Central Bedfordshire Council Updates

Residents can find out more about council services thanks to the launch of Central Bedfordshire Council Updates. This new service invites residents to sign up for regular emails on topics ranging from councillor surgery dates to council tax, news, public consultations, waste and recycling, adult learning and more.

Click here to sign up for email updates. The service is being trialled until the end of March and if it is successful will be extended. (19.1)

Councillors agree joined-up support for disabled children and young people

Plans to remodel the organisation of children's services for disabled children, young people and their families to create more joined-up provision have been approved by Executive Councillors. The new arrangements will see services centred around new specialist 'hubs' linked with special schools. A hub in Biggleswade will cover the east of Central Bedfordshire and one in Houghton Regis will cover the west.

The new hubs will aim to bring together professional services including education, social care and health to provide support and advice to disabled children and their families. The hubs will provide a comprehensive resource for parents, carers, young people and professionals, enhancing information, advice and guidance about services and how they can be accessed. They will also act as a focal point and venue for networks of parents and carers, disabled youngsters and support organisations.

The services will ensure that disabled children, young people and their families are supported by teams with a wide range of specialisms, allowing improved access and support for disabled children and young people. Closer integration between social care, health and education professionals will enable early intervention and a better coordination of services to children and young people, including those moving from childhood into adulthood. A range of new after school and weekend activities for young people will be developed around the new hubs - either on site or within the local communities. This will increase the range and availability of short break provision as requested by parents and their children during a recent consultation.

The two residential units, currently run by the council, will also form part of the services delivered from the new hubs. Family support services currently based at Poppies, which arrange community short breaks, will be transferred to the new hubs. The current location in Aspley Guise will close. These changes will not impact on the current level of service delivery This model of service delivery will also allow for the implementation of a single assessment and single plan for children and young people as outlined in a recent government Green Paper outlining a new approach to special educational needs and disability.

Information about the new plans will now be shared widely through consultation with parents, children and young people, staff and partner agencies. The changes will be implemented over a 12 month period from April 2012 to March 2013. (13.1)

Councillors agree to keep all children's centres

Executive councillors have agreed to maintain children's centres across Central Bedfordshire after a public consultation showed overwhelming support for keeping all 22 sites. Councillors took the decision to manage the centres as nine clusters; each centred on a main hub feeding smaller satellite centres, after 91 per cent of the 700 respondents said this was their preferred model.

Overall spending on children's centres will stay the same but the council has been looking at new, enhanced delivery models after the government called for services to be targeted on the most deprived children and families. The main hubs, serving the areas of greatest need, will have call on more resources, allowing them to offer enhanced provision for disadvantaged families.

The other two options which would have involved closing centres in areas of less need in order to put even more resources into the areas with the highest levels of deprivation were rejected by the majority of respondents. The agreed model will inform the tendering of new contracts for the children's centres. Current contracts for all 22 centres are due to expire at the end of March 2012. The contracts starting from April will reflect the new arrangements. (13.1)

Central Bedfordshire Child Poverty Strategy

The Central Bedfordshire Child Poverty strategy is now available on the website. (6.7)

New Young Carers Support Officer at Central Bedfordshire Council

Click here to find out more about young carers. For full details of this role and what it can offer you, please click here. Alternatively you can visit the website for further information.

For more information on the role please contact Katy Stafferton, Young Carer's Support Officer on 0300 300 4008, or email katy.stafferton@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

Alternatively, if you have any good practice that you would like to share with other schools the Young Carers Support Officer welcomes your suggestions.

Central Bedfordshire Announced Ofsted Inspection of Safeguarding and Looked After Children

If you are a commissioned service for Central Bedfordshire you may be involved in the inspection process. Click here to view notes giving details of the inspection timetable and the actions that support it.

