A-level and GCSE exam results are out very soon, but the pandemic means that things are a little different. So, here’s what you need to know about this year’s results.
The exams and assessments were cancelled this year due to coronavirus (COVID-19). However, most students will still receive grades in time to progress to further study or employment. A-levels results are released on Thursday 13 August; GCSEs on Thursday 20 August.
Earlier today (Wednesday 12 August), the Department for Education announced a “triple lock” on exam results in England this year. Students’ grades will be the highest out of their estimated grades, their mocks and an optional written exam in the autumn – meaning that final results will be no lower than mock exams. All outcomes will hold the same value for universities, colleges and employers.
More information about how estimated grades will be calculated, plus advice about options available if students don’t get the grades they wanted is available on the government’s website.
Devon and Cornwall Police have launched an awareness campaign to ask the public to help spot the signs of online Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) (more…)
We hope this list will keep evolving – if you are aware of an acronym that needs adding please send the detail to your locality mailbox.
AfC Action for Children. Children’s Centres
ASB Anti-Social Behaviour
ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder
CARA Child At Risk Alert (Police)
CC Children’s Centre
CFHD Children & family Health Devon (previously Virgin)
CME Child Missing Education
CORC Child Outcomes Research Consortium. How to measure children and young people’s mental health & wellbeing. (link on Devon SCP [EH] website)
CSE Child Sexual Exploitation
CVS Community & Voluntary Services
Devon SCP Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership (previously DSCB)
DfE Department for Education
DIAS Devon Information & Advice Service– parents of children with additional needs can be referred to DIAS for advice, support and advocacy re access to education
DICS Devon Integrated Children’s Services
DLA Disability Living Allowance
DSL Designated Safeguarding Lead
DV Domestic Violence
DWP Department Work & Pensions
EH Early Help– An approach bringing together people from a range of services. Support for families from pre-birth to adolescents before any formal interventions. Main point of contact= lead practitioner. Early Help has 10 criteria on which they are judged as payments by results (PBR) are made from the government for the Supported Families programme.
EHA Early Help Assessment. Families can refer themselves for an EHA or can be referred by a teacher, Health Visitor, GP etc.
EHCP Education Health & Care Plan
EHP Early Help Plan. EHP states who is going to do what and when, including things a family can do to help themselves.
ESA Employment Support Allowance. (Formerly Incapacity Benefit). You can apply for ESA if you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work.
ETE Young people engaged in Education Training or Employment
EWO Education Welfare Officer
EYFS Early Years Foundation Stage
FGCP Family Group Conference Plus– offer a range of meetings including family group conferences and restorative meetings aimed at achieving positive change.
FIT Family Intervention Team– offers practical support, advice, how to build strengths and skills. Connects families with YIT, Domestic Violence support, DWP etc
FP Family Practitioner
IDVA Independent Domestic Violence Advisor – The role of the IDVA is to provide safety advice and support to victims of domestic abuse who are at high risk as measured using the DASH Risk Assessment.
IS Income Support. To help to cover costs if the person has a low income and gets the severe disability premium.
JSA Job Seekers Allowance
LADO Local Authority Designated Officer– deals with allegations made against an adult working with children
LO Locality Officer
MACE Missing Child Exploitation
MARAC Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference. A victim-focused information sharing and risk management meeting attended by all key agencies where high risk cases are discussed.
MASH Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub. A partnership between DCC, Children’s social care, education, youth services, NHS, police & probation working together to safeguard children. If a professional, family member or the public have a concern they can make a request for support.
MDA Multi-Disciplinary Assessment
NEET A young person: Not in Employment, Education or Training
OoSC Out of School Club
PBR Payment by Results
PHNT Public Health Nursing Team
PIP Personal Independence Payment
PNMHT Perinatal Mental Health Team
PPAP Parents Plus Adolescents Programme – Evidence-based parenting course promoting effective communication in families with adolescents aged 11 – 16 years.
PSPM Pregnancy Support Pathway Meeting
PTC Parent to Child
QA Quality Assurance
REACH Reducing Exploitation & Absence from Care or Home– a service which supports young people who either run away or who are at risk of CSE
RfC Right for Children – a web-based system that enables practitioners from a range of agencies, services and team to input and share information about the families they are working with.
