Area Coordination Management Meeting

Stalybridge, Dukinfield and Mossley

Minutes

Time: 2:15pm - 3:50pm
Date: Thursday 20 September 2007
Venue: Micklehurst All Saints C of E Primary School

Present:

• Julie Lord - Area Coordinator
• Anne Short - Primary School Rep, Yew Tree
• Tracy Wood - PCT
• Linda Sidebottom - New Charter
• Maria Schofield - Children's Centres/Extended Schools
• Jane Parsons - Assessment & Support Team
• Sue Collins - Primary School Rep, Arlies Primary School
• Liz Price - Education Welfare
• Tina Wills - YOT
• Gillian Barratt - Primary School Rep, Micklehurst All Saints
• Karen Davies - Domestic Violence Project

Note Taker: Rachel Lees

Item 1: Welcome

Julie welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially to Karen Davies who would give a presentation on the Domestic Violence Project. Round the table introductions were made.

Item 2: Apologies

• Gabrielle Bold, Stalybridge Family Support Team
• Kath Nixon, Inclusive Services
• Sue Nathan, Youth Service (although Pauline Venus would attend on her behalf)

Item 3: Notes of last meeting and matter arising

The minutes were approved as a true and correct record, save for the following amendment:

• Page 4, Item 7, Action Item, 1 st line – amend “PAT” to “PACT”

Item 4: Information from Karen Davies – Domestic Violence Project

Karen Davies talked about domestic violence projects set up following a bid by Julie and Sue Garnett for funding from the Children's Workforce Development Council. Funding was available until May 2008 but it was hoped it would be extended. Their remit was to set up support groups for people who were victims of domestic abuse and to set up drama presentations. A support group was available at Waterloo Children's Centre on Tuesdays from 4:00-5:00 pm although the Centre would be open until 6:00 pm. This was a closed group for 10 weeks via a referral process and an appropriate adult would be invited in during the penultimate week. Three young people had been signed up by the Sanctuary Project and a further three were required. Jim Taylor had distributed leaflets to Headteachers and a pilot questionnaire had been sent to secondary schools. Groups were needed to provide support for children who did not meet the threshold. 5 schools had signed up to the drama group with a script from Eyewitness Theatre. School nurses, PHSE teachers and learning mentors had been asked to get statistics about children who had been living with domestic abuse both before and after the drama presentation to see if increase in disclosure.

A drop-in centre was available for 11-16 year olds for 2 hours on Thursdays. The group would be working with Victim Support to support young people and parents with support available throughout the process such as court appearances and rehousing. Level 1 counselling skills were available and if funding was offered then those young people could be given support so that they could be mentors for others.

• Tracy asked for criteria regarding referrals and Karen responded that anyone could refer a young person if they were in an abusive relationship.
• Anne asked how the young people would get to Waterloo and Karen replied that she would pick them up. She said that 50% of young people who lived in a domestic abuse situation would become victims of bullying because they would not retaliate. It affected their self-esteem, school, work and relationships with others.
• Anne asked if there was limited success if the young person was returning home to an abusive situation and Karen replied that they would have learned coping skills and would know where to get further support.
• Julie noted that boys under 14 years old were not accepted at women's refuges, which was a major issue for women who wanted to leave.
• Karen said that if anyone wanted a referral form they should email her and she would send one out. Flyers were distributed at the meeting

Julie thanked Karen for her presentation.

Item 5: Area Action Plan

5.1 Updates

Action Plan no 2.1 & 2.2: Integrated Processes

469 people had completed training on JASPER and the JASPER database figures from 5 September for this area showed that 210 people had logged on with information to share. 7 actions had been taken, 1 CAF had been completed and 15 lead professionals were assigned.

Julie advised that the flow chart had been amended and sent to managers. It would be incorporated into the revised Children's Needs Framework and the documentation would be launched with the Tameside Children's Safeguarding Board on 1 October. CAF would go live after the launch.

Three Common Process Practice Workshops would be held in each area with 20-25 people attending each session. Some school links workers are funded through the Children's Fund and their future roles could be developed as to how they can support the CAF process, but it would have go through the commissioning process.

Action Plan no 4.4: Autumn Change for Children Events

Following the last meeting, it was decided to look at the format of these events to make them less formal to encourage community attendance and to link with the openings of Children's Centres. The first event would be on 17 October at Waterloo with information stands available (Children's Centre, sports development, PCT good food/good health, etc). A comment wall would be available as an informal way of receiving feedback.

