Children in need of help and protection (health and wellbeing needs in South Tyneside)
Community assets and services
Everyone who works with children, including teachers, GPs, nurses, emergency workers, health workers, police, youth workers, voluntary and community workers and social workers is responsible for identifying children in need of help and protections, and for acting to safeguard their welfare. In Working Together To Safeguard Children, the government has set out statutory responsibilities to safeguard children, and provided guidance to support practitioners to recognised signs of abuse and neglect. The South Tyneside Safeguarding Children Board is responsible for co-ordinating the work of statutory partners and challenging the effectiveness of front-line practice in safeguarding and supporting children.
The table below identifies levels of risk, and the corresponding services available.
Children and Young People at risk | Available services |
|---|---|
| Universal services, with safeguarding The child or young persons needs will be met through a universal service, such as a nursery, school, health visitor, children's centre.
Professionals are prepared through Safeguarding training to identify and respond to any emerging problem, abuse or neglect should it occur. |
| Universal services A practitioner in any agency who identifies unmet needs for a child or young person will consider how these needs can best be met, using the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) process to help assess and plan to meet needs, usually within their own agency.
The SEND team work with children who have special educational needs |
| Early Help The emphasis is on strengthening and supporting families to develop their own resilience and capacity. A professional takes the role of Early Help Lead and pulls together a multi-agency a Team around the family. An Early Help Assessment is undertaken with child and family to assess their needs. Agencies work together to provide a network of support to the child or young person and their family, develop and implement an Early Help Plan and review progress.
|
| Children's Social Care lead multi-agency planning and support through a Child in Need Plan, Child Protection procedures or accommodation by Children's Social Care.
Children's Disability Team offer support to children and families whose conditions and circumstances are complex and social care intervention is required.
Youth Justice Team lead multi-agency interventions in response to Youth Court Orders. |
ISIT
Provides our 'front door' for referrals in to Children's Services. The ISIT (Integrated Safeguarding and Interventions Team) is a multi-agency team which receives contacts and referrals from professionals and members of the public who are concerned about a child. The team includes representatives from Education, Early Help, Police, STFT and Probation services, who are co-located to enable swift and effective information sharing and decision making. "Virtual" team members from NTW, Housing and Adult Social Care extend the reach of the ISIT.
Strengthening and Supporting Families
There are 4 child protection and proceedings teams that work directly with children and young people who are at risk of significant harm, ensuring that their wishes and feeling are heard and considered. Their remit includes: families in the pre-proceedings process, public and private law proceedings, looked after children, and children who are subject to supervision orders or a child protection plan.
Edge of Care (Families First)
The service will provide various outreach and in-reach interventions; and offer short break weekend accommodation for young people where this is an assessed need and part of their Support Plan. We will work in partnership with families in the community, foster care families, adoptive families and our residential children's homes to help and support them to stay together, or to separate positively, based on best interest decision-making.
Specialist services
These services offer specialist support and intervention:
Youth Justice - The Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a multi-disciplinary agency working in partnership to reduce entrance to the youth justice system and prevent re-offending.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services The Lifecycle Service provides a whole person tier 2 therapeutic and non-therapeutic services to young people of any age and their families. Tier two supports young people who have difficulties with attachment, behaviour, eating disorders, development, emerging OCD, anxiety and depression. A key role for the Lifecycle Service is providing the children and young people's IAPT programme (Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies). The lifecycle service collapses the age boundaries associated with young people service to ensure there are no issues with transition.
Children and Young People's Service (CYPS) - Northumberland Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust The service consists of a multidisciplinary team of mental health practitioners including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, psychological therapists and psychologists, occupational therapists and administrative staff. The integrated team operates to meet tier 3 specialist mental health needs of all children and young people regardless of their circumstances or other needs. The service can also provide consultation, advice and support directly to families but also to other agencies working with children and young people presenting with mental health.
Homefinder service - Young people who are 16 - 17 and homeless present at the Homefinder service based within South Tyneside Homes, where we have a commissioned service run by the De Paul Trust dedicated to ensuring that young people receive accommodation and support, with referral to Children's Social Care if needed.
Matrix works with young people under 18 in South Tyneside, their families and carers. The service provides help, support and advice to those whose lives have been affected by drug and alcohol misuse or those who are at risk of developing drug and alcohol problems.
Sanctuary South is a multi-agency project which builds on learning from the successful Police led "Operation Sanctuary" investigating sexual crimes against vulnerable people. The service offers interventions for young people who are the victims of sexual exploitation, including confidential and comfortable space, and specialist support provided in partnership with Barnardo's.
Operation Encompass safeguards children and young people who are affected by domestic abuse through information sharing and reporting protocols that ensure that schools are aware of an incident affecting children at the earliest possible opportunity.
The Council has delivered a programme of awareness raising and a range of tools to support schools in addressing the FGM and the PREVENTduty. Each school has a Home Office accredited Single Point of Contact.
Young Persons Domestic Violence Advisor (YPVA) Provides a safe and supportive response to teenagers aged 13- 17 who are direct victims of relationship abuse and a range of interpersonal violence. This could include abuse in intimate and family relationships, gang related violence, "honour" based violence and cyber stalking.
Bright Futures
Bright Futures works with young women aged 11 - 25 around a range of issues to raise their self-esteem and confidence around a range of issues which affect them including alcohol and substance misuse, sexual health and relationships, homelessness, family relationships, friendships, school, education, training, crime and anti-social behaviour.
Relationships Works
Relationship Works, based in Ocean Road Community Association, provides young people with advice about family and sexual relationships through a number of drop-in sessions and educational intervention at schools, to educate teenagers about healthy relationships.