ROI Record of Intervention
SEMH Social, Emotional, Mental Health problem
SEN Special Educational Needs
SEND Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
SFP Strengthening Families Programme– Strengthening Families training is for over 8-year olds. 8 sessions with children in the evening with food…
SGO Special Guardianship Order
SMART Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, with Timescale– for writing a good Early Help Plan
SOEH Support Officer, Early Help
SPA Single Point of Access
TAC ‘Team around the Child’
TAF Team Around the Family (TAF). The family and relevant agencies working with them are known collectively as the ‘Team around the Family’. A TAF meeting, engages effectively with the family and relevant professionals. The aim is to produce a plan of coordinated support enabling a child, or young person, and their family to achieve agreed outcomes within specified timescales.
TDC Teignbridge District Council
UC Universal Credit. A payment to help with living costs. It replaces Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Job seeker’s Allowance, Working Tax Credit
VI Visually Impaired
ViST Vulnerable incident Screening Tool (Police) Police complete an incident form if children are present when they are called to a property, often related to a call about Domestic Abuse. Police will send this CARA to their safeguarding hub and data the police have – either about the property or about the people named on the report (or both) and this is then known as a ViST.
YES Youth Enquiry Service
YIT Youth Intervention Team
YOT Youth Offending Team
Assessment Triangle is used to identify different aspects of intervention to look at.
Family Outcome Star A method to help to create a plan for a family- used by FIT.
Family Practitioner works with the whole family
Front Door Devon’s entrance in Children’s Social care that incorporates our MASH.
Roots Mental health/ bereavement
Step down to Early Help– Social Services might ‘step down’ a family from their care to Early Help. They should hold a closing meeting with EH
Talk works– for depression/ anxiety
Troubled Families Programme is a programme of targeted intervention for families with multiple problems, including crime, anti-social behaviour, truancy, unemployment, mental health problems and domestic abuse. One aim of the Programme is to tackle issues before they require costlier interventions. It involves the adoption of a ‘whole family approach’ and multi-agency working.
Young Devon– mental health support
Young Minds– A charity working for people’s mental health. Tips, advice and guidance on where to get support for mental health. Youngminds.org.uk
On 3 March 2021, members of Devon’s Youth Parliament met with key managers and leaders within the Devon SCP to discuss the results of the Make Your Mark survey and put forward the views of young people on a number of priority topics.
This is what was discussed and the actions that resulted from these conversations.
Young people’s views: This was the top result nationally from the Make Your Mark survey, with access to training and jobs being the third highest result. We believe this high ranking is largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the wider impact this has played – for example, cancelling Year 10 work experience. The hospitality industry is mostly closed, which has prevented many young people from entering their first job. There is also concern around financial future for young people generally. Is a good career only for the privileged few?
Request: To support the campaign for free university places and extend opportunities for young people to access ongoing training and work opportunities. And to make sure that all young people who have missed out on works-experience due to COVID-19 still get that opportunity later.
Action: Youth Parliament will continue to ask other young people about their views on training, jobs and higher education so that we can include more youth voices into this discussion.
Young people’s views: This was the top national issue among Devon’s young people. The Exeter Insight Instagram page was created in response to last year’s Make Your Mark results to reach out to Exeter young people, spread information and offer peer support. We plan to rename this so that it is accessible to more young people.
Request: More to be done to support young people early and ensure that their return to school provides chances to talk to adults and get help where needed. Every young person should have a ‘trusted adult’ who they feel comfortable speaking to, and all young people should know how best to support their peers rather than shouldering that burden alone. Young people who care for their friends’ mental health need someone to talk to as well.
Action: Dawn Stabb (Devon County Council’s Head of Education and Learning) will work with schools to provide easy access to support. The upcoming Devon Youth Council will hopefully include representatives from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) participation group.
Young people’s views: Youth Parliament’s Greener Devon Week took place in October 2020. Greener Devon will now become a year-long campaign. Plastic pollution is a large concern among young people.
Request: More to do, including with large-scale litter picks being considered.
Action: This is part of a wider Devon Plan and young people are keen to get involved.
