Text Size:

4. Northamptonshire Vulnerability Matrix and Threshold Criteria

This Northamptonshire multi-agency vulnerability matrix and threshold guidance provides an overview of the continuum of needs of all children and young people in Northamptonshire. It provides guidance on when to undertake a CAF assessment as well as when it is appropriate to request the involvement of local Targeted and Specialist services. It also details the range of complex and continuing additional needs that would require specialist services to work in an integrated way or that might indicate the need for a crisis or statutory response.

It is acknowledged that decisions about how and who is best placed to meet a child or young persons needs is based on individual judgements and involved professional and personal values. You are encouraged to discuss any safeguarding concerns openly with your line manager in the first instance BUT if in doubt always consult with CYPS Initial Contact Team on 0300 126 1006.

Quick Links:

Level 1 - Universal Provision
Level 2 - Targeted Support
Level 3 - Additional Needs - Specialist
Level 4 - Additional Needs Requiring Specialist or Statutory Integrated Response and/or Safeguarding

Level 1- Universal Provision

No additional needs. Children & Young People achieving expected outcomes. The majority of Children & Young People’s needs are met within universal provision.

Development of Unborn Baby, Infant, Child or Young Person

Learning / Education

Achieving key milestones.
Interested in and enjoying friends and play.
Appropriate access to Early Years settings.
Good attendance at school/ college/training.
No barriers to learning.
Well-informed and realistic planned progression beyond statutory school age.

Physical Health, Development and Disability

Accessing health services.
Good physical health with age appropriate development including motor development, continence and speech and language.
Age appropriate eating and feeding, diet and nutrition.

Social, Behavioural and Emotional Well-being (Including Mental Health), Identity

Good mental health and psychological well-being.
Good quality early attachments, confident in social situations.
Positive sense of self.
Growing levels of competencies in practical and emotional skills.
Knowledgeable about sex and relationships and consistent use of contraception if sexually active.

Self-Care and Independence

Age appropriate independent living skills including keeping safe.

Parents and Carers

Basic Care, Safety and Protection

Parents/carers confident to manage common childhood behavioural issues.
Parents/carers able to provide care for child’s needs and seek and use appropriate advice.
Stable and affectionate relationships where parents and carers are able to meet the child’s needs.

Emotional Warmth and Stability

Parents/carers provide secure and caring parenting.
Encourage development of friendships.

Guidance Boundaries and Stimulation

Parents setting and fostering age appropriate expectations to help child develop appropriate values.
Engagement with child’s learning and community involvement.

Family and Environmental Factors

Family History and Well-being

Supportive family relationships including when parents are separated.

Housing, Employment and Finance

Not living in poverty.
Good quality stable housing.
No observed risks in home, e.g., fire, electric, water, slips, trips and falls.

Social and Community Resources

Good social and friendship networks exist.
Access to positive activities.
Good universal services in neighbourhood.
Positive relationship with peers.

Assessment Process

No assessment is needed; features at this level indicate existing resilience factors in the child, young person and their family which need to be considered in all assessments at all levels of need.

Key Services that may provide support at this Level are:
Schools, colleges and training providers. Children’s Centres & Early Years settings. Health visiting and midwifery service. Children and Young People’s Nurses.	General Practitioner and NHS Direct. Community based play provision e.g. parent and toddler groups, pre-schools. Connexions. Youth Services.	Police. Housing. Voluntary & community sector services District and Borough council services. Family Information Service.

Return to top

Level 2- Targeted Support

Children & Young People in need of Early Intervention.

Development of Unborn Baby, Infant, Child or Young Person

Learning / Education

Reduced interest in play appropriate to age.
Reduced access to books, toys or educational materials.
Not achieving individual education targets.
Occasional truanting or non attendance, poor punctuality.
Does not or cannot access appropriate guidance.

Physical Health, Development and Disability

Missing immunisations, medical appointments or developmental checks.
Growth or weight gain above or below expected norms.
Not registered with a General Practitioner and Dentist.
Identified disability - physical, learning or sensory impairment.
Identified language and communication difficulties.
Slow in reaching developmental milestones.
Recurrent illness or health concerns beginning to have an impact on education, family or social functioning.

Social, Behavioural and Emotional Well-being (Including Mental Health), Identity

Concerns about bonding and interaction issues.
Over familiarity or difficulties with attachments.
Low self esteem.
Low level mental health problems or emotional vulnerability requiring intervention, e.g. bereavement.
Ongoing concern about emotional and/or behavioural problems.
Offending behaviour which leads to a youth restorative disposal or reprimand.
Anti-Social Behaviour that is coming to the notice of police.
Early onset of sexual activity (13-14).
Sexually active (15+) with additional vulnerability.
Teenage parent or pregnant or expectant father (16-18 years).
Low level substance, solvent or alcohol misuse that is not immediately hazardous.

