Contact: Penny Corsar, ext 023 9244 1527, E-mail: [email protected]

1 Report Summary

1.1 The aim of this report is to provide information about the Leigh Park Family and School Support Team (FASST) how it has performed, and to make recommendations as to how the service can be developed in other areas of Hampshire.

1.2 The model of the FASST team supports Aim 1 of the Corporate strategy (Maximising life chances for children) by providing packages of support to help children reach their potential. It also supports Aim 4 of the Corporate Strategy (Building strong and safe communities) by local agencies/professionals working in partnership to provide services. The model also supports Aim 5 of the Corporate Strategy (Improving services) by helping children and families from hard to reach groups access services and a network of local professionals working collaboratively to provide a co-ordinated service.

2 Contextual Information

2.1 In Leigh Park, there are children and young people whose needs cannot be met by education alone; these needs often call for intervention and support from outside agencies. Children and families often have complex and /or chronic needs and can be overloaded with 'help' from different agencies or receive no help at all because they don't meet the agency criteria. Leigh Park is an Education Action Zone (EAZ) due to the high levels of assessed deprivation and poor school performance.

2.2 The service comprises of a `core team' (Team Co-ordinator, Family Support Workers and a Primary Mental Health Worker) funded by the EAZ and The Children's Fund. The multi-agency element of the team comprises of, Social Workers, Education Welfare, Connexions, Youth Service, Primary Mental Health Worker, School Nursing, Police, School Counsellor, Psychotherapist, Education Psychology, Child and Family Therapy, Family Group Conference Co-ordinator, Behaviour Support Team, Teachers)

2.3 The team works to support the fourteen schools within the Education Action Zone, serving pupils, families and teachers. Schools can refer pupils / families where they feel the child's learning is being impaired. Each school has a Home/School Link Worker (HSLW) who will discuss a referral to FASST with the parent. The team meet weekly to look at referrals to decide upon a co-ordinated response to the needs of the child and their family.

2.4 Some of the benefits of working in this way are that:

_ it utilises the skill and experience of people from different agencies / school at relatively little extra cost, by making use of available resource.

_ co-ordinates the network and enables professionals to work collaboratively.

_ Duplication of processes and services is avoided.

_ Children are protected - avoiding children falling through the net.

_ The service is mediated by school staff in the school building allowing contact with hard to reach groups in a non-stigmatising way.

_ There is equal partnership with children and families, not `doing to - doing with'.

_ Working preventatively - able to pick up difficulties at an earlier stage.

_ Service users dealing with people they know; parents and children have a voice and feel listened to.

_ No waiting list.

_ Teachers and school staff are supported and workers are excited at working in this way.

2.5 The impact since the service started in 2002 has been:

_ Reduction in permanent exclusions and numbers of referrals to Social Services.

_ Influencing Head-teacher behaviour re: behaviour management, exclusion, parent's / school relationship and understanding disadvantage.

_ Professionals are working in a different way, delivering services in schools.

_ Delivery of service is easier and quicker through networking and joint working. Workers feel supported.

_ Improved relationship between school staff and parents.

_ Sharing of information in a safe and uncomplicated way.

_ Reducing burden on Head-teachers allowing them to concentrate on improving standards.

_ Early intervention allows early resolution of problems.

_ Teachers understanding reasons why children are experiencing difficulties.

2.6 The ethos of the team is to keep everything simple, solutions, procedures and paperwork.. We want to find ways to help rather than finding reasons not to help. Some of our work is pointing people to the right service for their needs. The parent and child are fully involved in the assessment and intervention process, including representation on the Steering Group. School staff share the responsibility throughout the process, via the HSLW. We are needs led and flexible. The behaviour of a child is not the focus of our work., instead we support the whole family to find a resolution to the difficulties.

3 Conclusions

3.1 The EAZ and The Children's Fund has made it possible for FASST to work in the Leigh Park area. The service / model could be grown in other areas of Hampshire where there are similar levels of need. The service may need to look different to that of Leigh Park but the principles would be the same.

3.2 Strong leadership with a clear vision of the service is essential at a strategic and operational level. Practitioners will need direction to work in this way, managers need to make it possible by actively encouraging staff to work preventatively. Therefore, investment in time to grow the service, identify and train personnel in the network to be able to work across boundaries is required.

3.3 Commitment will be required from Head-teachers and school staff to work with the service.

3.4 A financial investment is required for core teams to be formed, in order that the multi-agency team can be shaped and sustained.

4 Recommendations

4.1 That the PRC note the contents of this report and note that the FASST team approach is a possible contribution to the County Council's work in the light of the Children's Bill.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The Following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt of confidential information as defined in the Act.

None