Young people’s views: Both of these are high local priorities in Devon. Some young people may be experiencing this themselves or know friends who are. Violence may be increasing in unsafe homes due to stay-at-home rules; as such, awareness about increasing violence should be raised. Fundraising for charities could be organised.
Request: Further information about domestic violence and sexual abuse (DVSA) through schools will aid with increasing awareness and signposting you people towards help with domestic abuse.
Action: Work together with young people with the Domestic Violence and Abuse strategy. Michele Thornberry will take this forward.
Young people’s views: Young people in abusive relationships do not always know who to contact. They may be scared to tell adults and feel less safe if more people become aware. While teachers can pick up on aspects that seem unusual, being out of school means these opportunities for teachers to intervene have almost vanished.
Request: Young people experiencing abusive relationships need to have support to know what this looks like and what to do.
Action: Improve the information and access to the information available to young people. A challenge set to adults in the session, to look from the perspective of a young person seeking help. Action for the Partnership to ensure there are clear routes to access support and information for young people.
Young people’s views: A lack of knowledge about writing CVs, applying for work, and gaining work experience was also a large concern. Practical support is needed to help young people take their first steps into work. Work experience for Year 10 students has been cancelled during the pandemic which greatly impacts early working skills.
Request: Young people in school would like assistance with learning employability skills and entering work.
Action: Dawn Stabb will be reaching out to schools to encourage teaching employability skills. Fiona Fleming (Devon’ County Council’s Head of Commissioning for Children’s Services) suggested inviting Phill Adams (Employment and Skills Senior Manager at Devon County Council) to Youth Parliament meetings to discuss the work being done to support young people into work.
Young people’s views: Among younger year groups, the inability to socialise with classmates is a concern. Online learning is very distant and unengaging as many students turn their cameras off or lack the technology to engage in the same way as other students. Social skills are very important and the opportunity to interact with classmates and friends has deteriorated significantly over the past year. Young people need these social skills.
Request: Offer opportunities for connecting with peers, having a chance to play and have fun together. Some schools have set this up and they worked well, this could have a wider implementation.
Action: To influence the plans for improving emotional health and wellbeing as a strategic focus for the Devon SCP. Emotional Health and Wellbeing Group to build this into their strategy.
Young people’s views: The members of the Youth Parliament are looking forward to returning to school to interact with their friends and return to classroom learning, they think this is the case from many young people. However, a gradual phased-in approach to returning to school would be ideal as the sudden routine change could be adverse.
Request: Information and support around upcoming exams and GCSEs have been lacking and difficult to follow. Devon Youth Parliament also suggested giving students a choice to continue learning remotely when they wish.
Action: Dawn Stabb will raise these points at her meetings with headteachers across Devon.
Young people’s views: The idea of mandatory, catch-up summer schools was strongly disagreed with. However, one Youth Parliament member and her dad, who is a teacher, trialled a summer camp during 2020 at her village park. All the young people who attended had something to do and the event was enjoyed by all. It was pointed out by the Devon SCP that any events we organise must be enjoyable and provide fun for those involved.
Request: A Devon-wide summer camp for children and young people was to have fun and socialise, while incorporating education and possibly employment skill development into the activities.
Action: Play events over the summer being organised by the Devon SCP will incorporate Youth Parliament ideas.
Young people’s views: A big concern about returning to school is the potential for COVID-19 cases within the classroom. Another lockdown is also a concern, alongside the potential for further virus variants, vaccine ineffectiveness, and further disruptions to education and home life.
Request: To understand the effect that further lockdowns will have on children and work on different ways to keep in touch and connect if this was to happen.
Action: Any incident management planning to address this concern if we are to close schools again.
Young people’s views: More regular contact with the Youth Parliament would be welcomed, to begin encouraging communication between the Devon SCP and Youth Parliament to merge ideas together. Obtaining opinions and ideas from a diverse group of young people will help with responding to the needs of young people. The Youth Parliament also welcomes the Devon SCP’s insight into topics they are concerned about.
Action: Contact between the Youth Parliament and Devon SCP to be set up on a regular basis and consideration given to the engagement of young people with the strategic and service development sub-groups. Devon Youth Parliament are working with Schools to develop youth forums where they can engage with a wider network of young people to inform their policies and campaigns.