Self-Care and Independence

Lack of age appropriate behaviour and independent living skills that increase vulnerability.

Parents and Carers

Basic Care, Safety and Protection

Inconsistent care e.g. inappropriate child care arrangements or young inexperienced parent.
Mental or physical health need or problem that does not significantly affect the care of the child.

Emotional Warmth and Stability

Inconsistent parenting, but child’s development not significantly impaired.
Child/young person has multiple carers.

Guidance Boundaries and Stimulation

Lack of response to concerns raised regarding child.
Difficulties in setting boundaries.

Family and Environmental Factors

Family History and Well-being

Parents/carers have relationship difficulties which may affect the child.
Loss of significant adult.
Parents request advice to manage their child’s behaviour.
Children affected by difficult family relationships or bullying.
Limited social and friendship networks.

Housing, Employment and Finance

Overcrowding.
Families affected by low income or unemployment.
Risk of homelessness.

Social and Community Resources

Insufficient facilities to meet needs e.g. transport or access issues.
Some social exclusion e.g. hate crimes.
Associating with anti social or criminally active peers.
Victims of crime or anti-social behaviour.

Features

Children and young people needing some targeted support fall into this category because without such intervention they are likely to be at risk of not reaching their full potential.

Assessment Process

The CAF is a standard holistic consent based assessment tool that can be used by all services working with children young people and their family. It is particularly suitable for use in early intervention work and beyond. The CAF supports practitioners to work in partnership with parents/carers to identify a child or young person’s strengths, needs and goals. It can be shared between agencies/services, with parental and/or child/young person’s consent and used to plan coordinated multi-agency support and actions.

A single clear area of need for a child or young person identified at Level 2 is unlikely to require a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) but support should be provided within universal services or a single additional service may be appropriate. Please refer to resilience factors as set out in Level 1 Assessment Process when making professional judgements.

When a cluster of needs at Level 2 are evident for a child or young person a CAF must be completed with the child/young person and their family to gather information on their strengths and needs to assess the level of response required. A CAF may be appropriate when only one indicator is present; however, this decision will be based upon professional judgement.

For further details of the Northamptonshire CAF process go to:

www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/caf or ring the CAF Helpdesk on 01604 237336 who will also be able to put you in contact with the CAF Coordinator for your area. The CAF Coordinator will be able to support and advise you through the process.

Key Services that may provide support at this Level are:

All those listed under Universal and in addition:

PTLP (Prevention through Learning Programme) either direct work or group work programmes.
CAMHS Primary Mental Health Workers offering consultation and advice.
Connexions (Enhanced Service).
Children’s Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists.
Education (including Learning Mentors and / or Parent Support Advisors) + home school link work.

NCC Children & Young People’s Directorate education support services:
- Portage
- Educational Psychology Service
- Pre-School teachers/Area SENCos and Assistant Area SENCos
- Additional Needs teachers
- Teachers of the Visually Impaired
- Teachers of the Hearing Impaired
- Behaviour Curriculum & Inclusion BACIN
- Education Welfare

Specialist Play Services Therapy.
Evidence based parenting programmes.
Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service Home Fire Safety Check Team.
Sensory Impairment Unit.
Northamptonshire Carers Centre.
Core Offer Team, Disabled Children’s Service.
Community and voluntary organisations.

Information about all services available can be accessed via the Family Information Service - www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/fis

Return to top

Level 3 - Additional Needs - Specialist

Children & Young People in Need of Specialist Services.

Development of Unborn Baby, Infant, Child or Young Person

Learning / Education

No access to books, toys or educational materials.
Educational needs not being met despite support.
Short term exclusions or at risk of permanent exclusion, persistent truanting.
Regular and persistent non school attendance.
Not in Employment Education or Training (NEET).

Physical Health, Development and Disability

Physical disability or complex medical needs requiring specialist support at home or at school.
Language or social communication delay/ disorder having significant impact on access to education, learning, psychological wellbeing and/ or on family and social functioning.
Frequently missing routine and non-routine healthcare appointments.
Chronic or recurring health problems (including developmental disorders) having significant impact on access to education, learning, psychological wellbeing and/ or on family and social functioning.

