Children’s Services and local Housing Authorities have statutory duties to young people, and other statutory and voluntary agencies provide a range of services to them.
In Devon there’s a shared working protocol agreed between Devon County Council and the eight local Housing Authorities (East Devon District Council, Exeter City Council, Mid Devon District Council, North Devon District Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torridge District Council and West Devon Borough Council).
The purpose of this protocol is to ensure that the partners within Devon continue to work together to provide a consistent and coordinated response to 16 and 17 year old young people who present as homeless and are in need of housing, or housing-related support.
It promotes the safeguarding and wellbeing of the young person to prevent homelessness, returning young people to their family wherever possible.
The protocol outlines service expectations in relation to how partners respond to young people aged 16 and 17 years old and aspires to achieve a set of coordinated services which set out a ‘Positive Pathway’ in Devon for this group of young people.
Previously known as a MASH contact, a request for support is the name given to professionals contacting MASH to report a safeguarding concern or to request targeted level 3 support for a Family Intervention Worker, a Youth Intervention Worker of support from a children’s centre.
Before submitting a request for support
We would strongly encourage you to ring the MASH consultation line where you’ll get a warm welcome. You can discuss your request for support prior to submitting it – talking things through will help you ensure the child is at the centre of your request. Our friendly staff will advise and support you when making a request – this will help to ensure we can deal with your request quickly and get the right support to the child and family in a timely manner.
Ensure that any early help plan in place has been given sufficient time and support to enable the family to make any changes required.
You should discuss your concerns, in full, with all parents/carers and then seek their consent to submit a request for support. You should not seek consent if you believe that to do so would increase the risk of harm to the child.
You should also discuss your concerns and seek advice from your line manager and/or the safeguarding lead within your agency.
If in doubt, or if you have an urgent child protection enquiry, please ring the MASH consultation line on 0345 155 1071.
Things to consider
- What are the risks and impacts on the child(ren)?
- What action have you taken to address the risk? Have you considered if any of the voluntary or community resources can help to reduce the risk?
- Outline resilience and protective factors – what strengths and successes can you help the child(ren)/family build on (strengths and risks)
- What changes would you need to see in the family to be assured that the risk of harm has reduced?
- Views of the child
- Views of the parent
- Did you have anything else you wanted to share?
For help assessing the safeguarding risk to children, read and download our Level of Need tool. This will help you identify the level of need.
Submitting a request for support
Requests for support should be made using the online form. Please ensure you:
- Speak to the parent/carer first wherever possible
- include as much information as possible and be succinct
- include a summary of current and historical concerns alongside outlining what support has been put in place to address these
- record what outcomes you are seeking from the request and what support is needed from children’s services.
If you believe that the concerns require an urgent response, please telephone MASH on 0345 155 1071. You will also be required to follow this up promptly by submitting a request for support form.
Read our quick tips for making a MASH contact.
After submitting a request for support
Once you have submitted your request, it will be triaged and assessed by our team of professionals and you will be informed of the outcome. The team may contact you to gain more information. If you need to contact the team about your request, please ensure that you quote the unique reference number that was sent to you when you submitted the form.
Please continue to work with other agencies to support the family with any needs or concerns.
Emergency duty service
Out of hours contact number: 0345 6000 388
Opening hours:
- Monday to Thursday, 5.00pm – 9.00am
- Friday to Monday, 4.00pm – 9.00am
- Bank Holidays, 24 hours
The Emergency duty service provides emergency social care response in Devon for vulnerable Adults, Children and young people outside of normal office hours.
The team is comprised of experienced social care professionals and support staff who have a vast range of skills and knowledge to support individuals and their families experiencing crisis.
Find out more about our plans for improvements to our front door service.
Data protection
Devon County Council (DCC) will act as the data controller for any personal data that you provide. DCC will ensure that the data is processed under the Data Protection Act 2018. More information about how this is done is available here.
How to report a safeguarding concern or request support
If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person in Devon, or you want to discuss options for early help for a child or family, please contact our customer service centre on 0345 155 1071. Our lines are open Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4pm.
If you need help outside of these hours or at weekends or bank holidays, please call our Emergency Duty Service on 0345 6000 388.
If you have concerns that a child or young person is at immediate risk of harm, you should contact the Police on 999.
You can also search for help and support services including recreational groups and clubs in Devon by using PinPoint.
Data protection
Devon County Council (DCC) will act as the data controller for any personal data that you provide. DCC will ensure that the data is processed under the Data Protection Act 2018. More information about how this is done is available here.
How can I ask for help?
Complete the online form at any time using your phone, tablet or computer. Or you can call us on 0345 155 1071 – our lines are open Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4pm.
If you need help in the evening or at the weekend, please call our Emergency Duty Service on 0345 6000 388.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, you can contact the Police on 999.
What happens next?
We will contact you to talk through your request and agree the best way to provide you with the help and support you need.
You can search for help and support services including recreational groups and clubs in Devon by using PinPoint.
Protecting your personal data
We will only use the information you share with us to make sure we fully understand your request and to help us get the right support to you quickly.
You can read about how we use your data and what happens when you give it to us in our child friendly privacy notice.
If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child or young person in Devon, or want to discuss options for early help for a child or family, please contact our customer service centre on 0345 155 1071. Our lines are open Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm and Friday 9am-4pm.
If you need help outside of these hours or at weekends or bank holidays, please call our Emergency Duty Service on 0345 6000 388.
If you are a professional, please go to the information for professionals section for details on how to contact us.
If a child is at immediate risk contact the police on 999.
What is the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)?
The MASH team is the front door of Children’s Services and the first point of contact. The MASH receive all the requests for early help and safeguarding from people who are worried and concerned for children. These requests can come from professionals, such as the Police or education, but also members of the public and family members and young people themselves
Our job is to identify, assess and make safe at the earliest opportunity all vulnerable children and families in our communities. We do this through the sharing of information and intelligence across the safeguarding partnership, such as health, education, Police and probation, to name but a few.
The MASH 4 key principles
- Children are best brought up in families, with local support when needed.
- We support families to find their own solutions, building on strengths and finding solutions to whatever difficulties they are confronting to be resilient, improve family life and increase opportunities for their children.
