Stockport's Common Processes Team has been developed to ensure a co-ordinated and integrated approach to new ways of working, bringing together the Common Assessment Framework (CAF), the Lead Practitioner and the Team Around the Child (TAC) process.
This means that all services which work with children, young people and their families, whether in statutory, community or voluntary sectors will use the same method (CAF) for initially assessing children and understanding their needs. The aim of this is to reduce duplication, and support integrated working.
The underlying principles of the Common Assessment Framework are:
- It looks at the whole child/young person
- It takes account of strengths as well as needs
- It is simple to use
- It is empowering
- It enables and encourages information held by agencies to follow the child
- It is a tool to support practice
The Team Around the Child process has been developed to provide a consistent approach for people working with children who may need extra help, including children with disabilities. The process is available for children and young people of all ages from 0 to 18.
The underlying principles of the Team Around the Child model are:
- The child's needs must come first
- The child's welfare is everyone's responsibility
- All organisations must work together
- The parents'/carers' rights must be considered
- The family should always be present at a Team Around the Child Meeting
Children's Trust Partnership Integrated Working Principles (90.5KB word document)