What is the aim of this outcomes plan?
This document serves two main purposes:
1. It describes how we intend to identify families that might need support
2. It defines what we think would be a good result or positive outcomes for families
All Local Authorities have been asked to update and refresh their outcome plans to meet the new supporting families 10 headline themes.
We are therefore making changes to our Early Help Assessment and Plan & Review in the Right for Children system and this document will be updated as part of those changes 24/03/23
Who’s responsible for this?
The Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership (Devon SCP), which is a partnership of all organisations and services that work with and for children, young people and families in Devon, have responsibility for this document, its development and review.
What’s in this outcomes plan?
This document describes how we are identifying families that might need a bit of extra help and what we think would be a positive outcome.
We’ve framed this plan around six themes to make it easier to understand and digest:
- Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour – Staying safe in the community: Parents or children involved in crime or anti-social behaviour
- Education and Attainment – Getting a good education and skills for life: Children who have not been attending school regularly
- Specific Support Need – Improving children’s life chances: Children of all ages who need additional support, from the earliest years to adulthood
- Work and Finance – Improving living standards: Families experiencing or at risk of worklessness, homelessness or financial difficulties
- Being Safe – Staying safe in relationships: Families affected by domestic abuse
- Physical and Mental Health – Living well, improving physical and mental health and wellbeing: Parents and children with a range of health problems
Crime and anti-social behaviour
Identifying factors
| Who | Identifying factor | Time period |
|---|---|---|
| Child/ young person (10 to 18yrs) | Has been convicted or has received an out of court disposal (including a Community Resolution) | Previous 12 months |
| Child/ young person | Engaged with prevention services | Point of Entry |
| Adult | Has been convicted or received an out of court disposal (caution) | Previous 12 months |
| Adult prisoner | Being less than 12 months from his/ her release date from prison and who will be going into a household with children or will have parenting responsibilities on release | <12 months in the future |
| Young Person | Being less than 12 months from his/ her release date from a Secure Unit and who will be going into a household with children or will have parenting responsibilities on release | <12 months in the future |
| Adult | Subject to licence, a community order or a suspended sentence who lives in a household with children or has parenting responsibilities | Point of Entry |
| Any individual | Has received an anti-social behaviour intervention (defined as receiving a letter 2 or higher) | Previous 12 months |
| Adult/child/ young person | Involved in a gang; County Lines linked crime and exploitation; serious violence such as knife crime, gun crime, robbery (Victim or Perpetrator – Repeat this in Being Safe for Victim) | Previous 12 months |
| Household | Has a higher than average number of police call outs (based on local analysis) | Previous 12 months |
| Any individual | Evidenced professional concern: potential crime problem or ASB (for example where it is acknowledged that criminal behaviour is taking place, but it is not legally proven) | Previous 6 months |
Crime and anti-social behaviour
Positive outcomes
| Who | Outcome | Time period after receiving support |
|---|---|---|
| Child/ young person | A 33% reduction in the number of proven offences committed | 6 months |
| Adult | A 60% reduction in the number of proven offences committed | 6 months |
| Adult | No offending whilst subject to licence, a community order or a suspended sentence | Duration of licence/ order/ suspended sentence (variable) |
| Any individual | No incidents of anti-social behaviour | 6 months |
| Household | A 50% reduction in the number of police call outs | 6 months |
| Family | An improvement in outcomes evidenced through the relevant section of the Early Help Assessment and Plan, for example: the “Worry Scale” in Right for Children; Family Star or other recognised distance travelled tool | 6 months |
| Adult/ Child/young person | Gang/Adolescent Safety Framework/County Lines – No longer at risk of exploitation, involved in gang activities | 6 months |
Education and attainment
Identifying factors
| Who | Identifying factor | Time period |
|---|---|---|
| Child/ young person (<16) | Whose attendance is below 90% for possible sessions. | Previous 3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (<16) |
Has received at least 3 fixed term exclusions or more OR: A primary school child who has had at least 5 school days of fixed term exclusion; OR: A child of any age who has had at least 10 days of fixed term exclusion. |
Previous 3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (<16) | Has been permanently excluded from school | Previous 3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (<16) | Is identified as missing education (CME) or identified as a concern through the Missing Monday process | Point of Entry |
