If you would like any further information please contact:

The Inclusion TeamBusiness Hub 13Second Floor NorthMarischal CollegeBroad StreetAberdeenAB10 1AB

T: 01224 523580E: inclusionteam@aberdeencity.gov.uk

Effective Child’s Plan Meetings

Developing a Child’s Plan

For colleagues across the partnership

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Introduction

This guidance has been developed to support those chairing meetings in their role as Named Person or Lead Professional. It is hoped that familiarisation with this guidance will build confidence in how best to maximise the contribution of partners in a multi-agency meeting and promote effective multi-agency working.

What are the legislative expectations of the NamedPerson and Lead Professional?

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 clarifies how all professionals are to engage with children and families in promoting and supporting wellbeing.The key areas to embed in practice are:

• the need to put the best interests of the child or young person at the heart of decision making

• the need to build on strengths and capacities of children, young people and their families to improve wellbeing

• the rights of the children and young people to have their voice heard in keeping with United Nations Conventions of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

A solution oriented approach is a way of being, not just a collection of tools and techniques. If you believe in the principles, the actions will follow. The 10 principles of Solution Oriented practice are:

1. Listen to the person, listen for the possibility.

2. People have the necessary resources to make changes.

3. Everyone has their own ways of solving problems.

4. No sign-up, no change. Collaboration enhances change.

5. Language shapes and moulds how we make sense of the world.

6. A focus on future possibilities and solutions enhances change.

7. There are always exceptions to the problem.

8. Small changes can lead to bigger changes.

9. If it works, do more of it; if it doesn’t work, do something different.

10. The problem is the problem, not the person.

More information about Solution Oriented Approaches can be found in the links below:

Education Scotland

Hands on Scotland

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Solution Oriented Approaches can be very helpful in identifying our first small steps in making positive change, in reviewing our progress and identifying our next steps towards our goals. Solution Oriented Scaling Questions can be used to help this process. e.g. thinking about our best hopes, on a Scale of 0-10, where are we now? If 0 is the worst it could be, and 10 is the best it could be, where are we now? And what would be happening if we were one point further up the scale?

Ensuring everyone understands where we are going, allowing clear outcomes to be identified and considering the first steps on that journey.

• How will we know that things are starting to change?

• Who will notice?

• How will that make a difference?

• What will things look like once the problems being experienced at the moment are reducing?

• What’s the first step we need to take to move towards this change?

• Who will do what / where / when?

• How will we know that this has been successful?

• What will be different then?

In advance of the meeting

Before the meeting consider all who should be in attendance at the meeting. It is worth circulating potential dates to ensure that key partners are able to attend. To establish who key partners are you need to think carefully about who needs to be there to plan effective interventions and when a paper report could suffice. An assessment of wellbeing and chronology should be submitted to the Social Work Reception Team if you believe that particular circumstances may warrant social work involvement. The wellbeing assessment will be considered against thresholds of intervention and a social work colleague may agree to join a multi-agency meeting.

The Reception Team is happy to offer advice on eligibility if you are unsure and can be contacted on 0800 7315520.

If you believe that there are child protection concerns at any point in the planning of the multi-agency meeting, you must follow child protection processes immediately and cannot wait until the multi-agency meeting.

If key people can’t attend consider requesting a suitable alternative or rescheduling the meeting around their diaries. Issue a formal invitation confirming the date and time for the meeting with a good notice period. The invitation should give an indication of the structure of the meeting and ask everyone to have considered the child / young person’s wellbeing before the meeting so that they are able to contribute to a joint assessment.

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Explore the structure of the meeting with the child/young person and family?

Is everyone aware of how the meeting will be conducted? Is preparatory work required to make sure that children / young people and families are comfortable with the format and of how they will contribute to the meeting?

How will you get all of the voices on the table? Some partners such as parents may find it helpful to have a scaffold to help them prepare such as a visual of the wellbeing indicators. There are some helpful tools to guide a learner to consider their own wellbeing. In some cases a piece of preparatory work with the family may be helpful to ensure that they are aware of the wellbeing indicators and what they would like to contribute to the meeting. Consider who is best placed to provide this support and negotiate timescales for this to happen.

We have to acknowledge that the easiest way for us to gather information is not necessarily the best way for children and young people to be heard. We need to use our professional skills to help guide the best means of ensuring views are accurately represented. It may be appropriate to share the school’s assessment with the child prior to the meeting.

There is no right or wrong way to gather views or empower parents to contribute. Decisions should be taken based on your knowledge of individual circumstances.