The UK Youth Parliament Devon is a group of young people, elected by their peers to represent them on issues affecting young people in Devon, locally, regionally and nationally. You can find out more about Youth Parliament and other ways for children and young people to get involved and have their say on matters in Devon.
Child exploitation (CE) encompasses sexual and criminal exploitation, trafficking, modern slavery and other forms of adolescent vulnerability. And to highlight the issue, National Child Exploitation Awareness day is taking place on Thursday 18 March.
The National Working Group (NWG) are continuing to lead the campaign and their five keys messages for National Child Exploitation Awareness 2021 are as follows:
The NWG are also asking people to write a personal pledge on their hand to show support for their “Helping Hands” campaign, and share on social media using #CEADAY21 and #HelpingHands.
Find more information at STOP CSE – National Child Exploitation Awareness Day.
We would encourage everyone to think, spot and speak out against exploitation abuse and utilise the tools and Safer Me Assessment from the Adolescent Safety Framework to support and create safety for are young people.
GCSEs and A and AS Level exams will not go ahead this summer, the Education Secretary has confirmed. Instead, there will be some form of teacher-assessed grading. The details of how that will happen are not yet finalised, but we will provide details when they are.
Students studying for vocational and technical qualifications should hear from their schools or colleges about their January exams and assessments.
Meanwhile, student attendance in schools is currently about 26 per cent in primary schools and 10 per cent in secondary schools, which includes both local authority schools and academies. There are about 93,000 children in school in Devon, approximately 56,000 in primaries and 37,000 in secondaries.
Devon County Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Schools, James McInnes, said:
“Heads and school staff are working really hard to ensure that children are able to learn, whether that’s in the classroom or virtually.
“The coronavirus crisis has worsened considerably since Christmas and guidelines are having to change to take account of that so our schools are coping with regularly changing advice.
“But many heads and teachers are innovating with real flair. Some schools in Devon are streaming live classroom lessons to children at home and others are recording lessons so that families can make use of them at a time which is convenient to them. That’s particularly helpful if parents are working at home and only have limited devices.
“I know combining classroom learning with virtual learning is adding to teachers’ workload, but I’m glad to see more children actually coming to school than in the last lockdown. It means parents are confident that we’ve done all we can to make schools safe and it’s good for children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as their learning, to be with their friends.”
Information about school meals and the Government’s provision of laptops and data allowances to support remote learning is also available. You can find further support and guidance on the Devon County Council coronavirus advice page.
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
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Our Early Help offer is underpinned by the 6 Key themes that take a whole family approach to support:
1. Parents or children are involved in crime or anti-social behaviour. Crime and ASB
2. Children not attending school regularly or are being excluded. Education and Attainment
3. Children who need help (Vulnerable Children). Specific Support Needed
4. At least one adult is out of work, young people are at risk of unemployment, and families are experiencing financial disadvantage. Work /Finances
5. There is domestic violence and abuse, risk of CSE or missing children and young people. Being Safe
6. Individuals have a range of health problems, physical or mental health. Physical and Mental Health
Improving outcomes for families can enable Devon to access additional funding through payment by results claims (PBR) this funds the targeted services which provide support to families. To enable a potential claim a family needs to meet at least 2 out of the 6 key themes, which could increase as further needs is uncovered during the journey of support. The Right for Children recording system, Early Help tools, Assessment and Plan/Review, should be used, and are designed to support families to receive co-ordinated multi-agency support to improve and sustain outcomes. We need to evidence successful outcomes for all members of a family and these need to be sustained. Where worklessness in a family is a presenting issue a payment by results claim can be made where there is evidence that an adult family member has returned to employment for an expected period or is no longer in receipt of out of work benefits. Other presenting need should still be supported to improve outcomes for a family.
Families must also have:
1. An Assessment that in some way takes into account the needs of the whole family;
2. An Action Plan that takes account of all (relevant) family members;
3. There is a Lead Worker that is recognised by the family and other professionals involved with the family;
4. The objectives in the family action plan are aligned to those in the area’s Troubled Families Outcomes Plan (Devon Early Help Outcomes Plan).
So what does this mean for you, the practitioner?
