identification of Potential Vulnerability

• All children and young people between 0 and 19
  years of age will be included, there is no
  vulnerability list a non-stigmatising
  approach
• Children and Young People are not tagged or
  labelled
• Simple rules, ensuring key analysis and decisions
  are made by practitioners, not computer systems
• Based on the current model employed by the Child
  Protection Register
• Identification of potential concerns to enable
  preventative, early intervention if required

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The Sheffield SAFETYNET SystemA Self-supporting
Service Directory
Simple navigation options to allow the directory
to be read more like a paper based system
Summary information to allow for a quick review
of what the service offers.
Use of icons to indicate the methods available
for referral
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The Sheffield SAFETYNET System On-Line Service
Requests
SAFETYNET record that will have the service
request attached to it for audit purposes
SAFETYNET will pre-populate known information
Form contains only those fields specified as
required by the service themselves
On-line replication of the DoH Assessment
Framework form
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ConclusionsSupporting Children and Families first

• SHIRT and SAFETYNET are foundation stones for the
  the future of truly integrated children's
  services in Sheffield
• SHIRT promotes the recommendations and ideals
  outlined in the recent Green Paper Every Child
  Matters and the Laming report
• There must never be another tragic case where a
  child suffers as a result of professionals not
  sharing what they know.I would strongly
  encourage practitioners to be driven by the needs
  of children and young peopletogether we can
  deliver better outcomes for all.
•  RT Hon Margaret Hodge MBE MP
• Minister of State for Children

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• The SHIRT project team can be contacted
• By telephone [phone]
• By Email shirt_at_sheffield.gov.uk
• Via our web site www2.sheffield.gov.uk/shirt
• As the SHIRT Voluntary Sector Champion,Annie
  Franklin can be contacted
• By telephone [phone]
• By mobile [phone]
• By Email anniefranklin_at_UK2.net.