2.2 Access to Family Support Services

General Principles
The Intensive Family Support Team
CAST
MAST
Mother and Baby/Parent and Baby Assessments

For support services to children with disabilities, see Children with Disabilities Procedure

1. General Principles

The following principles will inform the provision of family support services for Children in Need and their families:

It is a key function of family support to strengthen families and enhance prevention, thereby reducing the need for children to become Looked After.
Culturally appropriate services will be provided that are relevant to a child’s race, ethnicity, religion and culture.
The safety of children will be given paramount consideration and services will work to ensure that they are safeguarded.
Most cases of family support will be short-term problem-solving interventions that are designed to enable decisions to be made about future service provision for children and their families. The vast majority of family support resources will not be provided for more than one year.
Services should be provided on the basis of an assessment of need in accordance with the Assessment Framework. Where the request for service provision is non-complex/"one-off", an Initial Assessment will suffice for a referral to commence such services.
Children should, wherever possible, receive services from mainstream, “universal” provision such as those provided by education, health and housing.
Where resources are limited, they should be allocated to those who are most in need. Ultimately the Service Manager, Family Support Services, will determine the allocation of resources on the basis of the assessed level of identified need.
Family support resources will be provided in partnership with children, their families, and other relevant agencies including Sure Start and Children's Fund services.
Packages of family support will be offered in a flexible manner to meet the needs of the child and within the appropriate timescales. This could include a single service or combination of services. Which service option is chosen will depend on the needs of the child. The social worker and his or her team manager will be asked to confirm that the resources offered are appropriate.
Packages of support will be planned, reviewed and ceased within the context of multi-disciplinary/agency work that is fully inclusive of the views and input of the child and his or her family.
Once the resources have been identified, the social worker will convene a Child In Need Planning Meeting - see Child's Plans and Reviews Procedure. A representative of the resource to be involved will attend.

2. The Intensive Family Support Team

The Intensive Family Support Team provides family support services, including family/parenting assessments, for Children in Need at Levels 3 or 4 of the eligibility criteria.
The Team's services can only be accessed by referral from team managers elsewhere in Children and Families.
The team manager making the referral will send a copy of the Initial Assessment/Core Assessment to the Intensive Family Support team manager.
The team manager will then establish whether the services required can be provided by the team and advise the child's social worker of the outcome of the referral.
Where a referral is accepted, case responsibility does not transfer to the Intensive Family Support Team.
Once the referral is accepted, the social worker will convene a Child in Need Planning Meeting - see Child's Plans and Reviews Procedure. A representative of the Intensive Family Support Team will attend.

3. CAST

CAST (Community Advice and Support Team) provides family support services for children and families at Level 2 or above of the eligibility criteria.
The Team's services can be accessed by referral from team managers elsewhere in Children and Families or from the community - for example following a CAF.
The team manager making the referral will send a copy of the Initial Assessment/Core Assessment to the CAST manager.
The CAST manager will then establish whether the services required can be provided by the team and advise the child's social worker of the outcome of the referral.
Once the referral is accepted, the social worker will convene a Child in Need Planning Meeting - see Child's Plans and Reviews Procedure. A representative of CAST will attend and case responsibility will transfer to CAST.

4. MAST

MAST (Multi Agency Support Team) provides therapeutic and practical family support services for children and families at Level 3 or above of the eligibility criteria or children who are Looked After.
The Team's services can be accessed by referral from team managers elsewhere in Children and Families following a Core Assessment. It is a condition of the acceptance of a referral by MAST that the child must have an allocated social worker.
The team manager making the referral will send a copy of the Core Assessment to the MAST manager and confirm the name of the allocated social worker.
The MAST manager will then establish whether the services required can be provided by the team and advise the child's social worker of the outcome of the referral.
Once the referral is accepted for a Child in Need, the social worker will convene a Child In Need Planning Meeting - see Child's Plans and Reviews Procedure. A representative of MAST will attend and case responsibility will transfer to CAST.
For Looked After Children, the plan for the work will be agreed at a Looked After Review or other appropriate planning meeting and become part of the child's Care Plan.

5. Mother and Baby/Parent and Baby Assessments

5.1

In exceptional circumstances it may be appropriate for parent and baby assessments to be undertaken within a residential setting. Assessments may be appropriate for a mother, father or in some circumstances for both parents, together with their child/children. Such a decision will be as a result of assessment and planning that includes a risk analysis or may be at the direction of a court. The allocation of the resource for such an assessment will be agreed according to the delegated budgetary authority - see Delegated Budgetary Authority Appendix.