Social, Behavioural and Emotional Well-being (Including Mental Health), Identity

Significant low self esteem.
Child is withdrawn, isolated and/or unwilling to engage.
Persistent mild to moderate mental healthcare problems e.g. generalised anxiety, low mood or obsessional behaviour.
Persistent and significant emotional and behavioural problems e.g. physical aggression or highly oppositional behaviour.
Evidence of changing attitudes and more disregard to risk.
Victim of crime including discrimination.
Evidence of regular/frequent drug use and/or evidence of escalation of substance, solvent or alcohol use.
Offending behaviour resulting in a final warning or other community based intervention.
Anti-social behaviour resulting in an Acceptable Behaviour Contract.
Under 16 and pregnant or has had or caused a previous pregnancy ending in still birth, abortion or miscarriage.

Self-Care and Independence

Marked over familiarity and poor personal boundaries.
Lack of age appropriate behaviour and independent living skills, likely to impair development.

Parents and Carers

Basic Care, Safety and Protection

Basic care or supervision of child is inadequate.
Parental learning disability, parental substance misuse, physical or mental health problems impacting on their ability to meet the needs of the child or young person.
Parents do not engage with targeted support services.
Parental involvement in crime or anti-social behaviour.

Emotional Warmth and Stability

Inconsistent parenting impairing emotional or behavioural development.

Guidance Boundaries and Stimulation

Parent provides inconsistent boundaries or responses.
No parent support in child’s learning and engagement in leisure activities.

Family and Environmental Factors

Family History and Well-being

History of domestic abuse.
Risk of relationship breakdown between parent/ carer and the child.
Child or young person are in the following categories; young carer, privately fostered, prisoner’s child, child has had previous periods of being looked after.
Parent who is a persistent, prolific offender.
More than one disabled child or young person in the family.
Family relationships significantly impaired due to caring responsibilities.

Housing, Employment and Finance

Severe overcrowding, temporary accommodation, homelessness.
Housing in very poor state of repair.
Levels of debt that are unmanageable.
Housing not suitable/safe to meet needs of disabled child or young person.

Social and Community Resources

Parents socially excluded or have no access to local facilities.

Features

Children and young people who fall into this category have significant additional needs, and in some cases their development is further impaired by an additional unmet need, such as compromised parenting or environmental factors.

Due to the nature, complexity, range or intensity of the needs, children and young people will require intervention from specialist or statutory services. This will include situations where current or previous interventions have not achieved desired outcomes. In a number of cases they may require longer term intervention from those specialist and/or statutory services.

Assessment Process / Intervention / Agencies

Assessment Process:

For children and young people with this level of needs, support from universal and targeted services will have already have been provided, and will still be required, but the nature and level of need is such that additional assessment and support is likely to be required from one or more specialist or statutory services.

Child or young person already known to a statutory or specialist service:

There should already be a CAF or other relevant holistic assessments of needs. New or escalating concerns should be shared with the specialist services already involved, so that assessments may be updated and additional support identified.

Child not already known to specialist/statutory service, no assessment:

A CAF must be undertaken in partnership with parents/carers and child/young person to identify the child or young person’s strengths, needs and goals. The completed CAF can then be used as supporting evidence when requesting involvement from specialist and/or statutory services. For guidance on undertaking a CAF, see www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/caf and contact the CAF Help Desk - 01604 237336 - who will also be able to support you through the process by putting you in contact with the CAF Coordinator for your area, and in arranging the initial Team around the Family meeting.

N.B. Consent of the parent/carer or young person is required for the CAF process to be initiated. If there is no consent for CAF but parents/carers agree to referral to a specialist or statutory agency, this should be made clear in the referral. If consent is given for discussion at a LOT meeting, this may be useful in identifying appropriate services/support. In cases where there is no consent for information sharing or additional support, consider whether this is a safeguarding issue. Discuss concerns with your line manager in the first instance BUT if in doubt always consult with CYPS Initial Contact Team on 0300 126 1006.

For children and young people with this level of needs, the specialist or statutory services that may be appropriate include:

For those children and young people with complex medical or developmental needs, families should be aware of the health services already involved, and GP’s, Health Visitors and Children and Young Peoples’ Nurses will also be able to provide information. Where it is not clear who is involved, please contact the Community Paediatrician (01536 410141 for Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough and East Northants, 01604 544538 for Northampton, Daventry and South Northants).
For children with significant mental health needs contact the CAMHS Liaison line Tel. 01536 313887.
Youth Justice/youth offending services (01604 602400 or 01536 533800).
For children and young people with specialist educational needs contact NCC Children & Young People’s Directorate education support services.
- Corby and Kettering (0300 126 1013)
- Daventry and South Northamptonshire (01604 857382)
- Northampton (01604 630082)
- Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire (01933 440289)
NCC Children & Young People’s Directorate Disabled Children’s Team - Contact Family Information Service (01604 236236).
NCC Children & Young People’s Directorate Customer Service Centre Initial Contact Team (0300 126 1006). For more details on the criteria and processes used by the Team, see Section 8.0.

