Decision details

During October 2020 – March 2021 there will be a number of inter-connected changes to improve the Early Help support offer for children and families, and the process for triaging need in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). These include:
• Restructuring of the Early Help and Family Support teams to a district model of working, including linking closely with schools and other local services;
• Development of an integrated Children’s Services team in the MASH;
• System changes to: move Early Help casework onto the Mosaic system; introduce a single children’s services contact and referral record; and replace the existing online referral form with a children’s services referral portal which links directly to Mosaic.
The report seeks approval to create additional temporary capacity in the Early Help service to support development of the place-based delivery model for Early Help; and to prevent any decline in the timeliness or quality of Early Help decision making and service delivery during a 6 month period in which service structures and systems are in transition.

RESOLVED - That:
1. 50% of the time of an Early Help Development Team supervisor to be allocated to supporting the introduction of the team around the school and community model. In support of this 50% of the cost of the post from 1 October 2020 - 31 March 2021 will be funded from DfE social care transformation funding for Team Around the School
2. Early Help capacity within the MASH be strengthened by:
a) Appointing an agency Senior Practitioner for a 6 month period from 1 December 2020 – 31 May 2021 to provide additional capacity in triaging Early Help casework and ensure continuity of leadership during a period in which structures are changing, avoiding any reduction in the timeliness or quality of decision-making for children and families;
b) Temporarily increasing Early Help capacity in the MASH by extending an existing maternity cover arrangement for a Customer Service Officer to receive an honorarium to act as an Early Help Process officer from 27 September 2020 – 31 March 2021;
c) A Children’s Social Care MASH Customer Service Officer to receive an honorarium to act as Early Help Process officer to support development of the skills of the Early Help front door team in social care systems (increase 2 scale points from Grade 4 to Grade 5 from 1 September 2020 – March 2021)
d) Increasing the hours of a Grade 2 Business Support officer from half-time to full-time for six weeks to input data on currently open cases into the Mosaic system as part of the transition of all Early Help casework with children and families into this system

Option 1 - To agree the additional temporary capacity
Option 2 - Not to agree the additional temporary capacity

Option 2 - Not to agree the additional temporary capacity

There has been consultation with the teams affected, HR, finance, legal services and the Director of Children's Social Care