Early Intervention Panel

Guidelines for Operation

1. Purpose

The purpose of the Early Intervntion Panel is:

• To ensure that imaginative, comprehensive and effective family support packages are offered to families where children are at risk of accommodation
• To ensure the full exploration of alternatives to accommodation
• To ensure where children are accommodated that cost effective quality placements are achieved
• To ensure, following the accommodation of a child(ren) that effective re-unification plans are in place and regularly reviewed

2. Panel Operation

The Early Intervention Panel will meet weekly or fortnightly (to be confirmed) , on x day    from xxx to yy for a maximum of 2.5 hours depending on the number of cases referred.

The panel will initially hear cases referred by social workers and their managers. In due course it is envisaged that the panel will also accept referrals from professional partners involved with a family (teachers, GPs, Health Visitors, Police, CAMHs etc).

If you wish to refer a case to the panel you should contact xxxx and give outline details of the family and the reason why you are referring the case. You will be given an allocated time to present to the panel. Each case will be allocated thirty minutes to ensure a full discussion of the issues.

3. Criteria for referral:

• A request for accommodation of a child/ren from parent or young person themselves
• Emergency accommodation of a child/ren has occurred
• Concern that a child/ren are at imminent risk of accommodation unless a  family support package is out in place

4. Panel composition

CHAIR
Core members	Other staff who might attend as required
Representatives from: Social Services - service managers fieldwork & fostering Education CAMHS Public Health? NCH Housing	YOT Youth service CAMHS Sure Start

5. Panel Process

The relevant social worker and either Senior Practitioner or Team Manager will attend to present the case.  Papers should be sent to xxx at least 2 days before the panel meeting and these will be sent out to panel members in advance.

Social workers need to send and will be asked to present at the EIP:

• Initial assessment – (partially completed if accommodation requested or initiated within 36 hours of the panel meeting).
• EIP referral form - (check that this form does not repeat   information included in initial assessment)

Following discussion a Decision Sheet will be completed. Copies will be placed on the case file and sent to all relevant agencies working with the family.

The decision sheet will also be used as the basis for reviewing progress with cases

The panel will address the following:

Is there a need to accommodate the child or young person. This will involve considering how the accommodation of the child/ren will better meet their needs, what alternatives are being considered and what family support packages can be offered to help?

Where accommodation is agreed, matching the child/ren to the placement of choice which can meet their assessed needs.

AND

Agreeing re-unification plans, time scales and review.

Where a family support package is agreed specifying what each agency will provide, the intended outcomes or difference which will be made and arrangements for review.

In summary, these discussions will lead to two possible outcomes:

1. Accommodation is not agreed and a programme of family support is recommended and a panel review date set if necessary
2. Accommodation is agreed and a placement is confirmed or recommended, a plan for re-unification is drawn up and a panel review set if required

Written information will be shared on individual children and young people. Panel members are responsible for the security of this information.

6. Process following the panel

There are a number of routes a case might follow after consideration by the Early Intervention Panel.

Click here to download Early Intervention Panel