Could you befriend a young person ?

The Independent Visitor Service in Brighton and Hove are looking for new volunteers. do you think you could give some of your time to support a young person who is looked after by our local authority ?

Many children in care are teenagers so they are particularly looking for people who are interested in working with this age group. No formal qualifications are required – just a genuine commitment to children and young people. If you are over 18 and are interested, we’d like to hear from you.

Independent Visitors do not take on a parenting role, they are there to provide a sense of ‘normal’ life to a young person who is living in a children’s home or who has moved among numerous foster placements. The next training opportunities are –

Friday 26^th April and Saturday 27^th April 2019 from 10am to 4pm at:

Moulsecoomb Hub North, Hodshrove Lane Brighton BN2 4SE

The doors will open at 9.30 when coffee will be available –

If you think you have what it takes then contact – independent.visitors@brighton-hove.gov.uk

1. Universal

Has needs met within universal provision. May need limited intervention within the setting to avoid needs arising.
2. Early Help

Has additional needs identified within the setting that can be met within identified resources through a single agency response and partnership working.
3. Early Help Partnership Plus

Has multiple needs requiring a multi-agency coordinated response.
4. Specialist Services to address Acute & Chronic need

Has a high level of unmet & complex needs, or is in need of protection.
Child developmental needs
- Good attendance (above 90%)
- Meeting developmental & learning milestones
- Has emotional well-being
- Ability to protect self and be protected
- Resilient and able to adapt to change
- Physically healthy
- Age-appropriate self care & independence skills
- Ability to express needs
Child developmental needs
- Absence/truancy from school
- Incidence of absence/missing from home
- Persistent poor behaviour in school
- Risk of social exclusion
- Poor relationships
- Language and communication difficulties
- Disability or additional special educational needs
- Difficulty in achieving in education
- Potential for becoming Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)
- Slow in meeting developmental milestones
- Missing health checks/immunisations
- Minor health problems
- Early signs of offending/anti-social behaviour
- Underage sexual activity
- Early signs of drug/alcohol misuse
- Poor self-esteem
- Low level emotional & behavioural issues that may be linked to attachment and/or emotional development delay
- Young carers
- Bullying
- Children who have previously been in Care, and children living away from their birth parents e.g adopted children, Special Guardianship Orders, Kinship Care.
Child developmental needs

Despite intervention at 2, there is evidence of continuing and escalating need:
- Persistent absence from school
- Missing from school/ home regularly with no explanation
- Fixed Term exclusions/no school place
- Social exclusion
- Poor relationships
- No access to universal services / “Hidden Children”
- Significant disabilities
- NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training)
- Developmental milestones not being met due to persistent parental failure/inability
- Chronic/recurring health problems
- Regular missed appointments affecting developmental progress
- Teenage pregnancy
- Drug/alcohol misuse impacting negatively
- Risky sexual behaviour (e.g. unprotected sex)
- Offending / anti-social behaviour resulting in risk of entering Youth Justice System
- Emotional / mental health issues
Child developmental needs

Persistent/continued/severe:
- Chronic persistent absence, permanent exclusions or no school place that risks entry to the care system
- Persistent social exclusion
- Poor relationships
- Complex / multiple disabilities
- Complex mental health issues affecting development needs, including self harm
- High level emotional health issues and very low self-esteem
- Non-organic failure to thrive
- Inappropriate sexual knowledge / sexualised behaviour for age.
- Harmful Sexual Behaviour / Peer on Peer Abuse
- Teenage parent/pregnancy under the age of 13
- Concerns about exploitation (including sexual exploitation/ abuse, radicalisation; criminal exploitation; gang affiliation)
- Child victims of modern slavery or human trafficking
- Unaccompanied minors
- Drug/alcohol use severely impairing development
- Frequently missing from home resulting in self-neglect
- Relationship breakdown between child & parent
- Offending and in the criminal justice system
- Unexplained / suspicious injury
Family & Environment
- Positive relationship between parents
- Stable & affectionate relationships with caregivers
- Housed, good diet and kept healthy
- Supportive networks
- Access to positive activities
- Positive sense of self and abilities
Family & Environment
- Children of prisoners/ parents subject to community orders
- Low income affects achievement
- Parental conflict and risk of relationship breakdown
- Concerns about possible domestic abuse
Family & Environment
- Housing tenancy at risk
- Harmful parental conflict and/or relationship breakdown
- Transient families
- Domestic abuse & coercive control
- No recourse to public funds
Family & Environment
- Significantly harmful parental conflict and/or relationship breakdown
- Suspicion of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect
- Domestic abuse resulting in child being at risk of significant harm
- Homeless Child/Young Person
- Family intentionally homeless
- Extreme poverty affecting child well-being
- Forced Marriage, Honour Based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation
Parents & Carers
- Protected by carers
- Secure and caring home
- Receive and act on information, advice and guidance
- Appropriate boundaries maintained
Parents & Carers
- Inconsistent care arrangements
- Poor supervision by parent/carer
- Poor response to child’s physical, emotional or health needs
- Historic context of parents/carers own childhood, i.e Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Parents & Carers
- Parental learning or physical disability, substance misuse, or mental health impacts on parenting
- Inconsistent care arrangements
- Poor supervision by parent/carer
- Poor response to identified needs
- Historic context of parents/carers own childhood, i.e Adverse Childhood Experiences
Parents & Carers
- Edge of care
- Parental encouragement of abusive/offending behaviour
- Continuing poor supervision in the home
- Parental non-compliance / superficial co-operation
- Inconsistent parenting affects child’s developmental progress
- Private fostering
Level of assessment
No formal assessment
Level of assessment
Consider commencement of Early Help Assessment / Pastoral Support Plan
Level of assessment
Strengthening Families Early Help Assessment and Plan
Level of assessment
Strengthening Families > Child in Need Plan or Child Protection Conference
Go direct to Service or search the Family Service Directory for the Local Offer, or call the Family Information Service on 01273 293545
Consider commencement of Early Help Strengthening Families Assessment.
Early Help Strengthening Families Assessment & Plan. If you require advice or guidance in respect of the child needs contact the Front Door For Families on 01273 290400
Contact Front Door For Families on 01273 290400 or if the child is at immediate risk call the Police on 999

Could you befriend a young person ?

1. Universal

2. Early Help

3. Early Help Partnership Plus

4. Specialist Services to address Acute & Chronic need

Child developmental needs

Child developmental needs

Child developmental needs

Child developmental needs

Criminal Exploitation of children and vulnerable adults: County Lines guidance

Head injury

Family & Environment

Family & Environment