- Children who need protection will receive it; wherever possible, early help will prevent the need for statutory intervention in family life.
- Timely permanent arrangements will be secured for children who can’t be brought up in their birth family.
How do we assess the level of need?
The Devon Children and Families Partnership (DCFP) has adopted a multi-agency model to help professionals assess safeguarding needs for children and young people.
The DCFP has adopted the Levels of Need, which is a continuum of need model to provide a multi-agency, whole system approach to assessment, prevention and intervention for children, young people and their families and directly support the early help framework and process.
Within MASH there is an Early Help team that respond to requests for Early Help support by contacting the family and professionals, assessing Level of Need and taking action to progress the support needs identified.
The aim of early help is to build on people’s strengths and resources to manage their own challenges and resolve their own difficulties and prevent further problems in the future.
Early help is not a designated team, it is the way that everyone works together to support the needs of families.
Can we talk
If you are worried about the safety of a child in Devon and want to speak to someone, or if you are a child worried about your own safety, please contact our team on 0345 155 1071.
If you are a professional, you can call the consultation line for a case discussion prior to making a request for safeguarding or support
Confidentiality is very important and each agency ensures that the information shared is relevant and proportionate, it is always important that the consent of the parent is given to any enquiry to enable information sharing within the MASH, an exception to this would be should seeking that consent place a child or others at increased risk. Read more in the MASH privacy notice.
This process has been taken from the London procedures as a guide to supporting unborn babies.
Referral
Where agencies or individuals anticipate that prospective parents may need additional support and/or services to care for their baby or that the baby may have suffered, or be likely to suffer, significant harm, a request for MASH support must be made.
The importance of conducting pre-birth assessments has been highlighted by numerous research studies and case/practice reviews which have shown that children are most at risk of fatal and severe assaults in the first year of life, usually inflicted by their carers. It is important to consider the circumstances of anyone living in the household and involved in caring for baby, not just the mother. Where possible, information should be obtained directly from each prospective parent, partner or carer, rather than relying on a third party account – please see The Myth of Invisible Men, the NSPCC’s Unseen Men report and the Serious Case Review in relation to Clare and Ann.
The following circumstances might indicate an increased risk to an unborn child. A referral should be made to MASH to decide if a pre-birth assessment needs to be undertaken.
- A child has previously sustained non accidental injuries in the care of either parent / carer (this includes the sudden, unexpected death of a child where safeguarding concerns were raised);
- Previous children in the family have been removed from the care of the parent(s) either by a private arrangement or by a court order;
- A child in the household is the subject of a Child in Need or Child Protection Plan or is a Looked after Child;
- Either parent is the subject of a Child in Need or Child Protection Plan or is a Looked after Child or Care Leaver;
- Either parent is aged under 18 – see Underage Sexual Activity, Child Sexual Abuse in the Family Environment, Harmful Sexual Behaviour and Child Sexual Exploitation;
- A parent or other adult in the household, or regular visitor, has been identified as posing a risk to children;
- There are concerns about the parent(s) ability to protect the baby;
- Parent/s who are expressing a desire to end the pregnancy or do not wish to keep the child;
- There are concerns regarding domestic violence and abuse – see Domestic Abuse;
- Either or both parents have mental health problems that might impact on the care of a child – see Children of Parents with Mental Health Problems;
- Either or both parents have a learning disability that might impact on the care of a child – see Children of Parents with Learning Disabilities;
- Either or both parents abuse substances, alcohol or drugs – see Children of Parents who Misuse Substances;
- Any other concerns exist that the baby may be at risk of Significant Harm including a parent previously suspected of fabricating or inducing illness in a child – see Fabricated or Induced Illness/Perplexing Presentations;
- If the pregnancy is denied or concealed – see Concealed Pregnancies;
- If there is a risk that the person is at risk or experienced Honour Based Violence – see Honour Based Violence;
- If there is a possible risk from modern day slavery.
This list is not exhaustive, and professionals will need to apply their judgement.
For more information about risk factors, see The Myth of Invisible Men.
If a decision is made by the local authority not to undertake a pre-birth assessment following the referral, then this should be clearly recorded on each agency’s files together with the rationale for that decision. This should not prevent an early help approach, working through the vulnerable parent pathway, completing and early help assessment and developing a Team around the Family. For more information, see our Early Help pages.
If a decision is made by the local authority to delay the commencement of an assessment following a referral, then this should be clearly recorded on each agency’s files together with the rationale for that decision and a date set for that decision to be reviewed.
Sharing concerns
Where agencies or individuals anticipate that prospective parents may need additional support to care for their baby, they should clarify what they already know about the family and seek information from other agencies. They should clearly outline strengths within the family, their concerns in terms of how the parent’s circumstances and / or behaviours may impact on the baby and what risks are predicted.
It is important to note that:
- There can be a lack of patient record integration across the health service which may necessitate multiple requests for information and that some risk factors (especially those pertaining to fathers / partners) may only be known to GPs;
- Local authority information systems may need to be searched separately for information about adults and that requests for information may need to be made to more than one local authority if one of the prospective parents resides in a different area.
Pre-birth strategy meeting or discussion
Proactive, effective information sharing is essential to identify, assess and respond to risks or concerns about the safety and welfare of children at any time and especially prior to birth. The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) provides a number of bases for sharing personal information including “legal obligation” and “public task”; consent is not required when seeking information nor when making a referral. See the guide to information sharing for more information. Concerns should normally be discussed with prospective parents, as outlined below in this section.
A multi-agency meeting under the local early help procedures may provide a forum for sharing information and to help identify a multi-agency package of support for the baby and family. This should take place as soon as possible but preferably not later than 18 weeks of the pregnancy. For more information, see our Early Help pages.
Compiling a full chronology and family history is particularly important in assessing the risks and likely outcome for the child. Professionals should try to compile a clear history from the parents about their own previous experiences in order to find out whether they have any unresolved issues that may impact on their parenting of the child. It is important to find out their feelings towards the new-born baby and the meaning that the child may have for them. It is also important to find out the parents’ views about any previous children who have been removed from their care and whether they have demonstrated sufficient insight and capacity to change in this respect.
