karen(g)

Just after I posted my response I see that the support is via Aiming HIgh and not social services. There has been a great deal of training of ed/health professionals etc in carrying out CAFs but from my experience these professionals are often wary of carrying out initial checklist and moving it forward. If I were you I would talk to school and ask about the CAF (if you google ECM and CAF you should find a copy of the checklist). This will identify whether your son is at risk of not meeting the ECM five outcomes without coordination of services. Aiming High funding is due to finish end of next March and in the current economic climate it is unknown whether the new government will continue to provide similar funding. I get the impression that there is a recognition by social services that support at this level prevents the need for more costlier social service support at a later day (sad fact but the reality that there will always need to be the consideration of cost effectiveness). Hopefully, our new prime minister has a greater insight to families struggling to cope with bringing up disabled children.

Please see http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/strategy/deliveringservices1/caf/cafframework/ Likewise have a look at the Every Child Matters literature on the web. "The CAF promotes more effective, earlier identification of additional needs, particularly in universal services. It aims to provide a simple process for a holistic assessment of children's needs and strengths; taking account of the roles of parents, carers and environmental factors on their development. Practitioners are then better placed to agree with children and families about appropriate modes of support. The CAF also aims to improve integrated working by promoting coordinated service provisions." I am extremely confused by your social workers response that only children with MLD are able to access a CAF. This is something that is open to ALL children, with or without disabilities. Not all children require support and a initial CAF checklist identifies at a very early stage whether there is a need to go to a CAF. If a child and families needs are able to be met through a greater coordination of universal services then it doesn't have to get anywhere near social services. Sally, the fact that you are already receiving social services support means that you are 'past' a CAF given that you are already a package of support through social services . If I were you, I would be asking that Child in Need/Team around the Child meetings were being held at least every 6 months (more if problems) to look at how the package is working and if there is any further identified need. There are times when social workers are involved with CAFs but this is where the need has escalated from universal services or when there is no identified need for social worker input and an 'exit' CAF is attended by SW to ensure that a child's needs can be met through universal and other support services. Karen

Sally I wrote to the SEN department at County Hall in Matlock requesting that I see the files and have photocopies. I said that I was including the £10 fee (its £50 to have info from the NHS). I organised to go up to Matlock and sat in a room with another person and looked through all the files. I put markers on all the pages that I wanted copies of and these were photocopied there and then and given to me. I guess if you wanted full copies it would take longer but on the whole I recognised what I already had. The way that information can be held back from you ie removed from file or summaries is if it is third party information or if it was felt that giving you such information would be detrimental to your health and wellbeing. Karen