Return to top

Level 4 - Additional Needs Requiring Specialist or Statutory Integrated Response and/or Safeguarding

Development of Unborn Baby, Infant, Child or Young Person

Learning / Education

Permanently excluded.
No education.
Not in Education Employment or Training, NEET (as a result of complex/acute needs).

Social, Behavioural and Emotional Well-being (Including Mental Health), Identity

Challenging behaviour resulting in serious risk to the child, young person and/or others.
Severe mental health needs including suicide attempts.
Frequently or regularly going missing from home.
In sexually exploitative relationship/s.
Under 13 engaged in sexual activity.
Serious and/or persistent offending behaviour.
Anti Social Behaviour resulting in Anti Social Behaviour Order.
Known to be part of gang or post code derived collective.
Teenage parent under 16.
Young people with complicated substance, alcohol or solvent abuse problems.
Children or young people whose behaviour has been sexually harmful.

Self-Care and Independence

Severe lack of age appropriate behaviour and independent living skills with no transition plan to manage this.
Homelessness.

Parents and Carers

Basic Care, Safety and Protection

Risky adult within the home.
Parent has children or young person who has previously been subject to a child protection plan, removed or cared for in extended family.
Parent not able to provide safe parenting.
Child or young person left at home alone or unsupervised.

Guidance Boundaries and Stimulation

Parent is involved in Anti-Social behaviour, crime (including drug dealing) or risky activities.
Child or young person is beyond control of the parent and is putting themselves or others at risk.

Family and Environmental Factors

Family History and Well-being

Suspicion of physical, emotional, sexual abuse or neglect of child or young person.
Severe alcohol or substance misuse.
Evidence of domestic abuse; any level of domestic abuse may put a child or young person at risk and the impact of this must always be considered.
Parents are unable to meet the needs of the child or young person.
Children or young person who need to be looked after outside their own family.
Severe mental health problems.
Severe family relationship problems.
Severe learning disability.

Housing, Employment and Finance

No fixed abode or homeless.
Family in extreme poverty.

Social and Community Resources

Child or family need immediate support and protection due to harassment / discrimination and no access to community resources.

Features

There will be a small number of children and young people with presenting needs which are so enduring, complex, intense and/or unpredictable that they impact upon all areas of functioning and require a co-ordinated response from all key agencies.

The presenting needs of these children and young people will be such that they require a crisis response or statutory intervention from specialist services. This will either be a safeguarding response or a coordinated urgent support response.

It is highly likely that these children and young people will already have had a CAF and will be known to one or more specialist services. If this is not the case, the CAF process should not be used at this point and provision of support must not be delayed by the absence of a CAF.

Assessment Processes

Safeguarding

(see Section 8.0 Northamptonshire Threshold criteria for children and young people receiving specialist services from social care)

Referral to Children and Young People’s Service Initial Contact Team on 0300 126 1006. This should include the submission of a completed CAF if one exists.
A professional judgement and decision will be made within 24 hours to determine whether an Initial Assessment will be undertaken and the referrer informed. If the decision is that an Initial Assessment will not be undertaken, liaison with the referrer will take place to facilitate a CAF or other specialist assessment.
If the decision is that an Initial Assessment will be undertaken, there will be an electronic transfer of case file to Area Assessment Team.
Allocation of Social Worker.
Initial Assessment.
Section 47 Enquiries.
Core Assessment.

Health services

Specialist CAMHS assessment.
Specialist Paediatric assessment.
Specialist Learning Disability assessment.
Continuing Care Assessment.

Youth Offending Service

ONSET and ASSET.

Education services

SEN assessment.

Housing providers

Key Services that may provide support at this level are:

All those listed under Universal, Targeted and Specialist Services and in addition:

NCC Children & Young People’s Directorate Specialist Children Looked After (CLA) service.
Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) Crisis Home Intervention Services and Inpatient Provision.
Children’s Continuing Care Assessment team.
Children’s Complex and Continuing Care Homecare services.
Criminal Youth Justice service.
Specialist Learning Disability Team.

Return to top