Pre-Birth Assessment is a sensitive and complex area of work. Parents may feel anxious about their child being removed from them at birth. Referring professionals may be reluctant to refer vulnerable adults and be anxious about the prospective parents losing trust in them.
If there are concerns that the unborn baby may be at risk of significant harm, a referral should be made to Children’s Social Care through MASH, or you could contact the helpline on 0345 155 1071 at the earliest opportunity to:
- Provide sufficient time for a full and informed assessment;
- Enable the early provision of support services to facilitate optimum home circumstances prior to the birth;
- Enable the parents to have more time to contribute their own ideas and solutions to concerns and increase the likelihood of a positive outcome to assessments;
- Avoid initial approaches to the parents in the last stages of pregnancy, at what is already an emotionally charged time;
- Provide sufficient time to make adequate plans for the baby’s protection.
Pre-birth s47 enquiry and assessment
Concerns should be shared with prospective parent(s) unless in doing so the unborn child or a sibling will be at an increased risk of significant harm. In those cases, practitioners should liaise with their named / designated professional for safeguarding for advice and support.
If an urgent response is required if a pregnancy is concealed or denied, a strategy meeting should always be convened.
A concealed pregnancy is where the mother is aware that she is pregnant however conceals the pregnancy from family / friends and / or health professionals. The reasons for concealment can be varied however, should always present as a potential safeguarding concern. Case / Practice Reviews tell us that lack of engagement is a risk factor for potential significant harm. A referral to children social care should be made for all concealed pregnancies and the mother should not be discharged home until the outcome of the social care referral is known. Information should be obtained from the GP and other relevant agencies. A discharge planning meeting should be convened.
If a pregnant woman fails to attend antenatal appointments and cannot be located, information should be shared with maternity services in other areas. Should a pregnant woman present at a different hospital from that which had provided her antenatal care seeking assistance / in labour, then the originating hospital maternity services should be contacted and asked to provide relevant information about any concerns / risk that they may have identified. For more information, see Concealed Pregnancies and Children and Families that go Missing (Including Unborn Children).
If a pregnant woman disengages from maternity services and the local authority had already commenced a pre-birth assessment, then they should be notified, and consideration given to what further action should be taken. If concerns had been identified but a decision had not been undertaken to undertake a pre-birth assessment, then a further referral should be made to the local authority and that decision reviewed.
Assessment
A pre-birth assessment should always be undertaken where prospective parents may need support services to care for their baby in addition to those available through early help services or where the unborn baby may have suffered, or be likely to suffer, significant harm. Consideration should be given to the safety and wellbeing of any siblings and the impact a new baby may have on their parents’ ability to meet their needs as well.
Pre-birth assessments may be undertaken as an assessment of need; they may subsequently become an assessment of risk. Consideration should be given as to when during the pregnancy the child protection procedures are invoked to ensure the appropriate support and monitoring can be put in place sufficiently early.
The pre-birth assessment should usually commence as soon as possible after a viable pregnancy has been confirmed and the mother has registered for midwifery care, but no later than 16 weeks into the pregnancy. If the initial identification of the pregnancy is delayed or concealed, it should commence as soon as the pregnancy has been identified. The assessment should identify:
- Risk factors;
- Family history and functioning;
- Always include the father of the baby;
- Strengths in the family environment;
- Factors likely to change, reasons for this and timescales.
It is important that social workers do not conduct assessments in isolation. Working closely with relevant professionals such as midwives and health visitors is essential. Liaising with relevant substance misuse, mental health and learning disability professionals is also crucial. The liaison mental health worker will also offer advice on cases with a mental health component and become involved in liaison with mental health professionals.
It is crucial to seek information about fathers / partners whilst conducting assessments and involve them in the process. It should not be assumed that a male partner is necessarily the father of the unborn child. Research suggests that paternal attendance at pregnancy scans and at births is over 90% indicating that fathers are there to be engaged. Background police and other checks including probation, should be made at an early stage in relevant cases to ascertain any potential risk factors and necessary risk assessments undertaken. This can include mental health or substance misuse, for example. The Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) do not prevent the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe. Fears about sharing information must not be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare and protect the safety of children (WT 2018). For more information about risk factors, see The Myth of Invisible Men.
Research suggests that infants were more likely to be killed by their father (at a rate of approximately 2:1) than their mother. See: Flynn S, Shaw J & Abel K (2013) Filicide: mental illness in those who kill their children.
Where fathers / partners do not engage and / or mothers do not provide their details, then this could provide a further reason to be concerned.
Working with extended families is also crucial to the assessment process and achieving positive outcomes for unborn children. Consideration should always be given to convening Family Group Conferences/Family Network meeting in any cases where there is a possibility that the mother may be unable to meet the needs of the unborn child.
Family Group Conferences can enable the families to be brought together to make alternative plans for the care of the child thus avoiding the need for Care Proceedings in some cases. Parallel assessment of alternative family carers can prevent delays in Care Planning for the child.
The assessment should be completed within 45 days and must make recommendations regarding the need for a child in need planning meeting, a Child Protection Conference, or a legal planning meeting to consider initiating Public Law Outline prior to birth and / or initiating proceedings at birth.
Completing the pre-birth assessment at an early stage within the pregnancy, i.e. by the 24th week, provides an opportunity for the prospective parents to address any concerns identified and for the multi-agency team to review progress with the implementation of a protection plan prior to the birth of the baby.
Following assessment
A pre-birth conference should be held in the circumstances listed below unless the pre-birth assessment has concluded that the risk no longer applies:
- A pre-birth assessment gives rise to concerns that an unborn child may have suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm;
- A previous child has died or been removed from parent/s as a result of significant harm;
- A child is to be born into a family or household that already has children who are subject of a child protection plan;
- An adult or child who is a risk to children resides in the household or is known to be a regular visitor.
Other risk factors which must be considered are:
- The impact of parental risk factors such as mental ill health, learning disabilities, substance misuse and domestic abuse.
- A mother under 18 years of age about whom there are concerns regarding her ability to self-care and / or to care for the child.
