Finding the right referral pathway

Start

I want to refer a family that needs helpIf you are aware of a family that lives in Hertfordshire and needs support, this toolkit enables you to make sure they receive theright kind of help. It asks a few simple questions about the family’s needs, existing support and your agency’s ability to engage withthe family. It takes only a few minutes, and by the end of it you’ll know the support the family requires and who is best to deliver it.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

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Help! Stuck? The orange help bubble will tell you who can help

Need to go back a step? Use these buttons at the bottom right

Jump to a specific section using the arrows at the top

Before you start, some things to consider

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This toolkit is not for Safeguarding referrals. If youthink a child is at risk of significant harm, report suchconcerns now. If you think a child is at risk ofsignificant and immediate harm, call 999.

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Yes

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is a Families First Assessment in place?

No

Before starting, it is important to know if a family is already receiving support via anopen Families First Assessment. This is the tool early help professionals in Hertfordshireuse to assess a family’s needs.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Contact the family’s Keyworker and share information

Good news, the family is already supported. You do not need to progress the case any further. However,you may have information the family’s Keyworker does not. Please contact them to share information orcontact your Families First Co-Ordinator.

Information sharing between agencies is encouraged where a family has given agreement. If a familyalready has a Keyworker, it is reasonable to assume they have given agreement. Guidance on informationsharing can be found on the Gov.uk.

If you have a relationship with the family, the Keyworker may also ask you to join the Team Around theFamily (TAF). This is the multi-agency group of professionals providing support to the family.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Yes

Are there any young carers in the family?

No

Before assessing the whole family’s needs, you must identify if there are any youngcarers in the family. These are under 18s who provide or intend to provide care to afamily member.

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Family has given agreement for both a Families First Assessment and a Young

Carer Registration

If there is a young carer in the family, first check that their needs do not meet the Safeguarding intervention levels as per the Continuum of Need. If they do, report it immediately.

If their needs fall under any other category, the case will proceed to a Families First Assessment by default.

During that process, and whether or not you initiate the Families First Assessment, you must complete a Young Carer Registration. This enables Hertfordshire County Council to monitor the young person’s caring responsibilities after the FamiliesFirst Assessment has closed.

Both of these are contingent on the family’s agreement. Choose from the one of the options below to reflect the family’s wishes.

Young Carers

Family has not given agreement for either

Family has given agreement for a Young Carer Registration only

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

I have completed/will complete this and the case can now proceed to a Families First AssessmentThis will take you back to the main pathway for completing a Families First Assessment

At some point before or during the Families First Assessment, you must complete a Young Carer Registration. This is irrespectiveof whether you personally take the lead on the Families First Assessment.

To complete a Young Carer Registration:

• Email familiesfirstassessment@hertfordshire.gov.uk with the subject heading ‘Young Carer Registration’ and include in a secure email or password-protected document:

• The child’s date of birth• The family’s address(es) including postcode(s)• Confirmation that the family has given agreement to register a young carer

Complete a Young Carer Registration

Help! Not sure if a Young Carer Registration is already inplace? Contact young carers Young Carers in Herts

For practice questions, Please go to the practitioners area ofthe Families First portal Families First Portal

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Complete a Young Carer Registration

If the family has not given agreement for a Families First Assessment but is happy for you to complete a Young Carer Registration, please do the following.

Once complete, you can cease involvement.

To complete a Young Carer Registration:

• Email familiesfirstassessment@hertfordshire.gov.uk with the subject heading ‘Young Carer Registration’ and include in a secure email or password-protected document:

• The child’s date of birth• The family’s address(es) including postcode(s)• Confirmation that the family has given agreement to register a young carer

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Signpost the family to further support

If the family has not given agreement for either a Families First Assessment or a Young Carer Registration, you can cease involvement.

As part of that you may want to signpost the family to further services or support groups that can build the family’s resilience. The Families First Portal can help you find those services.

This includes smaller organisations and charities that you may have not yet come across.

Follow the grid below to find the services or groups that you can signpost the family to.

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

If the family isn’t already receiving support, the next step is to work out what level of support they require. Different levels ofneed require very different responses. Assessing their level of need ensures they receive the right kind of help.

In Hertfordshire, families’ needs are assessed on the Continuum of Need. It is a five-point scale from universal needs (i.e. thefamily’s needs are met) through to safeguarding (i.e. a child is at imminent risk of serious harm).

Take a look at pages 4-5 of the continuum and place the family’s needs in one of the five categories below. Then click on thatcategory to be taken to the right response.

Universal

The family’s needs are met by universal

services and they are thriving.

I think the family’s needs are:

Emerging

The family are experiencing additional unmet needs and are

just coping.

Targeted

The family are experiencing

sustained, persistent problems and are struggling to cope.

Intensive

The family are experiencing a range of complex needs and are

not coping.

Safeguarding & Specialist

The child is at risk of suffering significant

harm and/or at risk of harm to self and

others.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Signpost the family to the correct advice and guidance

If the family’s needs can be met using advice and guidance, there is a host of resources available.

