Parents need to know who they can contact when they need access to relevant support for their child’s wellbeing. Within this approach, these foundations are carried out through the role of a named person who is able to provide a clear point of contact within universal services, if a child, young person or their parents want information, advice or help.

The named person service is provided by a person known to the child and family from universal services. This is usually a health professional (midwife/health visitor) from birth to school age, a head teacher or depute during primary school years and a head teacher, depute, pastoral care teacher or guidance teacher during secondary school years. For children who are home educated the initial contact should be with the appropriate Area Education Manager, who will consider the most appropriate member of education staff to act as Named Person for the child.

The family may be offered direct support from their named person, or access to relevant services offered by the NHS, local authorities and Third Sector or community groups. If a child or young person needs support from a single service, the Named Person will be responsible for recording and coordinating the plan. If it is a multi-agency plan, a Lead Professional will be responsible for integrating the contributions from each partner agency into one plan, the Child’s Plan.

At times during childhood and adolescence, some children and young people will need some extra help. A named person service can provide or access information, advice and support to children and young people from within their own service, and when necessary, request support from other services or agencies. Further details on the role of the named person can be found here.

During childhood there may be circumstances where children, young people and families require the support of a child’s plan.

A personalised child’s plan is developed when those working with the child or young person and family identify that a child or young person needs a range of extra support planned, delivered and co-ordinated.

When a child’s plan is required and involves more than one agency/service, this is where a lead professional will be needed. The lead professional is an agreed, identified person within the network of practitioners who are working alongside the child or young person and their family.

In most cases, the professional who has the greatest responsibility in coordinating and reviewing the child’s plan will undertake this role.

Throughout a child or young person’s journey, this person may change depending on the child or young person’s needs, but there should always be a lead professional identified when there is a multi-agency child’s plan.

All decision-making about support and the child’s plan should seek and act on the views of the child or young person and their family, where appropriate, in accordance with their best interests and in consideration with their full spectrum of rights.

Any practitioner or professional providing support to the child or young person could be identified as the lead professional. This includes any person working across the universal services of health, social work and education (including early years), as well as a person from a third sector organisation or specialist service.

In child protection cases, the role of a lead professional will be taken by the local authority Social Work Services. Where a child is believed to be at risk of significant harm, a Child Protection Plan should be incorporated into the child’s plan for as long as the risk of significant harm is deemed to last. The multi-agency group working with the child and their family will be known as the Core Group. For further information, see Part 5 of these procedures.

A lead professional will:

• ensure the child’s voice and experience is heard and their views recorded
• work with the child and family, ensuring shared understanding about the plan and about how it is working from the perspective of child and family
• track and respond to changes in circumstances that may affect the plan
• be a point of contact for all practitioners who are delivering services to the child
• make sure that the help provided is consistent with the child’s plan
• be a bridge to engagement with and support from other agencies
• offer to link the child and family with specialist advocacy when appropriate
• monitor how well the child’s plan is working
• co-ordinate the provision of other help or specialist assessments as needed

A lead professional will make sure the child is supported through significant points of transition. They will ensure a planned transfer of responsibility when another practitioner becomes the lead professional, for example if the child’s needs change or the family moves away. Further detail on the role of the lead professional can be found here.

When the complexity or urgency of need requires co-ordinated intervention from more than one service or agency, it is crucial that a lead professional is identified to take on that coordinating role. A ‘child’s plan’ should be developed.

Children and families may be involved in several formal processes. For example, they may be looked after and have a Child Protection Plan, and/or have significant educational needs and have a Co-ordinated Support Plan. They should experience a co-ordinated process, managed as far as possible by a single meeting structure, with due respect for principles of lawful information sharing. Family understanding and positive engagement is likely to depend on the extent to which they can hear and be heard and become partners in ‘joined up’ planning.

Where a child is thought to be at risk of harm, their safety is the priority concern and assessment and planning processes will reflect this.

A Child Protection Planning Meeting (CPPM) is an inter-agency meeting which is convened when there are concerns that a child is or may be at risk of significant harm. Part 5 of these procedures describes activities that precede a CPPM. The Chair ensures the CPPM supports engagement of parents and all relevant agencies in assessment of risks and strengths, and in planning next steps. This includes potential referral to the Principal Reporter.

A lead professional will be responsible for ensuring the production and review of an agreed multi-agency child’s plan as detailed in these procedures. This should integrate information from previous plans by individual agencies as appropriate. Reports for a child’s planning meeting or for a CPPM should be circulated to everyone involved, especially the child and family. Reports should be available and presented so that they are accessible to all. This includes, for example, children or parents or carers with learning disabilities.