Working with children in Barnet

Practitioner information

The information below provides practitioners will all the information required to use and complete the CAF process. Please contact the Multi Agency Support Team (MAST) also known as the CAF Duty Desk if you have any further queries.

Practice guidance

The CAF practice guidance shows practitioners the entire CAF process, including:

• when a CAF should be used and the benefits of using it
• how to complete a CAF and store its records
• how the CAF supports referrals to other agencies and relates to other assessment processes
• role of lead professional
• multi-agency planning meetings
• locally available support
• review and closure.

National guidance around the CAF and Lead Practitioner role is available to practitioners and managers on the Department for Education website.

Referral guidance 

The CAF referral pathway and guidance outlines where the CAF is to be used as the referral process to access a range of more targeted services.

CAF forms

The CAF form is used to gather information about who else is involved in a child's life and to assess the child's needs and strengths. The CAF form and related documents are available below for you to download.

• Barnet standardised CAF form
• Part 1 of the CAF form for additional children
• CAF review form
• CAF pre-assessment checklist
• CAF and social care thresholds

A CAF may not be necessary if a CAF already exists, or if the child is receiving specialist assessment and support from a social worker. Please confirm this with the MAST (CAF Duty Team) before starting a CAF. 

Once the CAF form has been signed and agreed by the child/family and shared with the other practitioners as agreed by the family, a copy should be sent to us by secure means using the email address shown on the left.

Assessment tools

Barnet Council and its partners have developed a number of screening and assessment tools to assist practitioners undertaking a CAF involving particular specialist areas. 

In addition, the Pan-London CAF Protocol contains a section called London Continuum Descriptors which sets out information on assessing teenage parents, those affected by substance misuse and those involved in youth offending. The section also sets out risk and protective factors, as well as suggested interventions for these particular groups of vulnerable children and young people, and are designed to be used with the CAF.

• domestic violence assessment tools
• substance misuse assessment tools
• young people with a high risk of offending
• London Continuum Descriptors

Further information can also be found on Barnet Online about domestic violence, drugs and alcohol abuse along with information about the Youth Offending Service.

MAGs (Multi-Agency Groups)

If there are difficulties locating appropriate services for a family, appointing a Lead Professional or effective multi-agency working, you can request that your case is brought to a MAG meeting. These Groups are chaired by senior managers from Children’s Services, with representation from all key agencies and seek to ensure that CAF action plans are on track and are working well. 

For further information see the MAGs page.

CAF practitioners group

The CAF practitioners group aims to offer practitioners the opportunity to share best practice, raise any issues and gain cross-sector peer supporting relation to the CAF.

• CAF practitioners group reference document and meeting dates

Training

If you are interested in attending any of our courses or workshops please complete the booking form and return to the MAST Team. All practitioners working with children need to have completed Barnet Council’s one day multi-agency CAF training before initiating a CAF or acting as a Lead Professional.

Lead Professional training

The Lead Professional awareness training course is aimed at practitioners who have undertaken the CAF training and who are likely to take on the Lead Professional role. 

CAF and social care thresholds workshop

The CAF and Social Care thresholds workshop introduces Barnet’s CAF and Social Care thresholds document and explores how to apply these thresholds so that practitioners are clear when to undertake a CAF and when to refer to Children’s Social Care.

• CAF training booking form
• CAF training information leaflet
• CAF refresher training - for practitioners who have completed the initial training some time ago
• Lead Professional training
• CAF and Social Care thresholds workshop

Frequently asked questions

This document includes answers to questions raised frequently by practitioners working within Barnet.

• CAF frequently asked questions