Nurtured

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Having opportunities to take part in activities such as play, recreation and sport which contribute to healthy growth and development, both at home and in the community

Having opportunities and encouragement to play activeand responsible roles in their

schools and communities and where necessary, having

appropriate guidance andsupervision and being involved in decisions

that affect them Having help to overcome social, educational,

physical and economic inequalities and being

accepted as part of the community in which they

live and learn

Protected from abuse, neglect or harm at home, at school and in the community

Having the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health, access to suitable healthcare, and support in learning to make healthy and safe choices

Being supported and guided in their learning and in the development of their skills, confidence and self-esteem at home, at school, and in the community

Having a nurturing place to live, in a family setting with additional help if needed, or, where this is not possible, in a suitable care setting

Having the opportunity, along with carers, to be heard and involved in decisions which affect them

Appendix A

Understanding Solution Oriented Meetings

Solution Oriented approaches and the GIRFEC model both aim to:

• Build on strengths and positives

• Promote resilience, using a child or young person’s existing networks and supports where possible

Ensure that children and young people and their parents/carers are listened to and are directly included in decisions that affect them and the plans made to support them.

Solution Oriented Approaches can be used in direct and structured ways e.g. Solution Oriented interviews with children and young people, parents or teachers; and in less direct ways, in on-going conversations and discussions.

Solution Oriented Approaches can be very useful in meetings. Have you ever come out of a meeting feeling that a lot of time was spent going over the same issues or that the meeting had not really helped to move the situation on in a positive way? Using a Solution Oriented Approach in meetings ensures more time is spent discussing what is already working well, so we can build on this. More time is spent on exploring the possibilities for change, keeping the focus on what else we can do to change the situation and to support the child/young person.

Problem Solving Meeting

Problem Talk(50 minutes)

Problem Talk (10 minutes)

Solution Talk (10 minutes)

Solution Talk(50 minutes)

Solution Building Meeting

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Following the meeting

The Named Person / Lead Professional should ensure that the information gleaned during the meeting is transferred into a Child’s Plan and circulate to all Partners to the Plan. Any relevant and proportionate new information should be recorded in the chronology.

In some cases it will be helpful to double check understanding with the child / young person and family.

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The Venue

Think carefully about the elements of the venue you can control.

• Will the space feel comfortable?

• Would some partners (young people and families for example) benefit from seeing the space beforehand?

• Can anything be done to make the space less intimidating?

• Would some people benefit from sitting together?

• Will there be water / tissues available?

Final arrangements

Meetings will generally take between 45 minutes and an hour, depending upon the complexities of the circumstances.

Think carefully about how the meeting will run. Do you need to arrange for someone to note actions to help you populate the plan? This should be arranged in advance so that everyone is clear about expectations of them and arrangements are not made at the meeting. Thinking about how the meeting will run in advance of the meeting is crucial in setting the tone of the meeting. Will a Child’s Plan be required and will it be multi-agency? If so who is most likely to take the role of Lead Professional? The Named Person should co-ordinate this discussion before the meeting to ensure that these negotiations don’t happen in front of the families.

Every child and young person has the right to have their voice heard and professionals need to listen in order for a plan to be effective. Parents / carers can provide valuable information on the child or young person’s thoughts and feelings. Consider how the child/young person will be involved in the meeting and how families will be supported to be central to the process. If paper reports have been submitted ensure that they have been circulated to all in advance of the meeting.

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What makes a good chairperson?

An effective chairperson will be well prepared. They will be inclusive in approach and lead the planning and review of interventions for children and young people in a positive way. They will consider how people might be feeling about attendance at a meeting and take reasonable steps to ensure that everyone knows how the meeting will be conducted and how they will be supported to have their say.

It is important to be aware of non-verbal behaviour. Being aware of body language and facial expressions will alert the chair to a need to provide additional explanation, check understanding or offer reassurance.

It is imperative that meetings are jargon free and that anything that might be unfamiliar is explained. The chair must speak clearly and respectfully being sure to actively listen and encourage a broad and balanced view of the child’s wellbeing needs based on the National Practice model.

Discussions should be solution focussed and the role of the chair is to facilitate a discussion that actively seeks solutions.

Planning a meeting checklist:

• Agenda sent out prior to meeting?

• Have formal invites been sent out?

• Has consideration been given to the voices of parents and children / young people?

• Is there anything I can do to the physical space at the venue to make it more welcoming?

• Will someone be required to take notes?

• Have members of staff working with the pupil been invited?

• Have all necessary papers been distributed to everyone?

• Will the family be prepared for the meeting?

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Analysing the information

All partners must help each other make sense of the information being shared and the likely impact on the child or young person. It is important to remember that what is happening in one area of a child or young person’s life may have a significant impact on another.

Summarising the meeting

It is really important to summarise outcomes and actions at the end of the meeting and state what will happen next. It may be appropriate to appoint a Lead Professional and explain how that appointment will impact on planning for the child / young person. A date is usually discussed for a review and there would be agreement of what would trigger an early review. Advise everyone that the plan will be used as a minute of the meeting and that it will be circulated for approval.