The pre-birth conference should be convened prior to the 28th week of gestation, or earlier if there is a history of premature birth. If a decision is made that the unborn child will be made the subject of a child protection plan the main cause for concern should determine the category of the child protection plan. The core group must be established at the initial conference and ideally meet prior to the birth and certainly prior to the baby’s return home after a hospital birth. The discharge planning meeting can also be used as a core group meeting.
See Child Protection Conferences for more information.
If it is not possible to hold a child protection conference before the birth of a baby who is considered at risk of significant harm, contact should be made with the relevant children’s social care team for immediate action to protect the child, and consideration should be given to them convening an initial child protection case conference at the earliest opportunity.
Where the assessment recommends that legal action should be considered, a legal planning meeting should be held as soon as possible to consider initiating action under the Public Law Outline and / or initiating proceedings at birth. This will:
- Avoid additional stress for the pregnant woman in the later stages of pregnancy;
- Provide an opportunity for the prospective parent(s) to obtain legal advice;
- Provide an opportunity to work with the family to explore what support they will be able to give;
- Provide an opportunity to commission specialist assessments; and
- If appropriate, to avoid the need for legal proceedings.
The Public Law Working Party (March 2021) has published “Recommendations to achieve best practice in the child protection and family justice systems”. This provides guidance on best practice in decision making at legal planning meetings, support for families prior to court proceedings and when making an application to a court in care proceedings. The report also recommends that:
- Local authorities and NHS Trusts providing maternity services develop protocols setting out the arrangements for the birth at hospital and an agreed period for the baby to remain in hospital to allow an application to be made to court in a timely way; and
- Local authorities and their family justice board agree protocols providing clarity of expectation and principles under the pre-proceedings phase of the Public Law Outline.
Birth planning meeting
Consideration should always be given to the need for a birth planning meeting. The purpose of the birth planning meeting is for professionals and parents to be clear about their roles and responsibilities and to agree a multi-agency plan to safeguard the baby once born. This plan should be shared with the parents. The social worker with case responsibility will attend this meeting which may be combined with a core group meeting or child in need meeting. The meeting should be held before 34 weeks of pregnancy, or earlier if there is a risk of premature birth. The meeting should consider:
- Any medical/pregnancy related health issues for either mother or baby and the impact this might have on the early postnatal period;
- The arrangements for the immediate protection of the baby if it is considered that there are serious risks posed from parental alcohol consumption, substance misuse; mental ill health and / or domestic violence or another significant safeguarding concern. Consideration should be given to the use of hospital security and involving the police so that the baby can be police protected (the police do not normally attend birth planning meetings. The plan agreed at the meeting should be shared with the police by the local authority in order that they can update their records);
- Consideration to the safety of baby in mothers care whilst in hospital; is constant supervision required? If so, who should provide this?
- The risk of potential abduction of the baby from the hospital particularly where it is planned to remove the baby at birth;
- The plan for contact between mother, father, extended family and the baby whilst in hospital. Consideration to be given to the supervision of contact – for example whether contact supervisors need to be employed;
- How the mother intends to feed the baby;
- Record the need for a discharge planning meeting to take place prior to discharge;
- Consideration should be given to whether or not alerts should be circulated to other maternity units (locally, regionally or nationally) and to the ambulance service;
- Contingency plans should also be in place in the event of a sudden change in circumstances;
- Who to contact should the baby be born out of hours.
- Consideration should also be given to the safety and wellbeing of any siblings and the impact a new baby may have on their parents’ ability to meet their needs as well.
Birth and discharge of a newborn baby
The hospital midwives should inform children’s social care of the birth of the baby as soon as possible (ideally the allocated social worker will be informed once the expectant mother is admitted in established labour).
- It is expected that there is regular liaison between social care and the maternity unit whilst the mother and baby are in hospital;
- Ward staff should keep a record of any concerns that emerge whilst on the ward. This could be important information for child protection planning or evidence needed for care proceedings;
- If the baby is the subject of a child protection plan, consideration should be given to convening a core group / pre-discharge planning meeting to draw up a detailed plan prior to the baby’s discharge home. The police should also be informed so that their records can be updated – a PNC record created and flagged as a child subject to a child protection plan;
- It is expected that, where a decision has been made to initiate care proceedings following birth, all necessary paperwork is prepared in advance of the birth to prevent any delay. The social worker must keep relevant maternity staff updated about the timing of any application to the Courts. The lead named midwife for safeguarding/ maternity safeguarding team should be informed immediately of the outcome of any application and placement for the baby. A copy of any orders obtained should be forwarded immediately to the hospital and to the police;
Please note that the application to court can only be made once the baby is born and is likely to take a few days before the case is heard. If there are immediate child protection concerns prior to the order being granted, then contact the police.
Pregnancy of young people in care or care leavers
Careful consideration should be given to the need to complete a pre-birth assessment in relation to the pregnancies of looked after children and care leavers. It should not be an automatic decision unless the thresholds are met as outlined above. The rationale for that decision should be recorded. Consideration should also be given to who should undertake the pre-birth assessment:
- For a looked after child, the assessment should not be undertaken by their allocated social worker; the risk to the un-born child should be assessed separately from the best interests of the looked after child;
- For a care leaver, the assessment should never be undertaken by their allocated personal advisor;
- If the looked after child or care leaver is placed outside of the LA with statutory responsibility for them, then the pre-birth assessment should be undertaken by the LA in whose area they are residing.
The role of the personal advisor in children’s social care is not always properly understood. Personal advisors play an important role in supporting care leavers and their ability to form helpful relationships is well evidenced. Assumptions should not be made about their role in identifying the potential risk to babies; there can be a tendency for other professionals to attribute a greater degree of responsibility for this to personal advisors than should be the case.
Moving across county boundaries
Where an expectant mother moves between local authority areas, it is particularly important that the pre-birth assessment is undertaken in a consistent manner.
- The authority in whose area the pregnant woman is residing at the time that the concern is first identified should retain case responsibility until the assessment is complete.
