Childrens Trust Arrangements

Children’s Trust Arrangements (CTA) Briefing

Children’s Trust Arrangements (CTA) Briefing

Overview

Children’s Trust Arrangement’s have been introduced nationally as a result of the Children Act 2004. The Act makes it clear that organisations cannot continue to work separately in delivering services to children. Instead they must work together to ensure that all children are:

• Staying Safe;
• Enjoying and Achieving;
• Healthy;
• Contributing Positively; and
• Achieving Economic Well Being.

ContactPoint is a new national system that aims to make services better for children and young people. It is a contacts list for people who work with children and young people and it will provide them with a quick way to find out who else is working with the same child, making it easier for them to work as a team and deliver more co-ordinated support.

More information on ContactPoint can be found on the Government's Every Child Matters website: www.ecm.gov.uk

More information can also be found at www.manchester.gov.uk/cta

If you want to discuss ContactPoint and how it affects you, you can get in touch with our ContactPoint team at contactpoint@manchester.gov.uk

Contact Point Briefing Note

“Easier and faster communication between children’s services is essential” Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

Good communications and appropriate information sharing is vital to ensure children and young people receive the best services possible. These principles are at the heart of Manchester’s Children and Young People’s plan which build on the aims set out in the Government’s Every Child Matters programme.

Click here to see the ContactPoint leaflet.

Quotes about ContactPoint

Cherrylyn Senior, Chair of Children and Families Committee, British Association of Social Workers, said:

“BASW has been pleased to help with the development of ContactPoint by contributing to consultation documents, calling for members’ comments, being part of various discussions, and continuing to raise awareness. ContactPoint should help social workers to identify quickly other professionals who are working with the family and to see whether the child is known to other services. It is a tool that should assist the work of social workers, though of course it will not replace the need for verbal communication between agencies.”

Click Read More to see more quotes about ContactPoint.

Information Sharing Guidance

Recognising that most decisions to share information require professional judgment, this cross-government guidance aims to improve practice by giving practitioners clearer guidance on when and how they can share information legally and professionally about an individual with whom they are in contact. It seeks to provide clarity on the legal framework for practitioners sharing information and give practitioners confidence in making decisions.

The guidance is for front-line practitioners who have to make decisions about sharing personal information on a case-by-case basis.

The guidance includes:

Information Sharing: Guidance for practitioners and managers - giving practitioners clear practical guidance, drawing on experience and the public consultation.

InformationSharing: Pocket guide - a summary of the key decision-making considerations (see below for printing instructions).

Information Sharing: Case examples - a set of case examples which illustrate information sharing situations

Information Sharing: Further guidance on legal issues - a summary of the laws affecting information sharing in respect of children and young people, updated to reflect the 2008 version of the guidance.

Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

The Common Assessment Framework (CAF) is a key part of delivering frontline services that are integrated and focused around the needs of children and young people. The CAF is a standardised approach to conducting an assessment of a child's additional needs and deciding how those needs should be met. It can be used by practitioners across children's services in England.

The CAF will promote more effective, earlier identification of additional needs, particularly in universal services. It is intended to provide a simple process for a holistic assessment of a child's needs and strengths, taking account of the role of parents, carers and environmental factors on their development. Practitioners will then be better placed to agree, with the child and family, about what support is appropriate. The CAF will also help to improve integrated working by promoting co-ordinated service provision.

Childrens Trust Arrangements