It will be likely that a Children’s Centre will be visited by the inspectors and there may be other voluntary organisations who will also be involved through the various contracts placed in the sector. VOCypf will also be asked to pull together a voluntary sector focus group at short notice and this will need to consist of those key organisations who deliver in Central Bedfordshire. (13.6)

Executive agrees educational direction in Dunstable and Houghton Regis

Central Bedfordshire Council agreed the outcome of the Learning Transformation Review for Dunstable and Houghton Regis area. The Executive was presented with a range of options, which included a shift to two tier education. After careful consideration it has chosen to continue with the current three tier model while encouraging schools to engage in hard federations, Academy chains or trusts with partnerships being developed across phases or through schools in the area. 

In March 2010, the Council approved an Education Vision which committed to undertaking area reviews in four geographically distinct areas within Central Bedfordshire. The review was primarily focussed on raising standards by making sure schools offer more joined up support for pupils as well as make the best use of resources to meet current and future demand. The chosen option will help Central Bedfordshire Council meet their priority of raising educational standards across Dunstable and Houghton Regis. Click here to view the full press release.

If you have any questions about the Dunstable and Houghton Regis Review or any of the other reviews please contact Sue Barrow, Information Manager, School Organisation and Capital Planning at sue.barrow@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or telephone 0300 300 5700. (7.6)

Revised CAF Forms

Please find links to the revised Pre CAF consent, CAF, Delivery Plan/Review & SAR forms below. In line with current ICT security arrangements we have added a security classification in the footer of the documents.  Please ensure your teams are aware and using the new forms asap.

Single Agency Request Form
Pre CAF Consent 
CAF Form
Delivery Plan and Review

A reminder of the link to Central Bedfordshire Children and Young Peoples Plan

The new plan can be downloaded by following the link to the Children's Trust website - First Hand: http://www.centralbedfordshirechildrenstrust.org.uk/Default.aspx. (15.4)

Domestic Violence education packs launched in Central Bedfordshire

Schools across Central Bedfordshire have been given a new information pack which offers youngsters help and advice about dealing with domestic violence. The ‘Safe and Sound Education Pack’ was launched at an event in Flitwick last month which was attended by 130 people including teachers, schools staff, parent support advisors and school nurses.

The educational resource comes in the form of a disc which includes flexible lessons plans for all classes from reception years, right up to school leavers. The information included on the disc demonstrates safe elements of relationships as well as highlighting areas of risk or danger within the home.

As well as useful information, the disc also contains a range of age appropriate publicity materials which schools are able to print off and use within the classroom. For further information about the pack please contact bdap@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk. Further information about coping with domestic violence can be found at www.bedsdv.org.uk, www.missdorothy.com and www.kidstaskforce.com. (6.4)

Planning for our children's future

A three year plan for meeting the needs and aspirations of the 62,000 children and young people aged 19 and under and living in Central Bedfordshire has been agreed by Executive councillors. The council's Children and Young People's Plan 2011 to 2014 has been developed by the Children's Trust Board, a group made up of public sector organisations, schools and youth groups.

Following consultation with over 4,000 young people, as well as parents and carers, the Children's Trust Board identified four high level priorities for Central Bedfordshire Council and its partners to focus on:

• Helping children and young people achieve more by transforming school provision.
• Protecting children and keeping them safe
• Reducing child poverty and the effects for those living in poverty and improving early intervention and prevention
• Targeting the most deprived areas and vulnerable groups to improve children’s emotional and physical health

Cllr Anita Lewis, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, said: "We need to direct our energies towards securing the best possible future for this group who will be our adults of tomorrow.One of the key aspects to this is enabling children from poor households gain better qualifications to provide them with the skills to enter further education or the world of work. This will be a challenge, but if we succeed, we will begin to break the poverty that is transferred from generation to generation."

Families in poverty will be given encouragement to get into work or to access financial assistance available to them. This plan will link to our Child Poverty Strategy. The plan also sets out aims to reduce youth offending and anti-social behaviour, and to make young people aware at an earlier age of the issues of childhood obesity, drugs and alcohol and the importance of sexual health. There will also be a focus on transforming services for disabled children.