Action Plan no 3.5: Draft Staff Directory

Julie would email the Directory to the Team who were asked to provide her with more information or to correct errors. She said that the Directory would also be web-based and linked to the Service Information Directory although separate passwords and log-in would be necessary. One person within each Service would have to take responsibility for keeping the Directory up to date.

• Liz suggested that the Directory could become part of the induction process
• Anne said that a paper-based Directory was more useful and that a list of things you didn't know existed was needed
• Tracy asked how much detail was required and whether there should be specific sections for special schools.

Julie noted that an Administrator for the four Area Coordinators would be recruited shortly.

5.2 New Actions

Action Plan no 2.3: Referral arrangements

Julie asked whether a common referral form should be considered rather than having different referral forms for different services. There needed to be differentiation between referrals at Levels 1-2 (pre-CAF) and Levels 3-5 (post CAF) and clarification of the difference between a referral and a request for services.

• Tracy noted that the assets form was a statutory requirement but much information was common.
• Liz said that it was difficult to use CAF as a generic reference because CAF was done with consent – many services were not given a choice!
• Maria noted that if the CAF was service-specific then it would be lengthy.
• Anne said that basic information was needed as to which service to refer to and why. A simple way to present the initial information was required, which may need a further form for information. She also noted that the CAF could become redundant if the referral route was followed.
• Liz reminded the team that a CAF should be completed when there was an unmet need

The consensus was that services still needed their own systems. She asked team members to email her with their referral forms.

Action Plan no 9.1: Area profile of need and services

Julie asked the team for their impression of the draft profile. Local information was being gathered from various sources to build up a picture of what happened in one area. This would be used as a tool to identify need and to support the commissioning and development of new services.

• Tracy asked if the area map of multiple deprivation could be split up into much more localised areas or wards.

Julie asked the team to email her with their comments.

Item 6: Ashton Pilot

Julie and Sue Garnett had been caretaking for the Ashton ACMT. A pilot scheme was looking into agencies going into Stamford School and Julie would see if progress had been made at the Ashton team meeting on 27 September.

Tina noted that Community Safety had completed the same scheme last year and she would send Julie the relevant information.

Item 7: AOB – Updates

Tina

A police-led initiative with a multi-agency approach was targeting young people in Ridgehill. This was funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (which was not available in every area). There was an increase in referrals from primary schools.

Liz

EWOs continued to do targeted work regarding non-attendance and two persistent absence schools were identified by DCSF but Government criteria had recently changed. They would continue to deliver services in relation to need.

Maria

An update of building works on Children's Centres was given, with Ridgehill's open day on Monday 24 September. Lyndhurst building was on track and Mossley building work was going well. Teens and Toddlers had started with positive feedback received.

Linda

The junior youth club was operating and services would improve. Family learning events were taking place across Mossley and Stalybridge.

Anne

Teens and Tots groups were running and a group discussion took place.

Tracy

The second phase of refurbishment work of Mossley Clinic would start soon.

Julie

Julie and Tina had attended an event bringing conflicting things together (LA prevention and targeting) which would result in a neighbourhood plan being drawn up. She also went to the Government Office in Liverpool to hear a presentation from the Director of Kent Children's Services regarding information on poverty with statistics provided by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. If anyone wanted the information Julie would send it to them.

Item 8: Date of next meeting

15 November 2007 at Dukinfield Children's Centre at 2:00pm.

Glossary

• ACMT Area Co-ordination Management Team
• BEST Behaviour and Education Support Team
• CAF Common Assessment Framework
• CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
• CLT Children's Leadership Team
• COLT Consolidation of Learning Team
• CRB Criminal Records Bureau
• CWDC Children's Workforce Development Council
• CYPSP Children and Young People Strategic Partnership
• ECM Every Child Matters
• EWO Education Welfare Officer
• JAR Joint Area Review
• JASPER Joint Assessment System for Prevention and Early Referral
• NEET Not in Education, Employment or Training
• NOF New Opportunities Fund
• PCT Primary Care Trust
• RASH Ridgehill, Arlies, Springs & Hague
• SEN Special Educational Needs
• SENCO Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator
• SCYP Services for Children and Young People
• T3SC Tameside Third Sector Coalition
• TASH Tameside Association of Secondary Head teachers
• TRASST Traveller, Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Team
• VCF Voluntary, Community, Faith (sector)
• YOF Youth Opportunity Fund