Think – Whole family
Think – The 6 key themes
Think – Right for Children assessment and plan
Think – Lead Practitioner
Think – Significant and sustained engagement/ Outcomes
Further information on the Devon Early Help system, offer, Early Help leaflet for families and the full Devon Early Help outcomes framework can be found at the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership website, under Early Help:
https://www.dcfp.org.uk/early-help/early-help-information-for-workers/
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
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.
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:
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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)
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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.
| 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. |
“My mum was born without a thyroid gland. She has learning difficulties and some physical problems, and she gets depressed. Her problems have affected me and my sister in lots of ways.
“The Young Carers worker called a meeting with people like my teacher and a social worker from the Disability Team. My family and me went to the meeting. We came up with a plan to help my family in lots of ways. The main thing was to get some support for my mum so that we didn’t have to help her so much, and we wouldn’t get into messes all the time.
“Because my teachers were involved in the meetings, they knew about things at home and I had lots of help when I was doing my GCSEs. Young Carers also arranged for me to see a coach which helped me to decide on some goals for the future.
“I did OK in my GCSEs, and I am now at college and have just got an apprenticeship.”
Abbie (not her real name)
One in five secondary school-age children have active caring roles at home.
With a quarter of people experiencing mental ill-health at some point in their lives, mental health support for young carers has never been so important.
Last year Devon Young Carers, which is commissioned by Devon County Council, actively supported over 1,100 young carers in Devon.
But they’re just the ones we support. There is lots more we can do to support, which is why we are asking young carers and their families to contact Devon Young Carers.
This year, Carers Trust has launched the Count Me In! campaign asking schools to do more to identify young carers and to make sure they are recognised and supported. That includes making sure that young carers know how to access their local young carers service.
Devon Young Carers is supporting the campaign and taking their message out to schools and colleges this week, for national Young Carers Awareness Day, Thursday 30 January.
They are talking to school Heads, teachers and pupils about the support available through Devon Young Carers.
Many schools already recognise young carers among their pupils, and through their welfare support teams provide support to help them with their education and wellbeing.
Most Devon schools have young carers champions who are known to pupils. These act as go-to contacts for young carers within the school, but they also ensure that schools stay tuned into young carers needs, with their policies and ways of working.
The Devon Young Carers team will be looking at how schools already support young carers, and what else they might be able to do in future.
Councillor James McInnes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member with responsibility for the young carers service said:
“We hear stories like Abbie’s often, and they never fail to inspire me. These are young people, dealing not just with the things that most other young people are dealing with – schools, friendships, their own mental health for example – but they’re also dealing with the physical and mental impact of caring for someone else.
“We see it too often that young carers are sometimes not obvious to others and that their needs go unnoticed or not responded to.
“I’m pleased to say that most of our schools are very aware that they have young carers among them, and many provide a level of support to them.
“But I would like to see that recognition more. Not just in our schools, but in all of us as friends, neighbours and society as a whole.
“This week, Devon Young Carers are visiting schools across the county. They will be helping them look at ways they can improve their carers’ support. They’ll be talking to young people too to raise awareness that among their friends and colleagues, there may be some that have caring roles at home.
“I’d like everyone to have our eyes open to young carers. And I’d like young people who are involved with the care of someone else at home to know that there is support available to them.”
Liz Smith, Devon Young Carers Service Manager, said:
“Many schools are doing a great job supporting young carers and Devon Young Carers would like to see more schools recognised for their good work by them achieving the national Young Carers in School Award through the Carers Trust. If any schools would like support to achieve this they can contact our specialist Schools Support Worker.”
Devon County Council commissions the Devon Young Carers service. They, the Police and health services – the partners of the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership – are working together to try to ensure that all children and young people, young carers included, have healthy and happy lives. Visit our website for more information about young carers.
To contact Devon Young Carers, telephone or leave a message on 03456 434 435 or email youngcarers@devoncarers.org.uk.
Find out more about Devon Young Carers here or you can access the Devon Young Carers App here.
You can also support the Carers Trust Count Me In! campaign and find resources here.
Get involved on social media by using the hashtags #CountMeIn and #YoungCarersAwarenessDay, or check out @carerstrust @devoncarers and @westbank