| Child (aged 3–6) |
Is not achieving at a good level of development in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) based on summer outcomes A child who did not achieve a good level of development at 5 Years in 3 prime areas of EYFS and 2 specific areas of literacy and mathematics |
Point of Entry |
| Child (aged 2–4) | Is eligible to but is not receiving free education entitlement | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person | Has a special educational need (SEN) | Point of Entry |
| Young person (aged 16–18 inclusive) | Is not in education, employment or training (NEET) | Point of Entry |
|
LLDD¹ (aged 19-24 inclusive) |
Not in education where this is identified as the most appropriate provision | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person | Evidenced professional concern: for example, that a child/ young person is not receiving a suitable full-time education or a sudden decline in school attendance | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person (<16) | A child who is in alternative educational provision for children with behavioural problems | |
| Child/ young person (<16) | Where Home Schooling has been identified as not providing a suitable education | Point of Entry |
¹Learner with learning difficulties and/ or disabilities
Education and attainment
Positive outcomes
| Who | Outcome | Time period after receiving support |
|---|---|---|
| Child/ young person (<16) |
Unauthorised Absence is less than 10% OR: Where a child whose attendance was less than 40% has improved attendance by 50% at possible sessions |
3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (<16) | Fewer than 3 fixed term exclusions | 3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (<16) | Engaging in an agreed full-time timetable or a phased reintegration plan is in place and timescales are met | 3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (<16) | Not identified as a concern through Missing Monday process | 3 consecutive terms |
| Child/ young person (aged 2–4) | If eligible, is receiving free education entitlement | 12 months (or until age limit reached) |
| Young person (aged 16-18 inclusive) | Engaged in continuous education, training or employment (ETE) | 3 consecutive terms or 12 months (depending on ETE type) |
| LLDD (aged 19-24 inclusive) | Engaged in continuous education where this is identified as the most appropriate provision | 3 consecutive terms or 12 months (depending on ETE type) |
| Family | An improvement in outcomes evidenced through the relevant section of the Early Help Assessment and Plan, for example: the “Worry Scale” in Right for Children; Family Star or other recognised distance travelled tool; OR: where professionals evidence that children are receiving a suitable education | 6 months |
| Child/ young person (<16) |
Child is attending an appropriate educational setting; OR: Home education provided is now deemed to be adequate. |
Equivalent of 3 consecutive terms |
Specific support need
Identifying factors
| Who | Identifying factor | Time period |
|---|---|---|
| Child/ young person | Has had a multi-agency Early Help assessment initiated | Previous 6 months |
| Child/ young person | Has been referred to young carers’ services for support | Previous 12 months |
| Child/ young person | “Step down to Early Help” identified as an outcome at statutory case closure | Previous 6 months |
| Child/ young person | Has been subject to 2 or more enquiries to MASH | Previous 6 months |
| Any individual | Has been referred to a Children’s Centre for a targeted intervention | Previous 6 months |
| Young person (aged 16-17 inclusive) | Presenting as homeless to a district or city council | Previous 6 months |
| Child/ young person | Evidenced professional concern through the Devon SCP escalation/ de-escalation process | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person | Has Social, Emotional and Mental Health problems (SEMH) as identified in the School Census | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person (0 – 25 yrs) | Has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person | Has been identified as a Child ‘In Need’ under section 17, Children Act 1989 | Previous 12 months |
| Child/ young person | Has been subject to an inquiry under section 47, Children Act 1989 | Previous 12 months |
| Child/ young person | Has been subject to a Child Protection Plan | Previous 12 months |
| Child/ young person |
Identified as having a delay in speech language and communication skills. This can include children not reaching the threshold in the communication domain at the 2-2.5 year old health check carried out by health visitors OR: Identified in early years settings or by health professionals as having speech, language and communication needs. The need is primary (not linked to another impairment), and the child does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) |
Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person /Family | Who is entitled, or has previously been entitled to 15 hours free early education for two-year-olds and has not taken this up (zero take up) | Point of Entry |