Summarising a meeting – Checklist

• Summarise outcomes and actions

• Explain what will happen next

• Appoint a Lead Professional (if appropriate)

• Consider if other parties should be invited to the meeting?

• Set date for next review

• Agree what would trigger an early review

• Advise the plan / minute will be circulated timeously

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Solution oriented meetings build on strengths and competencies and in the best cases, the majority of the meeting is spent exploring potential solutions to difficulties, rather than focussing on the problem for an extended period resulting in everyone feeling that the problems are too difficult to solve or feel a sense of blame.

When we spend time exploring what works we open up the possibilities and we should model using language positively. Rather than saying ‘Tom is disruptive in school’, we should say ‘at the moment Tom is finding it difficult to focus on some aspects of his learning’.

This approach isolates the behaviour as a lack of focus and also recognises that with support, it will get better. It also recognises that the child has a difficulty or need, and that the child isn’t the problem.

Some partners may be keen to go over historical information which is not helpful to the planning process. The chair has a role in guiding people back often by asking them for up to date information.

As chairperson, you have to listen carefully and draw on the skills and expertise around the table to help shape a plan for the child. At times the magnitude of difficulties can be overwhelming and it is important to focus on small steps to make sure that long term outcome and short term measures are achievable.

If you are reviewing the impact of a plan it is important to recognise what is working well and do more of it if appropriate. When something isn’t working we need to look for a different intervention.

A successful chair will accurately guide partners to analyse the information being made available to help them answer the 5 key GIRFEC questions. They will be able to describe the outcomes and actions to be implemented to address wellbeing concerns and help develop SMART targets for inclusion in the Child’s Plan.

In some circumstances it will be beneficial to have specialist assessment undertaken an you may decide to meet again once this has been undertaken.

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As the facilitator of discussions, a chairperson must always be mindful not to take all of the decisions, allow one or two people to dominate discussion or make attendees feel foolish in any way.

It is also important you don’t just listen to an individual parent / carer or professional’s opinion. You need to ensure that a balanced input is received from all participants with the child / young person’s view central to this process.

It can be useful to have support in a meeting. Chairing, populating a plan, listening to contributions and note taking can be a big task. Wherever possible use administrative support, if this is not available ask someone in the meeting to do the writing.

It is best to agree this task in advance. Be open about your limits rather than perform actions that may cause difficulties in the meeting or ultimately in the long term planning process.

If while chairing a meeting you recognise you have made a mistake it is okay to acknowledge this and rewind to correct it. Within the meeting you will be more positively regarded for behaving in this manner rather than ploughing on disregarding your error.

Do:

• Speak clearly and be sensitive to feelings

• Be enthusiastic and show interest in all viewpoints

• Respect all participants at the meeting

• Be impartial and objective

• Listen for exceptions to a problem

• Listen for what is already working

• Identify existing skills and resources

• Be solution focussed

• Delegate effectively

• Have sound understanding of GIRFEC

• Keep to time

• Be mindful of non-verbal communication

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Structure of the meeting

Always begin by welcoming everyone, guiding introductions and sharing the purpose of the meeting. Make sure that roles are explained if you sense that partners don’t understand terms used and make sure that you can keep track of the time to prevent the meeting from overrunning.

Successful meetings are dependent on positive relationships so think carefully about how best to establish positive relationships. Explain how the meeting will run being sure to pitch explanations in a way that will meet the needs of all partners present. Ensure that everyone has received papers that have been sent in advance.

Opening a meeting – Checklist

• Welcome everyone and lead introductions

• State purpose of the meeting

• Identify the goals of the meeting

• Explain the format of the meeting

• Ground rules and expectations

• Housekeeping

It is often best to hear from the child/ young person first of all to ensure that their views are quickly apparent. You will have taken decisions on how this is best done previously as communication needs or disability cannot be used as a reason for non-engagement with the process.

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Considering wellbeing

In most cases it will be helpful to make a visual of the wellbeing indicators available at the meeting. Partners should all consider the circumstances of the child / young person and agree which of the indicators apply most. The chairperson should then lead a collaborative discussion around the identified indicators to gather a balanced view of the child’s wellbeing being sure to capture what is working well and the extent of any success. It is important to listen carefully and reflect key messages back to the group so that everyone knows that they are being heard and carefully guard against anyone being or feeling blamed. The meeting should focus on strengths, concerns and solutions.

Consideration of wellbeing should then be extended to consider wellbeing needs within the context of the My World Triangle as this will start to shape effective interventions. Discussions should be solution oriented and it is often best practice to collect the positives prior to any discussions of what needs to be done or risk factors.

In more complex situations or where risk is being considered, the Resilience Matrix can be used to identify levels of resilience, vulnerability, protective factors and adversity. The National Practice Model should be used proportionately to help order the groups thinking. Partners should be guided back to the wellbeing wheel in order to pull together the areas to be addressed.

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