- Where a pregnant woman presents at a hospital without having previously booked at that hospital and / or having not previously received anti-natal elsewhere, then the local authority responsible for the area in which the hospital is located will be responsible for the risk assessment.
- If a pregnant woman is homeless, then the responsibility for undertaking the pre-birth assessment will be with the authority in who’s area the concern is first identified, usually through registering for antenatal care.
- If a concern is identified in respect of a pregnant woman who is in prison, then the responsibility for the pre-birth assessment lies with the local authority where the prison is located rather than the local authority in which the woman lived prior to her imprisonment (Section 76, Care Act 2014).
Also see Children Moving Across Local Authority Boundaries.
Missing families
Where concerns have been identified and an expectant mother misses appointments or cannot be located, that may provide further reasons to believe that the unborn child is at risk of or has suffered significant harm. See Children and Families that go Missing (Including Unborn Children).
Introduction to the DCFP
All children are best safeguarded when everyone works together effectively in partnership with families, communities and services.
It is our aim to make sure that children and families can get the right support, in the right place at the right time.
The Devon Children and Families Partnership (DCFP) was established on 1 July 2017. It merged the functions of the Devon Safeguarding Children Board (DSCB) and the Children, Young People and Families Alliance (Alliance). You can read more about the history of the DCFP here.
In response to Working Together to Safeguard Children (July 2018) the DCFP partners – Devon County Council, Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB), Devon & Cornwall Police and Children & Family Health Devon – agreed and published our local Safeguarding Arrangements for Children and Young People in Devon. Our partners include everyone who are involved in the lives of children.
We work closely with other Devon partnerships including Safer Devon and Torbay and Devon Safeguarding Adults Partnership and our neighbouring children’s safeguarding partnerships in Torbay, Plymouth and Cornwall.
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018 is the key document that sets outs what local authorities should do. This also includes “adult services, the police, academy trusts, education, youth justice services and the voluntary and community sector who have contact with children and families”.
The guidance reminds all professionals that come into contact with children and young people of the key principles namely:
- safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility: for services to be effective each professional and organisation should play their full part
- a child-centred approach: for services to be effective they should be based on a clear understanding of the needs and views of children.
We believe that every child in Devon should have the best possible start in life and the opportunity to thrive. We want to ensure children and families receive the right support, at the right time, and in the right place.
Staff induction
Induction is the first learning a practitioner undertakes when joining the workforce and it is essential that your employer arranges the appropriate support. Evidence shows that a structured induction process, along with programmes for professional development, play a significant part in the retention of staff.
This Induction Guide can be used to highlight good practice and areas that may be covered during induction.
A sound induction process can help to make sure:
- children are better protected from potential harm
- the practitioner’s team is protected from the effects of poor performance
- practitioners are better integrated into the team
- practitioners are better supported
- employers are more likely to retain the best people for the job.
Links between induction and training
Induction can:
- be used to identify the learning and skills needs of practitioners
- help to develop individual development plans for practitioners
- help identify and prioritise ongoing learning
Planned learning
There are many ways that people learn. It is good practice to use a variety of methods throughout the induction process which may include:
- distance learning
- e-learning
- guided reading
- structured use of supervision
- taught courses
- shadowing
- mentoring by a more experienced colleague
The induction should also be conducted in bite-sized pieces rather than overloading the new practitioner with too much information all at once.
Supporting the learning process
The person with responsibility for induction needs to ensure practitioners are given enough time, encouragement, support, regular and appropriate supervision.
Induction can:
- be used to identify the learning and skills needs of practitioners
- help to develop individual development plans for practitioners
- help identify and prioritise ongoing learning
Who needs an induction programme?
All practitioners, whether full or part-time, need an induction programme. The induction programme should be flexible to meet the needs of everyone including people returning from career breaks, long-term absence, maternity/paternity leave or trainees and apprentices.
What should a good first day include?
- A warm welcome for the practitioner
- Introductions to colleagues, families and children (if appropriate)
- Completion of necessary paperwork and documentation including core policies and procedures e.g. safeguarding children, confidentiality
- Basic health and safety information e.g. accessing the building, signing in and out requirements
- Information on the length of any formal induction period and probationary requirement eg six month probationary period
- Line management arrangements
- Familiarisation of the work environment and introduction to working virtually/on-line if this is also part of the role
- Organisational documents and routines, for example, a copy of the staff handbook, staff structure, dress code etc
- Information on regulations and standards
If possible, provide an induction plan and checklist to help highlight areas covered above. This can be signed by the practitioner and the person in charge of induction and retained in the practitioner’s personnel file.
Recommended main areas of learning at induction
This section has been designed to provide with an overview of the recommended core areas that should be covered within a thorough induction.
Understand the DCFP’s vision for children and young people
Our vision directs the way we work with children and is an important basis of our practice. The vision also reflects importance of children’s rights and listening to what children have to say.
Understand children’s rights
This is about the rights of the child or young person as expressed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Practitioners should be aware of these rights and should be able to promote them through their work.
Understand your role in the children and young people’s workforce
During induction, time can be spent to ensure that the practitioners understands his/her role and responsibilities in relation to the children they work with and within the wider children and young people workforce. The practitioner should understand to who they are accountable and limits of their responsibility. The following areas may be covered:
- your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities
- the importance of working in partnership
- the different types of organisations, agencies and individual workers that make up the early years workforce
- the legal and organisational responsibilities of practitioners
- the aims of the individual work setting
Understand health, safety and security
Practitioners need to show that they have created a safe environment, appropriate to the age and developmental abilities of the children in their care, taking action to support the physical, mental, social and emotional health and well-being of children. This means having full information about the health of the child they care for and understanding what particular health issues they may have. It is especially important that the practitioner is able to understand the laws about health and safety and how they relate to their work with children and young people.