Specific support need
Positive outcomes
| Who | Outcome | Time period after receiving support |
|---|---|---|
| Child/ young person | Is not identified as a Child In Need or subject to a Child Protection Plan | 6 months |
| Family | OR: Where a multi-agency Early Help Assessment has been closed, is not re-opened or initiated | 6 months |
| Family | Improved score on outcomes star compared with initial score An improvement in outcomes evidenced through the relevant section of the Early Help Assessment and Plan, for example: the “Worry Scale” in Right for Children; Family Star or other recognised distance travelled tool |
6 months |
| Family | Goes through the formal process of step down to universal services, including where Children’s Social Work support post-Adoption and Special Guardianship Order (SGO) cases | 6 months |
Work and finance
Identifying factors
| Who | Identifying factor | Time period |
|---|---|---|
| Adult or in exceptional circumstances 16 and 17 yrs old can claim the same benefits | Is claiming job seeker’s allowance (JSA) | Point of Entry |
| Adult or in exceptional circumstances 16 and 17 yrs old can claim the same benefits | Is claiming non-working benefits | Point of Entry |
| Adult or in exceptional circumstances 16 and 17 yrs old can claim the same benefits | Is claiming universal credit with work-related requirements attached | Point of Entry |
| Adult or in exceptional circumstances 16 and 17 yrs old can claim the same benefits | Is under threat of eviction | Point of Entry |
| Household | Evidenced professional concern: for example, where there is a strong risk of worklessness or financial exclusion, including has unmanageable debt, i.e. payment demands are higher than total monthly income, significant rent arrears, experiencing in work poverty | Previous 6 months |
| Household | Families at risk of homelessness or living in accommodation which is not reasonable for them to continue to occupy | Point of Entry |
| Young person (aged 16–18 inclusive) | Is not in education, employment or training (NEET) | Point of Entry |
| Young person (aged 16–18 inclusive) | A child is about to leave school and has no/few qualifications and no planned, education or employment. KS 4 data. | Point of Entry |
Work and finance
Positive outcomes
| Who | Outcome | Time period after receiving support |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | Not claiming job seeker’s allowance | 26 consecutive weeks or 26 out of 30 weeks |
| Adult | Not claiming non-working benefits² where work is a realistic possibility | 13 weeks |
| Adult |
Not claiming universal credit or have moved into the “working enough” group, the “light touch” group, or those whose claim has been closed due to earnings. Earning threshold must exceed: Single person – £338 per month (or £272 per month for someone under 25), Couples – £541 per month |
3 months for those previously in ESA, IS, etc. groups 6 months for those previously in JSA group |
| Adult | Made progress towards work where work is an appropriate option through undertaking work experience or a volunteering placement for 13 consecutive weeks | During support period or within 6 months afterwards |
| Adult | Made progress towards work where work is an appropriate option through completing an accredited training or qualification(s) to improve skill levels | During support period or within 6 months afterwards |
| Household | All debt is manageable | 13 weeks |
| Household | No notices of eviction served | 13 weeks |
| Household | Families occupy suitable housing and remain in suitable accommodation. | 6 months |
| Family | An improvement in outcomes evidenced through the relevant section of the Early Help Assessment and Plan, for example: the “Worry Scale” in Right for Children; Family Star or other recognised distance travelled tool | 6 months |
| Young person (aged 16–18 inclusive) | Engaged in continuous education, training or employment (ETE) | 6 months |
²Defined as employment support allowance (ESA), income support (IS), incapacity benefit (IB), carer’s allowance, serious disability allowance (SDA)
Being safe
Identifying factors
| Identifying factors | Time period | |
|---|---|---|
| Household | There has been a domestic abuse incident | Previous 12 months |
| Adult/Child/ young person | Known to local services has experienced or is currently experiencing or is at risk of experiencing domestic violence or abuse. | Previous 12 months |
| Any individual | Is engaged with specialist domestic abuse support services | Point of Entry |
|
Child/ young person Parent/Adult |
Has been listed as missing or missing incidents | Previous 12 months |
|
Child/ young person Parent/Adult |
Has been identified as being at risk of exploitation, including sexual exploitation | Previous 12 months |
|
Child/ young person Parent/Adult |
Has been subject to 2 or more enquiries to MARAC | Previous 12 months |
| Household | There has been a fire incident | Previous 12 months |
| Household | Has been referred for a home safety assessment | Previous 12 months |
| Any individual | Evidenced professional concern: for example, where there are safety-related concerns that haven’t been officially recognised | Previous 12 months |
