Agenda item

Purpose of report: To provide an update on the Early Help System

Witnesses:
Garath Symonds, Assistant Director for Commissioning and Prevention
Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children and Families Wellbeing
Mary Lewis, Cabinet Associate for Children, Schools and Families

Declarations of interests:

None

Key points of discussion:

1. It was noted that that the programme of change was part of an overall strategy for the improvement plan following the Ofsted inspection in 2015.
   
   
2. Officers explained that there was in excess of 64,000 contacts made to the service per annum with regard to safeguarding children. It was highlighted that the MASH served to allow the service to determine whether a child was able to receive Early Help as a preventative measure, or if formal social care service was required.
   
   
3. It was highlighted that the new service would provide help to all children and adults, noting that all who had requested a safeguarding referral for children were provided help through either a formal service or through the Early Help system.
   
   Hazel Watson left the meeting at 12.30pm
   
   
4. The Board questioned whether the service had a resource bank of information relating to partner organisations in the voluntary, community and faith sector. Officers confirmed that this was the case and that there was an attempt to work closer with partner organisations going forward, noting work with church organisations that was due to take place as part of phase two of the development process. It was agreed that, as part of this closer working with partners, the Assistant Director for Commissioning and Prevention would work closely with the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) Task Group of the Social Care Services Board in future.
   
   
5. The Cabinet Member for Children and Families Wellbeing and Cabinet Associate for Children, Schools and Families highlighted the Safer Surrey approach to practice with children and families, and the that this a strength based approach.. It was noted that the MASH and EH were a key aspect of this new strong and collaborative approach between the service and its partner organisations.
   
   
6. The Cabinet Member for Children and Families Wellbeing informed the Board that once the MASH had been embedded, it would create additional capacity in the system and there would be scope to restructure teams in the four quadrants. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that the VCFS had a key role to play in the delivery of early help.

7. The Cabinet Member highlighted that there had been a need to increase capacity to deliver Early Help and address actions set out in the improvement plan. The Board was informed that this was being supported by external consultants, funded through an additional investment that had been agreed as part of an Early Help transformation fund.
   
   

Recommendations

The Board thanks officers for the report, and recognises the good progress made to date in establishing the MASH. It recommends:

1.    That officers report progress of Early Help and the MASH in six months, including how benefits are being realised and how emerging key issues have been addressed

It is requested that the Performance and Finance Sub-Group are updated regularly on the following:

2.    efforts to reduce the number of contacts to the MASH where a child’s case is already open to Children’s Services, and

3.    the issues that have arisen as a result of the new IMT modules and what is being undertaken to improve the system.

with matters to be escalated to the Board if appropriate.