To achieve the above, the following areas may be covered:
- Hazard and risk
- Health and well-being
- Moving and positioning
- Fire safety
- Emergency first aid
- Infection prevention and control; and
- Medication and health care procedures
- Security
Understand the importance of listening and communication
Listening to children is very important skill. Practitioners should be able understand and demonstrate effective communication. The following areas may be covered:
- Engaging with children
- Listening to children
- Communication with children
- Communication with others
- Record keeping
- Complaints and compliments
Understand child development and behaviour
It is important that practitioners have a broad understanding of children’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual development and the difference between growth, chronological age and expected development milestones. You may want to cover:
- Child and young person development
- Child and young person sexual development
- Transitions
- Play
- Educational development and potential
Understand the importance of keeping children safe from harm
Practitioners working with children and young people must know the laws, work policies and procedures that are intended to protect children and safeguard them from harm. They must be able to recognise the signs of abuse and clearly understand their responsibilities for protecting children under the law, together with the safeguarding policies and procedures of their place of work. To achieve the above, the following areas may be covered:
- Safety
- Safeguarding & child protection
- Levels of Need and Consent
- Safe practice
Please see our training and events page for information on courses, training and continual professional development opportunities.
What next?
Upon completion of your employee’s induction the practitioner should be able to demonstrate that they have the skills to work safely, efficiently and effectively with children and their carers.
Going forward, the employer can encourage and ensure that practitioners undertake regular Continuous Professional Development to retain and enhance their skills.
Continual Professional Development (CPD)
CPD is a planned, ongoing development of knowledge and skills throughout working life to ensure the development of good practice and quality services. It contributes to work based and personal development enabling practitioners to fulfil their potential.
CPD involves intentionally developing the knowledge, skills and personal qualities all practitioners need to perform their professional responsibilities and duties. It is a holistic approach to learning that recognises everyday experiences as learning opportunities. The essence of CPD is about achieving professionalism in everything and is a personal commitment to continuously updating knowledge and skills.
The DCFP has a full programme of courses, workshops, self-directed learning, videos and e-learning modules which can help with on-going CPD.
Recommended DCFP Induction Training
Welcome to the DCFP
Essential Training
- Multi-Agency Safeguarding & Child Protection (Group 2 or Group 3)
- Responding to Allegations and Role of the LADO
- Domestic Abuse Awareness (Level 2)
- Recognising and responding to Domestic Abuse (Level 3)
- Those who don’t cruise rarely bruise – bruising on babies (Video)
- Sowing Seeds: Trauma Informed practice for anyone working with children or young people
- Prevent Essentials
- Restorative Practice – Introductory e-learning module
- Early Help and Right for Children
- SEND Module 1: An introduction for all new and existing staff in Devon to SEND and the Code of Practice
Please note that Group/Level 2 is a requirement for anyone working with children and young people not in a supervisory or safeguarding role, and Group/Level 3 is needed for anyone working with children and young people in a supervisory/management or safeguarding role.
Desirable Training
- Levels of Need and Consent
- Exploring Family Networks and Family Mapping
- Recognising and Responding to Neglect
- Tools to Assess Neglect (Graded Care Profile 2)
- Adolescent Safety Framework (ASF)/Safer Me Assessents
- Confidence in Child Protection Conferences
- MASH and Early Help in Devon webinar
- Introduction to Restorative Practice Workshop
Continual Professional Development (CPD)
For lots of CPD opportunities click on Training and events – Devon Children and Families Partnership (dcfp.org.uk) including monthly continual professional development sessions and annual events such as SaFest (an annual week long on-line symposium on supporting and safeguarding children, young people and adolescents) and online study days.
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation has resulted in increased trauma on children/young people and their families with negative psychological effects including confusion, anger and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
This has led to the language gap widening in the most vulnerable children and young people, increasing the risk of social, emotional and mental health needs within both adults and children/young people. This has also raised concerns regarding educational transition points and the level of support that would be required to meet this additional pressure and need.
“70% of families are still not experiencing pre-pandemic levels of support.”
Disabled Children’s Partnership
During lockdown, nearly half the respondents who participated in a national survey led by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) saw no progress in communication skills, and 24% said it had decreased. More recently the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) found that 70% of families are still not experiencing pre-pandemic levels of support.
There is a clear need to:
- reinforce the key messages of communication and language development across all age phases.
- reinforce the importance of adult/child social interaction to normalise and validate parent and child experiences.
- build capacity and competency within schools and settings to meet increased levels of need.
The Way We Talk programme
The Way We Talk training programme is breaking the link between speech, language and communication needs and disadvantage, exacerbated by COVID-19, to improve relationships, resilience, social, emotional, mental health and life chances.
It is giving parents, carers and professionals the opportunity to upskill in this area and close the gap left by the pandemic.
The Way We Talk training courses aimed at professionals and parents and carers
Training is being delivered by various partner organisations in Devon and is an important part of Devon County Council’s ambitions to become a Child Friendly Devon so that children and young people can look forward to their future with excitement, optimism and ambition.
Find out how Devon County Council is looking to achieve the best outcomes for children in Devon.
The following courses are running across the county, but please check details with each individual provider for the most up to date details.
Courses and resources
The speech bubble next to each of the following courses and resources indicates who that entry is aimed at:
Aimed at professionals
Available for parent/carers, young people or families
Devon Education Services – Supporting Language and Communication Skills in the Secondary classroom
Aimed at professionals
Devon Education Services is providing an opportunity for secondary schools to attend four, fully funded training sessions which will improve understanding and identification of SLCN in secondary settings. The sessions will provide attendees with an understanding of how language continues to develop as well as offering practical ideas about how to strengthen universal provision for pupils with SLCN at secondary level.
These sessions are only available to Devon maintained and academy schools.
For more details and how to book, please visit the Devon Education Services website.
Early Years
Aimed at professionals
Early Years are running a course called ‘Understanding the importance of language for Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED)’.
The training is organised into three sessions:
- Session 1 – The importance of language for PSED.
- Session 2 – The role of the adult in developing language for effective PSED – practical ideas and strategies for implementing appropriate language.
- Session 3 – Identifying additional needs in relation to language development linked to PSE development.
All training has been developed by the Early Years and Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs teams and is supported by Speech and Language Therapists. All members of the team have completed the three day ‘Keeping Language in Mind’ training delivered by Consultant Speech and Language Therapist, Dr Val Brookes. You can read more about Val’s thoughts on keeping speech and language alive here.