| Young person/ Adult | Known to local services has experienced, is currently experiencing or is at risk of experiencing sexual violence or abuse | Previous 12 months |
| Young person/ Adult | Known to local services has experienced, is currently experiencing or is at risk of experiencing ‘honour-based’ abuse | Previous 12 months |
| Young person/ Adult | Known to local services as having perpetrated an incident of domestic violence or abuse | Previous 12 months |
| Young person/ Adult | Known to local services as having perpetrated an incident of sexual violence or abuse | Previous 12 months |
| Young person/ Adult | Known to local services as having perpetrated an incident of so-called ‘honour-based’ violence or abuse | Previous 12 months |
| Family member/ Household | Been subject to a police call out for at least one domestic incident, including for so-called ‘honour-based’ abuse | Previous 12 months |
| Child/Young Person /Adult | Has been subject to previous MASH Enquiries, Single Assessments, Child in Need, Child Protection Planning as a result of experiencing DVA | Previous 12 months |
| Child/Young Person | Has been affected by Parental Conflict | Previous 12 months |
Being safe
Positive outcomes
| Row | Outcome | Time period after receiving support |
|---|---|---|
| Household | No reported domestic abuse incidents; sexual violence or abuse; or “honour based” abuse | 6 months |
| Adult | Reduction in CAADA DASH score | 6 months |
| Child/ young person | No missing episodes | 6 months |
| Child/ young person | Does not re-enter the MACSE process | 6 months |
| Household | No deliberate fire incidents | 6 months |
| Family | An improvement in outcomes evidenced through the relevant section of the Early Help Assessment and Plan, for example: the “Worry Scale” in Right for Children; Family Star or other recognised distance travelled tool | 6 months |
| Adult/Young Person/Child | Adult and Child feel safer evidenced by distanced travelled tool, e.g. About You and your life, On- Track Child/Adult Power assessment | 6 months |
| Child/young person | Reducing Parental Conflict – Parents successfully completed an evidence-based parenting programme to reduce conflict; or that a distance travelled outcome indicates that parental conflict has been reduced in the family home | 6 months |
Physical and mental health
Identifying factors
| Who | Identifying factor | Time period |
|---|---|---|
| Any individual | Has a mental health problem that requires more support | Point of Entry |
| Adult | Has a substance or alcohol misuse problem | Point of Entry |
| Child/ young person | Has a substance or alcohol misuse problem or is exposed to substance use in their home environment | Point of Entry |
| Any individual | Is at risk of deliberately harming themselves | Previous 6 months |
| Child/ young person (aged 16 or under) | Has conceived a child | 12 months |
| Any individual | Has a physical health problem that requires more support | Point of Entry |
| Any individual | Evidenced professional concern: for example, if a child/young person is not receiving vaccinations or a pregnant person is smoking or other poorly managed health problems including diabetes, obesity, malnutrition, underweight | Point of Entry |
| Adult/ young person | Expectant or new parents with a mental health or substance misuse problem and other health factors which may affect their parenting, or a young child where there are concerns regarding their physical, social or emotional development. This could include mothers who are receiving a Universal Plus service or participating in a Family Nurse Partnership. | Previous 12 months |
Physical and mental health
Positive outcomes
| Who | Outcome | Time period after receiving support |
|---|---|---|
| Any individual receiving substance/ alcohol misuse treatment at P.O.E Any individual |
Leaves the substance/ alcohol misuse programme in an agreed and planned way having met his/ her treatment goals | variable |
| Any individual receiving substance/ alcohol misuse treatment at P.O.E Any individual |
No return to treatment ³ | 6 months |
| Family | An improvement in outcomes evidenced through the relevant section of the Early Help Assessment and Plan, for example: the “Worry Scale” in Right for Children; Family Star or other recognised distance travelled tool; OR through Statutory Assessment | 6 months |
³Caution should be exercised when applying this outcome measure. No return to treatment does not necessarily mean that an individual does not need treatment; it would be worse if someone needed help and did not feel comfortable accessing services to receive it.
Appendix 1: glossary of terms
| Child/ young person | In the realm of Early Help, unless specified otherwise, a child/ young person is someone aged under 18. |
|---|---|
| Child missing education | The Department for Education’s definition of children “who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school.” |
| Missing Monday | Weekly meetings held by the Head of Education and Learning to review and monitor children missing education. |
| Parenting responsibilities | This is to capture those situations where a person might not be living at the same address as an established family, but, in a professional’s view, has significant influence on a child/ young person. |
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