The Families First Portal signposts struggling families to services , support groups and sources of advice that can help. This includes smaller organisations and charities that you might not yet be aware of.

The Portal focuses largely on Hertfordshire-based services. Also consider referring the family to national charities and sources of advice that you’re aware of that could help.

Follow the grid below to find local services or groups that you can signpost the family to.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

YesI think the family has the

capacity to self-help

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Do you think the familycould self-help with the right

advice and guidance?

NoI think a short-term piece of

work is required

For Emerging needs cases, there are generally two responses. You can enable the familyto self-help by referring them to the right advice and guidance, or, if you think this isunlikely to succeed, a short-term piece of work may address their needs.

Help! Not sure which of these is appropriate? Callthe Families First Helpdesk or the Consultation Hubfor Child Protection Advice.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Signpost the family to the correct advice and guidance

If the family’s needs can be met using advice and guidance, there is a host of resources available.

The Families First Portal signposts struggling families to services , support groups and sources of advice that can help. This includes smaller organisations and charities that you might not yet be aware of.

The Portal focuses largely on Hertfordshire-based services. Also consider referring the family to national charities and sources of advice that you’re aware of that could help.

Follow the grid below to find local services or groups that you can signpost the family to.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Help! Worried a short-term piece of work won’t be enough?Revisit the Continuum of Need to consider if the family’s needsare in fact Targeted or Intensive.

Undertake a short piece of work with the family, or refer to an agency that can

If a family is just coping, their needs can often be addressed with a short-term piece of work led by a single agency. Families First Assessments are rarely necessary for families with Emerging needs.

• If you are the right agency to undertake that work, there is a variety of resources to help you. Visit the Practitioners’ Area of the Families First Portal for local and national resources aimed at supporting professionals.

• If you are not the right agency to undertake that work, please refer the family to an agency that is. Single-agency requests typically do not go through the triage process. If you need help finding the right agency, visit the Families First Portal.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

No The family has not given

agreement to a Families First Assessment

Does the family agree to aFamilies First Assessment?

YesThe family has provided written

and/or verbal agreement

If the family have Targeted or Intensive needs, they will probably require a multi-agencyintervention, starting with a Families First Assessment (FFA).

This requires the family’s agreement. This agreement can be written or verbal. If thefamily do not give agreement, the intervention cannot go ahead.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Signpost the family to further support

If the family has not given agreement or withdrawn previously given agreement for a Families First Assessment you can cease involvement.

As part of that you may want to signpost the family to further services or support groups that can build the family’s resilience. The Families First Portal can help you find those services.

This includes smaller organisations and charities that you may have not yet come across.

Follow the grid below to find the services or groups that you can signpost the family to.

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

No We are not well placed to

initiate an intervention and/or are not EHM trained.

Could your agency initiate an intervention?

YesWe are well placed to initiate an intervention and are EHM

trained.

If the family has given agreement for a Families First Assessment (FFA), it can beinitiated.

If you are already in touch with the family, you may be well placed to initiate a FFA.Initiating a FFA does not mean leading the intervention, just working out who can.

This requires Early Help Module (EHM) access. If you do not have EHM access or do notknow what this is, please click ‘No’.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Make a safeguarding referral immediately

If you suspect a child is at risk of significant harm, for the child’s safety it is important that you make a safeguarding referral as soon as possible. You can either:

• Choose from one of the referral options on this page.

• If you think a child is at significant risk of immediate danger, call 999.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

If you are not able to initiate an intervention, please complete a Families First Request.

You can either:

• Call 0300 123 4043 - A Customer Service Centre Representative will ask you a series of questions about the family to gather the necessary information.

• Complete the Families First Request Form and send to familiesfirsttriage@hertfordshire.gov.uk - In the interests of data protection, you MUST either:

• Password protect the file and send the password in a separate email, OR • If you have access, send the email securely using HertsFX

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

The first stage of initiating an intervention is ensuring the family is registered on EHM. Complete the Family Registration Form and send to familiesfirstassessment@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

You will receive an email within 48 hours confirming that the family is registered on EHM. The family will then be assigned to your tray/that of the Keyworker identified in the Family Registration Form. You can then start the Families First Assessment.

Guidance notes:

• You must have agreement from the family before submitting the Family Registration Form. This can be verbal or written. If you have not received agreement from the family, the Families First Assessment cannot go ahead.

• This form asks you to identify a Keyworker. This can be you or somebody else in your organisation able to complete the Families First Assessment. If the Keyworker is somebody else in your organisation, please ensure they can access this toolkit to guide them through the rest of the process.

• Should the Families First Assessment and subsequent Team Around the Family then identify a more appropriate Keyworker, a case transfer can be completed on EHM.

The family is registered on EHM and assigned to the correct Keyworker

Initiating an intervention – registering a family on EHM

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Help! For any queries about EHM or the Family RegistrationForm call the Families First Helpdesk.