This professional development opportunity will be available for all settings to book onto from October. It will be a mixture of virtual and face-to-face sessions and will be fully funded.
Contact julie.adams@devon.gov.uk for further information.
Dates to be confirmed.
Young Devon workshops
Available for parent/carers and professionals
Young Devon is running workshops that will cover the following:
- What is speech, language and communication?
- What do young people need to understand and to be understood?
- How can I improve the communication between me and my young person?
- How do I improve the understanding of what is going on for my young person when they disengage or behave in a way that I find challenging?
Each workshop will cover these questions, and others, to explore your experiences and those of young people you know.
Alongside this, Young Devon is developing a series of short videos that will be shown during the workshops; these videos feature young people sharing their lived experiences. The aim of this is to ensure that children and young people’s voices are heard about the consequences of living with SLCN, how it affects them, any negative life outcomes and what helped them.
Parents, carers and professionals are invited to attend a workshop to address these questions and to consider your own experiences and those of young people you know. You should leave with a raised awareness of how the way we talk can change how young people think about themselves and their environment for the better and can improve life outcomes.
For further information, including dates, please contact Paul on 07593 583356 or by emailing paul.vivian@youngdevon.org.
Young Devon family sessions
Available for young people and families
Young Devon’s family sessions are for up to five people, either families or small groups of young people. They are based around a number of topics, and people can choose to attend based on the topics that appeal to them.
Each of the family sessions will be two hours long, with sessions running on Mondays and Thursdays from mid to late October.
Anyone interested can contact paul.vivian@youngdevon.org for further information, including dates and topics.
Public Health Nursing
Available for parent/carers
Devon’s health visiting team offer contacts to all families at key transitional times, from antenatal to five years.
The team promote the understanding and development of language and communication during all contacts, while working in partnership with Early Years settings to provide a joined up approach to supporting children’s developmental progress – ensuring that parents receive consistent messages and advice and have access to the right support at the right time. Additionally, the team works closely with providers to help inform planning based on needs and to identify families who may benefit from additional support.
Families can find lots of information about supporting children and young people’s language development on the following websites:
Action for Children
Speech Language and Communication with 0-2 year olds in mind
Available for parent/carers/community members
Action for Children is running a series of community-based workshops aimed at parent/carers and community members. Delivered by an Early Language Consultant, the focus will be babies and toddlers, because the earliest years are a vital time for communication and language development.
The workshops will give you information on:
- The importance of communicating with babies and toddlers, starting even before they are born
- Key messages on how to communicate with babies and toddlers so that we build their brains, supporting their development and wellbeing
- Raise awareness of free, widely available websites with ideas and top tips on the how, why and what of communicating with children
Dates are being finalised, but sessions will start in November. These will initially take place in five areas across Devon during 2022. These will be in places that parents are already attending, such as toddler groups and community venues.
For more information, please contact anna.adcock@actionforchildren.org.uk.
Building Babies Brains
Aimed at volunteers/community members/early years workforce
Delivered by Action for Children, this Devon County Council fully funded training course supports volunteers and trusted community messengers to increase knowledge of baby brain development, bonding and resilience, and to be confident in ‘passing on’ this information to parents/carers/communities.
Included in this course is key information about building speech, language and communication skills for 0-2 year olds. Attendees include toddler group volunteers, breastfeeding peer supporters, foster carers, church group volunteers and leads, early years practitioners. Please contact karen.stromski@actionforchildren.org.uk to find out when a course is running in your area.
Speech, Language and Communication workshop – facilitated by Verity Hyde and Early Language Consultant
Aimed at professionals
A free, informal information session for community members who support 0-2 year olds and their parents and carers, including peer supporters, volunteers, foster carers, library staff and anyone whose role brings them into contact with 0-2 year olds.
The community workshops will cover:
- The importance of communicating with babies and toddlers, starting even before they are born.
- Key messages on how we communicate so that we build babies brains, supporting their development and wellbeing.
- Ways in which adults can interact with children in everyday life to support communication development.
- Raise awareness of free, widely available websites with developmental information, ideas and top tips on how to support communication.
- Support knowledge of where to signpost carers for support.
The following sessions are available:
📍 Speech, Language and Communication workshop in Barnstaple
📅 Tuesday 8 November
🕙 12.30-1.45pm
📍 Speech, Language and Communication workshop in Exeter
📅 Tuesday 15 November
🕙 11.30am-12.45pm
📍 Speech, Language and Communication workshop in South Molton
📅 Thursday 24 November
🕙 12-1.30pm
Aimed at parents/carers
Verity Hyde, an early language consultant, will also be facilitating an online session about speech, language and communication for parent/carers, which will cover how you can support your 0-12-month baby to develop speech, language and communication skills.
Verity will share and support conversation on:
- How babies develop communication
- What happens in the dance of communication between parent and child
- The importance of interactions and everyday opportunities to communicate
- Free websites and resources available
Please note that Verity will not be able to support referrals as she does not work within Devon, but will, via this session, be able to provide you with activities that you can do while you are waiting for support.
📍 Speech, Language and Communication online workshop
📅 Tuesday 29 November
🕙 10-11.15am
Funded Video Interaction Guidance (VIG)
Aimed at professionals
This training is for staff in early years provision to create stronger relationships with children requiring additional support.
VIG aims to enhance communication within relationships using analysis of video clips of real situations to enhance communication. Attention is drawn to the most successful moments of interaction between the adult and the child, exploring sensitive responses to the child in a way that can support the child to enhance their communication.
VIG training begins with two days of initial training. To find out more, attend our virtual information session at 4-5.30pm on Monday 31 October 2022. This session will cover topics such as:
- What is VIG?
- The benefits of VIG within practice.
- Who you could use VIG with?
- Why is VIG successful?
- An outline of the training programme
To attend, please email eywd@devon.gov.uk by no later than Thursday 27 October 2022. You will need to supply the following information:
- Your name
- Email address
- Job role
- Name of the setting
Once your email has been received, you will be sent details of how to join the information session.
If you require any further information about VIG please contact Christine Cottle, Children’s Services Manager, by emailing christine.cottle@actionforchildren.org.uk.
