FAMILY FIRST ASSESSMENT / LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

Service Principles, Vision and Aims

The Local School Partnership Lead School and School Family Worker element of the Family Support School Partnership will support Hertfordshire school age children, young people and their families throughout their education to have the best start in life, develop well and support families and to be healthy and safe.

It will deliver interventions and support, through a skilled and confident workforce, that promotes and instils positive parental responsibility as part of the Families First agenda. The service, deployed primarily through the School Family Work function, will work with the whole family in the family home, at school or in a safe community place e.g. public library, family centre, coffee shop.

The focus is to work with the whole family holistically to deliver the following aims:

  • Safeguard children
  • Promote:
    • positive health and wellbeing
    • personal development, learning and engagement
    • engagement in learning for the whole family –including signposting parents to relevant learning opportunities
  • Raise attainment
  • Improve family outcomes

Cheshunt Local Partnerships (LPs) –  Worker role is delivered via CHEXS, through an agreement with Goffs secondary school (Lead School).

CHEXS supports the Early Help Module (EHM) process at the request of the school to fit in with the school/family availability. CHEXS provides on-going information and advice to support the EHM process.  

What we plan to do?

  • Undertake or coordinate Families First Assessment of children and family’ needs 
  • Contribution to and attendance at TAF where appropriate. 
  • Will undertake the Key Worker role where this is appropriate 

What are the benefits of an FFA?

  • Helps to identify support that can work for the whole family, rather than just individuals.  
  • It encourages early intervention, reducing the risk of a situation developing into a crisis.  
  • To identify gaps in support, as well as additional needs that have prevented families from engaging with support in the past.  
  • To support integrated ways of working across child and adult services and will reduce duplication of work.  
  • Families get the support of a Key Worker who coordinates the provision of support and acts as a single point of contact with the whole family when a range of services are involved and a multi-agency response is required.  
  • The FFA reduces overlap and inconsistencies in the services received by using an agreed set of actions to deliver support. These actions should be reviewed and monitored regularly at Team around the Family (TAF) meetings

CHEXS Referral Process

If FFA support is required, the school should contact CHEXS team to advise of family circumstance to and complete relevant forms.