Review of Individual Budgets Advice to Social workers Draft 1 Introduction The review form is a tool to help social workers work with families to progress the child s Individual Budget support plan which has been agreed with Newcastle Childrens services. The support plan begins to change from the moment it is agreed. This is just the natural progress of life. The review process is about learning, change and accountability. The process is a natural extension of support planning, which is a means of thinking about the young person s life, what they want to change, and how they will use their Individual Budget as one of the ways to make change. Reviews are a way of ensuring that Children s Services and other people involved in the family come together with the family regularly to keep alive the changes that young people outlined in their plan. For many people, these activities form the heart of social work practice - supporting people to review their progress, support problem solving and plan next steps. This is a crucial role for social workers in helping young people to work towards the lives they dream about and describe in their support plans. It is also a crucial aspect of other Local Authority responsibilities: the creation of safe and sustainable communities in which all citizens are included. A part of the plan will usually be about maintaining support and ensuring that the young persons and the family s needs are met. This is also part of the review process, checking that the support the family is using is working well and meeting the young persons support needs. It is not an audit but part of the review is to take stock of how families are managing the finance and offer support. The plan should reflect what is important to the young person but also what is important for the young person. Good support plans balance well these two themes. Similarly the review needs to take into account what needs to be in place to help the young person thrive for example education, participation opportunities, independence skills and future employability. Childrens services have specific skills and duties connected to the safeguarding of children. In every review social workers should be reassured that risks are well managed and the safety aspects of how the plan is progressing are thought through. The support planning is based clearly around the Every Child Matters 5 Outcomes and the review follows these themes. To recap, Individual Budgets for children is about supporting the young disabled person, the whole family and improving the families choice and control in their lives and over their resources. 1
It is also about getting better at supporting disabled young people to: Maintain and improve their health Enjoy their childhood Make and spend time with friends Achieve and make progress by learning Learn new skills that make work and purposeful activity in the future a real possibility Take part in their community and know that what they give is valued Combat poverty and ensure they receive all the financial entitlement they are due. Stay safe What social workers specifically need to address in reviews of support plans are the following: To promote the progress of the young person towards the Every Child Matters 5 outcomes To find out what has worked and what has not worked in the period we are reviewing To promote change towards what is working To provide information advice and guidance about opportunities and activities in the community To assist families to continue parenting and receive the support they need To support families to manage the Individual Budget To promote good book keeping and help the family prepare for audit To ensure there are sufficient resources that meet the support needs of the young person 2
Preparing for the Review Prior to the review the social worker should: Listen to the young person about what they want to happen next in their life and what they want to say at the review Think about what the review means for the young person and how they can be involved in the review. A meeting that seems boring to the young person makes it unlikely that they will participate. A meeting that is colorful, lively and sensitive to the young persons needs in most situations will help the young person to participate. Remember at all times that it is the young persons meeting Gather together important people in the young persons life and create actions for a better life. Ideally this should include a mix of people who love and care about the young person and paid supporters and professionals. Reviews are often more concrete when the supporters who work directly with the young person are present. Prepare to facilitate the meeting ensuring that everyone participates and that the discussion can get to a clear action plan at the end of it Re-read the support plan and action list prior to the review In the preparation and the review itself social workers should act to make the goals of the support plan easier and simpler. Our aim is to increase the openness and trust in our relationships with families. The ideal relationship which we should strive towards is where social workers are seen by the family to be facilitators helping them stay in control of their lives. At the Review Good reviews are: Child centered and ensure that everyone is treated equally and everyone has an equal contribution to make. Well prepared and keep the young person at the centre of all decisions made Transparent and where power is equally shared Focused on finding out about what is important to and for the young person now and in the future, what help & support they need to get there, and check out if what s important to them is working or not working. 3