The main training programme will start in January and March 2023.
Mind Your Words
Available for parent/carers and professionals
Mind Your Words is a free e-learning tool that aims to improve understanding of children and young people who have both mental health (or SEMH) needs and SLCN.
The tool is designed for professionals working with children and young people, and Mind Your Words training is available on the RCSLT website.
Children and Family Health Devon – drop-in sessions and support
Aimed at parents/carers
Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) provides a range of services for children from birth to 18 years. These include: support for early communication skills, training to settings/schools, assessments and therapeutic interventions for children and young people having difficulties with language, speech sounds, fluency, voice and dysphagia (swallowing difficulties).
If you would like to speak to a Speech and Language Therapist about your child’s communication, speech or language, or if you have concerns about swallowing difficulties, please ring the CFHD advice line on 0333 321 9448 between 2-4.30pm Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, if you have a child under 3 and would like to speak to a Speech and Language face to face you can attend the virtual drop-in service.
Families can find lots of information about supporting children and young people’s language development on the following websites and social media:
Project aims
The Way We Talk Project seeks to address the following:
- Language and communication are a priority across all age groups from antenatal to 18 years
- Language and communication is everyone’s responsibility
- Children and young people are given a voice to say how they experience issues around speech, language and communication
- Opportunities are found for positive adult-child interactions
- Increased training opportunities are available so professionals can identify needs and intervene early.
- Peer-to-peer support is available to continue the development of social skills, social awareness, relationship building, problem-solving and knowledge acquisition.
- The learning reaches people at a community level and is accessible to all who will benefit from it.
- Speech, language and communication is explicitly considered and addressed at transition points
- Parents/carers and professionals are enabled to support children and young people develop their language and communication skills and achieve their potential
Introduction
Homes for Ukraine is a national official scheme to find homes for Ukrainian adults and children escaping war.
Some people have also arrived through informal routes and therefore may not be known to the scheme. For example, children arriving to take up places in language schools/boarding schools.
The national Homes for Ukraine scheme has identified around 2,000 people who will potentially be joining us to live with over 1,000 hosts/sponsors over the summer. Over 1,000 adults and children have already arrived and are settling into life here in Devon.
Devon County Council’s Supporting Ukraine website has lots of guidance and advice for hosts and guest alike.
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Process of checks for Hosts.
Please find the information here The sponsor process in Devon – Supporting Ukraine
Support for families
Barnardo’s Ukrainian Support Helpline
The helpline is available to anyone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. It is staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers, to offer support to children and families arriving in the UK from Ukraine.
Full details, including opening hours and the phone number, are available on Barnardo’s webpage for Ukrainian Support Helpline.
Red Cross help for Ukrainian nationals in the UK
The Red Cross has information and support for people from Ukraine, including a free helpline (with translators available), resources in Ukraine and Russian, and information on how to find missing family in Ukraine.
Language support
Information about learning English in Devon is available on the Supporting Ukraine website.
Practitioner support
Safeguarding Training available to all. You can set up a DeL account to access a range of training courses, including safeguarding children training.
For further information, please refer to our training and events page.
Welcome visits
Welcome visits to adults and children arriving from Ukraine are carried out by a range of voluntary and community organisations overseen by the district teams across Devon.
It is a requirement for all people to receive a visit and in Devon we have a checklist that is completed as part of this.
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Universal support
Accessing health care and a GP
Information about accessing healthcare services in Devon is available on the Supporting Ukraine website.
Public Health Nursing
Any family with a child under three years old who has fled Ukraine and has been identified as being in our area will be offered a transfer in visit for a Family Health Needs Assessment (FHNA). This visit will take place with a Health Visitor once Public Health Nursing (PHN) are notified by the District Council, GP or by another organisation.
Any child aged three to five years old who has fled Ukraine who has been identified by the District Council, a Children’s Centre, a GP, Early Years or another organisation, and who has a potential additional health need or is at risk of being isolated and not engaging with children’s centre or early years setting, will be offered a transfer in contact with a FHNA with a Health Visitor.
Any child or young person aged five to 18 who is not in an education setting and who has been identified by the District Council or a Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisation as being isolated, or who has been identified with additional or potential health needs who would benefit from a school nurse assessment and support. [This sentence doesn’t seem to conclude…]
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School
The government has published guidance for families arriving from Ukraine about how to apply for a school place and childcare in England. This information is available in English and Ukrainian.
You can also visit the Devon County Council website to learn more about the schools in your area, look up a map of schools in Devon, or to find out more about in-year school applications.
If you need help with the application process, or you would like advice about schools with vacancies, please contact the School Admissions Team by emailing admissions@devon.gov.uk or calling 01392 383829.
Childcare
Children aged two, three or four years old can receive 15 hours (term time) or 11 hours (all year round) of funded childcare per week. Working parents of three and four-year-olds could be entitled to 30 hours (term time) or 22 hours (all year round) of funded care. Please refer to the government website for details of the support available with early years and childcare costs.
You can find a range of local childcare services through Pinpoint. If you are not able to find suitable care, please complete the Unable to find childcare form and support will be offered.
Any queries from organisations should be directed to the the Early Years and Childcare Service mailbox at eycs@devon.gov.uk.
Holiday Activities and Food programme
All Ukrainian children will be offered a place on the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The scheme offers funded activities and a meal during the Easter, summer and Christmas Holidays for children aged 5-16 years (including 4-year-olds if in reception).
Access to extra support
Safeguarding concerns
Unaccompanied children and young people up to the age of 18
Children and young people are arriving in Devon without their parents to live with sponsors. Some will be part of the national scheme; others may find their way to UK Homes by other means. All will need to be supported and their sponsors assessed as part of the Private Fostering Regulations.
If you identify a child/young person under 18 in the UK with a non-related carer for 28 days or more, you need to contact privatefosteringservice-mailbox@devon.gov.uk and we can offer advice and support. All children, including those identified through the scheme, will need an urgent referral to MASH copying in privatefosteringservice-mailbox@devon.gov.uk.
Full guidance about applications to Homes for Ukraine for children who are not travelling with or joining their parent or legal guardian is available on the government website.