Once an assessment and plan have been completed the next step is to review the plan with the support of the Team Around the Family (TAF). The TAF is a model of multi-agency service delivery. Members of the TAF are jointly responsible for developing and delivering the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) plan.
The purpose of this plan is to meet the needs of the child or young person and achieve the intended outcomes identified in the Early Help assessment. Each member of the TAF is responsible for delivering the activities they agreed to carry out as part of the SMART plan. Each member of the TAF is responsible for keeping the other members of the team informed about progress in their area of responsibility, providing reports promptly and attending meetings when requested.
Delays in information sharing adds delay to families accessing support. Good communication between TAF members, including family members, is critical. All TAF members should contribute to the plan and take on associated tasks as necessary. TAF members should support the lead practitioner by providing information, offering guidance and advice. They should also contribute actively and positively to problem solving or resolving difficulties.
The plan can be reviewed by either arranging a meeting where by all TAF members and the family can attend, or, collating information from the TAF members and reviewing the plan with the family without holding a TAF meeting.
If a TAF review meeting is required it is important all family members are included. Where a child is unable to attend the meeting their views should be gathered beforehand and presented at the meeting. In this instance the child should also be informed updated about the outcome of the meeting afterwards.
TAF meetings should be flexible and friendly, where everyone is viewed as having an equal contribution and equal responsibility. They should stay solution focussed with the outcomes for the family being the priority. Click here if you would need more information on conducting a TAF meeting. (document pop up)
TAF review meetings provide an opportunity for all relevant agencies to attend in order to discuss and contribute towards the family TAF plan.
Example action plan:
Once work has been completed and outcomes have been achieved Early Help process should be recorded as closed. This should be agreed with the child/young person and parent/carer(s) and other practitioners involved at the team around the family. Ensure that the Closure Form is completed in the EHM system.
An Early Help Plan may be closed for a number of reasons:
- the family’s needs are now well understood, and the appropriate intervention has taken place to demonstrate that the family have achieved their outcomes (in most cases this should be within a year)
- the family has withdrawn their consent to Early Help support
- the children have reached adulthood
- the family, or significant family members have left the Borough (if moving to another local authority within England, the family should be transferred and offered equivalent support.
- if the issues are escalating and it is decided that a Specialist or statutory assessment is required
A final summary must be included in the closure and can be completed using the Closure Form in EHM. This must include information about the reasons for closing the plan and any ongoing actions for the family or practitioners in Universal services. A final copy of the action plan must be given to the family. It is the responsibility of the Lead Practitioner to ensure the case is closed by their manager using EHM.