The Children and Young People’s Plan can be viewed online. (5.4)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING CAF AND CONSENT  

As you know the CAF is a voluntary process and it is important we obtain informed consent BEFORE completing the CAF. With this in mind we have developed a 'Pre CAF Consent' declaration to ensure CAF authors are fully protected when it comes to information sharing protocols. We are not expecting professionals to submit the declaration into CAF Admin. We do however expect professionals keep a copy on the child's file as you maybe asked to produce it some point in the future. CAF Admin will be carrying out regular audits to ensure the CAF process is being followed correctly, as part of the audit we will request to see a signed copy of the 'Pre CAF Consent' declaration. You will find the declaration attached along with the training slides we use in relation to consent and Fraser Competency. This short Power point presentation provides further information and you can veiw the Pre CAF Consent form here.

Multi Agency Support Team

A number of improvements have been made to the CAF process in Central Bedfordshire. To ensure support is available to practitioners using the CAF process Central Bedfordshire Council are changing the functions, remit and frequency of MAAG meetings. A Multi Agency Support Team (MAST) has been developed to replace the functions of MAAG.  More details on the functions of the MAST can be found here. MAAG no longer exists in Central Bedfordshire and all support, advice and guidance is now provided by the CAF & Lead Professional Support Team. The full Business Process for the Common Assessment Framework in Central Bedfordshire can be found here. If you have any further questions please contact Michael Howe on 0300 300 4767.

Integrated Working in CENTRAL BEDFORDSHIRE

CAF (Common Assessment Framework) & MAST (Multi-agency Support Team)

Helping professionals to support children, young people and families.
For more information about the process, the forms you need and the additional help and guidance available go to:

http://www.centralfyis.co.uk/prof_main.cfm?pageitem=269

There are also links to the online e-learning package.

New Central Family Information Directory

The directory, which can be accessed at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/fyis and www.centralfyis.co.uk allows anyone to search for information on all aspects of childcare, early years and play settings within Central Bedfordshire, including: childminders, day nurseries, pre-school playgroups, out of school activities and clubs, holiday play schemes and parent/carer and toddler groups. It also contains information and support for issues that families may encounter, such as parenting support, education, financial help, housing issues, local activities, and also provides information on childcare courses and training.

CAF Assessments and Reviews, Direct Referrals to Children’s Social Care and the CIN Procedures

From  1st September 2010 it will be necessary to use the BIC100 form for requests for assessment or services direct to  Central Bedfordshire Children’s Social Care (via Intake and Assessment). This form DOES NOT replace the CAF form.  Any existing CAF relating to the referral should be sent to the Intake & Assessment team along with the referral form, but referrals to Children's Social Care should never be made on a CAF. All CAF forms should be sent to the CAF and Lead ProfessionalSupport Team at cafadmin@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.

New CAF Form

The national CAF form has now been adopted by Central Bedfordshire and must be used for all CAF’s. Please do not use the old Bedfordshire form.  All old forms received after the 1st September will be returned and the current form will need to be submitted. Click to view the CAF form and consent statement. All the documents plus guidance can be accessed via the DofE website. The new CAF form will also be available via the LSCB website.

The national CAF documents are well designed and easier to use, and are designed to be compatible with National e-CAF should Central Beds adopt this in the future.  Further documentation will soon be available about the CAF process but in the meantime please contact the team on 0300 300 4767 or 0300 300 4776 for advice and guidance.

CIN procedures

The Child in Need Procedures for Central Bedfordshire  are currently being updated and the new procedures incorporating these changes will be issued later in 2010. If you have any questions about these changes please contact:

Michael Howe
CAF & Lead Professional Development Manager
Integrated Services
Central Bedfordshire Council
High Street North
Dunstable
Beds, LU6 1LS