Children in need of help and protection (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)
High level priorities
- Continued integration across the partnership to ensure that children in need are identified at the earliest possible opportunity and families have access to the right service at the right time.
- Continued drive to provide support / help at an early stage to prevent families escalating to a statutory threshold for intervention. 'Think Family' approach and a Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for Early Help Practitioners. Support for Lead Practitioners to ensure that services are coordinated around the needs of children and their families.
- The Families First Project will work with South Tyneside's most vulnerable children, young people and families, and support them to stay together where this is a best interest decision.
- Refreshed practice response to children and families where domestic abuse is a feature including services for children, victims and perpetrators.
- A range of practice responses to neglect including the introduction of the graded care profile. Ensure that responses across the partnership enhance protective factors including parental resilience
- Improve insight into children and families experience of early intervention and support so that services reflect needs and priorities for each child, each family and for the Borough.