The discussion should include What is important to the young person What is important for the young person What they want to change How they will be supported How they will spend their money and manage their support, How they will stay in control What they are going to do next The result should be a clear set of actions which reflect the person as a whole. The process should feel positive, and clearly outcome focused. Completing the Paperwork The paper work is important because it helps everyone to remember the discussion and to be accountable for the actions which people have committed to follow through. The review form has two parts. The first part is designed to capture the discussion about the life of the child and the progress they are making and to make changes and is designed to be completed at the review. The second part is to check that the family are managing the money and is better completed immediately after the review with the person who is managing the money. In most cases this will be a parent or carer. Part 1 The first page is to look at what is working and what is not working. The discussion may have thrown up good examples of what the young person has enjoyed and what has worked. There is a danger that we can pass over these experiences in order to move quickly to solve problems. This however is vital information often showing the good experiences which may build confidence, self esteem and skills. As well as providing important information about the young persons existing strengths and gifts, what is working? can also remind people of abilities they may have forgotten and raise their morale in the process. The last question on page one What have you learnt and who can you share learning with? is unusual in Children s Services reviews but actively promotes one of our key goals in promoting family learning. It is important that families not only learn from their practice of greater choice and control but are able to share that learning. Children s Services do wish to promote mutual support and shared learning amongst Individual Budget users. The forums for young people and parents who use Individual Budgets are a place where this learning could be discussed. It is 4
also important to think with the family how others may learn from their pioneering practice who may not yet have an Individual Budget. Social workers should consider with families sharing learning at disabled families networks, in local, regional and national forums. In looking at what has not worked it is important to support the family to think about what they can do to change this. The role of the worker is not to problem solve on behalf of the family but support the family to think about creative solutions. In this first section the In-Control visual map can graphically help young people and families to understand how their thoughts are developing. Throughout the whole form the review is directed to concrete actions. How effective the review is in supporting the family to change will depend on having clear actions that are timed and an identified individual who has committed to take the action forward. In the pages which follow the first and second page of the review document the Every Child Matters outcomes are discussed. The family has already identified in their support plan or at the previous review what they are trying to achieve. The review should remember what the goals of the plan were and explore what has changed. This is an opportunity to check progress and find out what is new in the families life that can be built upon or needs attention. This is a chance to explore together opportunities that were unknown at the time of writing the plan. This leads to families being invited to detail their preferred outcomes in specific, concrete and measurable terms. Goals help people to determine steps forward and evaluate progress. Sometimes the careful detailing of goals can of itself be informative, when people realise that some of what they hope for is already happening. If there are issues of disagreement or where the social worker is wondering whether the progress the family wants to make can be supported by Children s Services the Support Planning Guidance and the Financial Advice to Families with an Individual Budget are good documents to think about what is possible to support within an Individual Budget. The final question How is your family supported is crucial in balancing the young person s aspirations with the needs of their family. This is where a discussion about parents needs for breaks and to feel healthy and supported should be explored. This should also aid the review participants to think about the whole family, how the lives of the young person s brothers and sisters are affected and how the support of the extended family is working out. Part 2 Part 2 is a quick check to ensure that the family has in place what they need to operate a successful Individual Budget. The purpose of this check is to be helpful and to provide any additional support to ensure issues such as employment and managing the money are being carried out safely. In most reviews this quick check can iron out problems and help families to get support when needed. It is understood that the Review is not a mini audit and that the skills to support the 5
families with financial advice lie with Disability North and the City Council Finance team. Disability North will be able to support families using direct payments with information and advice. If there are clear issues of concern the social worker should seek support from the City Council Finance Direct Payment Team and they will offer guidance and support. Martin Donkin Project Manager Individual Budgets Pilot Children s Directorate Springfield Centre Website address www.newcastle.gov.uk North Block Tel: 0191 2774700 Blakelaw Fax: 0191 2774701 Newcastle upon Tyne e-mail: martin.donkin@newcastle.gov.uk NE5 3HU This guidance has been strongly influenced by the work of: Dr Simon Duffy from the Centre for Welfare Reform The In-Control Network Helen Sanderson Associates John Wheeler Solution Focused Trainer 6