The Solihull Children & Young People's Trust
The Practitioner Support Group meet once a month for two hours and is the opportunity for the consultation/seeking advice across services and professional disciplines. It is seen as essential if the right response is to be provided at the right time in the right way by the right people.
What is a Practitioner Support Group?
This group has responsibility for maintaining an overview of and implementing the Solihull LINCS Model for practitioners working with Children, Young People and their Families within Solihull.
The groups role is:
- To support and develop integrated working practices through the use of the LINCS model
- To keep the child the focus of all the work and keep the child's needs as paramount in the process so that they can achieve the five outcomes
- To use the LINCS model to reflect on direct work being undertaken with children, young people and their families
- To have a direct focus with children, young people and their families using the model
- To be a skills bank for practitioners using the LINCS model
- To identify key partners that need to be involved within the practice sub group
- To feedback to the Project Group
- To offer a place where skills bank members can bring queries for discussion (if there is time)
- To use a solution focused, positive and partnership approach to all discussions
If there are Child Protection concerns we refer to the Safeguarding Procedures
When does the group meet?
During 2009 the group will meet:
- 4 February 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 4 March 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 1st April 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 3rd June 1.30-3.30 Ulverley Children's Centre
- 24th June 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 5th August 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 9th September 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 7th October 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
- 4th November 1.30-3.30 Ulverley Children's Centre
- 2nd December 1.30-3.30 Chapelfields
Further information and bookings please contact the LINCS Officers
Jill Essex
Margaret Weaver
Sharon Huggins
Who are the members of the Practitioner Support Group?
The members currently include:
1. Sonia Waszczak (Education & Children's Services, Children & Young People)
2. Fiona Bubb (Parent Champion)
3. Brereton, Jackie (Education & Children's Services, Children & Young People)
4. Gabriel, Jennet (Education & Children's Services, Psychology Service )
5. Jane McCarthy (Coppice Junior School Headteacher)
6. Marilyn Phipps (Damson Wood Infants Headteacher)
7. Round, Janice (Specialist Inclusion Support Service)
8. Sierzega, Joanne (Education & Children's Services, Welfare Service )
9. Sloss, Claire (NCH)
10. Yvonne Obaidy
11. Representative from Parent Partnership Service
12. Sue Mead (CAMHS)
13. LINCS Officers
14. Health Visitor
How do I access the Practitioner Support Group?
Items to be raised at the PSG must be given to a PSG member and registered with F Holmes so that she can confirm the meeting
Outline of the process for accessing the Practitioner Support Group
- Consult with your Line Manager about seeking advice.
- Complete: 'Record of Practitioner/Manager Discussion.'
- Log onto www.solihullonevoice.org.uk and locate the appropriate Practitioner Support Group.
- Make contact via email or phone to book a slot at the next PSG
- Prepare for PSG meeting using 'Information to be Presented to PSG / Skills Bank'
- Attend PSG meeting
- Chair of PSG will complete: 'Record of Discussion and Advice' and will give you a copy
- Following the PSG you will need to discuss 'Record of Discussion and Advice' with your manager which is then placed in child or young person's file
Any actions should be followed up and reviewed as part of supervision arrangements within your service
Practitioners who bring items to the PSG must consider the following:
- Please ensure you follow your own supervision procedures
- Keep referrals Child Centred
- All paperwork needs to be anonymised prior to meeting
- Fill in the forms in the procedures file and let LINCS Officers know that it needs to be raised at the PSG
- Share the item with your line manager or follow the agency, setting, service procedures. Include name of manager and date shared
- Best practice would ask for the form to be signed by your line manager - the discussion is more complete if you attend in person, if this is not possible ask a PSG member to represent your query and then feedback to group once actions have been taken.
Practitioner Support Groups and Issues logs:
An Issues Log Form can be completed at any time in the process to identify something that requires discussion at a senior level. It is important for planning purposes to identify circumstances where needs have not been met.
The SCFSM & CAF Project Group will collate this information, which will then be used by the Children and Young People's Trust for the planning and commissioning of future services.
Contacts for booking onto above sessions
LINCS Officers
Forms used by the Practitioner Support Group
For information on Solihull Approach Training please contact Training Administrator 0121 788 3787