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Once the family has been assigned to your work tray on EHM, the next step is to register their agreement on EHM and complete a Families First Assessment.

This process takes place entirely on EHM. However if you wish to do a paper version of the Families First Assessment and transfer it later, a downloadable copy can be found online.

Guidance notes:

• Capturing the voice of the child is an important part of any Families First Assessment. Tools to help you do this can be found on the Families First Portal.

Agreement & Families First Assessment

Help! Sections B and C of the EHM Help Guide contain step-by-step help for completing a Families First Assessment in EHM.

The Families First Helpdesk can advise on any EHM questionsit doesn’t answer.

Your area’s Families First Co-ordinators can help with moregeneral practice questions.

I’ve done a Families First Assessment and I think the family’s needs are met

The family requires an intervention and I have identified the services required to meet their needs

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Close the episode on EHM and consider signposting the family to further support

Sometimes a Families First Assessment may unexpectedly identify that the family’s needs are met.

If this is the case, you can close the episode on EHM. Section F of the EHM Help Guide provides step-by-step guidance on how to do this.

As part of that closure you may want to signpost the family to further services or support groups that can build the family’s resilience. The Families First Portal can help you find those services.

This includes smaller organisations and charities that you may have not yet come across.

Follow the grid below to find the services or groups that you can signpost the family to.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

The initial TAF meeting has taken place and I have been identified as the Keyworker

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

If a Families First Assessment identifies that a multi-agency response is required, the next step is to convene a Team Around the Family (TAF).

There are two main stages to this:

1. Identifying the relevant professionals and giving them agreement to access the episode on EHM

2. Convening an initial TAF meeting where you as Chair, the family, and services required to meet the family’s needs agree:

• Who the most appropriate Keyworker is• An outcome-focused action plan with SMART objectives and clear timescales• Dates of future review meetings to ensure the plan does not drift

Convening a Team Around the Family (TAF)

The initial TAF meeting has taken place and I am no longer the Keyworker

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Help! The EHM Help Guide contains step-by-step help forconvening a TAF and subsequent review meetings in EHM.

The Families First Helpdesk can advise on any EHM questionsit doesn’t answer.

Your area’s Families First Co-ordinators can help with moregeneral practice questions.

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

You can take a step back

If the initial Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting identified a Keyworker that is not you, you can take astep back.

You may still be a TAF member going forwards. If you are not, be sure to continue to liaise with theKeyworker and share any relevant information you come across about the family.

If you have any doubts about information sharing between professionals, visit the Families First Portalinformation sharing guidance.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

At this stage as the Keyworker you are leading the intervention. Because every intervention is different, this section doesn’t provide a step-by-step guide. There are however a number of resources available to you as a Keyworker:

• The Families First Portal contains a range of services and support groups that you can refer families to or contact yourself for advice. It also contains a Practitioners’ Area, specifically for professionals such as yourself to share useful tools to support a wide range of interventions.

Follow the links below to find the services, tools and resources to help.

Following the intervention, the family’s needs are met, they are resilient and the case can be closed

I am struggling to make progress with the family

Leading an intervention

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

The family is now progressing. Their needs are met and the case can be closed.

I am still struggling to make progress with the family

Struggling to make progress?There are several tools at your disposal. Consider the following steps to unlock progress.

1

2

Revisit the Continuum of Need

• Revisiting the Continuum of Need is a good way of assessing if the family’s needs have changed, and if so, what other services could be brought in to meet those needs.

• It also enables you to check that the family’s needs haven’t escalated to safeguarding intervention levels. If they have, report it immediately.

Contact your Families First Co-ordinator

• Contact your Families First Co-ordinator. They can provide a range of support, from being a critical friend to helping resolve difficulties in complex cases.

• There are two co-ordinators who cover your area. They they can provide support by telephone, email, one-to-one visits or team meeting visits if appropriate.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Get back in touch with your Families First Co-ordinator

If you are worried that your case is still not progressing, please get back in touch with your area’s Families First Co-ordinator.

They will be able to advise on possible next steps. This may include visiting a practice forum to discuss your case or closing the case if the family is not willing to engage and their needs have not reached safeguarding intervention levels. Not all interventions go to plan, and this is no reflection of your ability as a professional.

If you are worried that the family’s needs have reached safeguarding intervention levels, check this is the case using the Continuum of Need, and if it is, make a safeguarding referral immediately.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close

Finding the right referral pathway Back one stepBack to start

Close the episode on EHM and consider signposting the family to further support

If the family’s needs are now met, you can close the episode on EHM. Section F of the EHM Help Guide provides step-by-step guidance on how to do this.

As part of that closure you may want to signpost the family to further services or support groups that can build the family’s resilience. The Families First Portal can help you find those services.

This includes smaller organisations and charities that you may have not yet come across.

Follow the grid below to find the services or groups that you can signpost the family to.

Is the family already receiving help?

Assessment of family’s

needs

Family Registration

Form

Agreement & Families First Assessment

TAF & assign Keyworker

Keyworker leads

intervention

Struggling to progress?

Close