Joint working between health care professionals and social...

Charlotte Ramsden, Chair of the ADCS Health, Care & Additional Needs Policy Committee, said:

‘Keeping children safe from harm is essential work for all local authorities but we cannot do this alone. Effective joint working and information sharing with the police, health and education services as well as local communities is key to ensuring that children and families get the right support at the right time. We know the best way to improve outcomes for children and families is by providing them with help and support at the earliest opportunity and that the early years of a child’s life are crucial to their development and life chances.

“Health visitors and school nurses are uniquely placed to recognise early signs of children and families in need of help and support and whilst a referral to children’s social care may not always result in social worker involvement, families can be signposted to other support services, such as parenting classes. A recent inspection on multiagency responses to children living with domestic abuse highlighted some really positive examples of how agencies were working together tackle domestic abuse and health continue to be a leading referrer to children’s social care. Local authorities, the police and health services are all under increasing pressure due to rising levels of need and falling budgets. In the future we have to work even more closely together to break down professional barriers in order to provide seamless support to children and families at risk. We owe it to them to get this right.”

ENDS

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