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The Early Intervention Hubs Development Project is working to provide a single integrated early intervention service to children, young people and families with additional and complex needs. In this issue
Progress updateWork is still on track for the seven hubs to be ready for 1 September 2011. In addition to activities reported in the June 2011 newsletter: Buildings and ICT systemsThe second city hub has been confirmed as The Oxford Academy, Littlemore. Temporary accommodation is being arranged at Thorney Leys and Mount House for the Witney hub until the permanent site is ready in January 2012.
Referral processWe have created a single request-for-service system with all partners and agencies building on integrated assessment processes including Common Assessment Framework and Team around the Child/Young Person/Family to ensure processes make it easier to access services quickly. A draft referral pathway (.pdf format, 30 KB) outlines how people would access the early intervention service. Induction training Planning is underway for the induction programme for hub workers, to cover the variety of work they will be undertaking. A document has been drafted that demonstrates the core offer of the early intervention service (.pdf format 38 KB) and work is underway to further refine the draft timetable that demonstrates a week in the life of a hub worker (.pdf format, 24 KB). Support to existing service usersWork is underway to ensure a smooth transition for service users to the new hub environment. A transition audit has been sent to services and teams in order to identify those children, young people and families who may be most vulnerable during the transitional period to ensure that they still receive services to meet their requirements. Professional staff should seek further information about transitional arrangements from their line manager. Schools should contact their locality coordinator. Transition and retention of volunteersRecruitment is underway to appoint a co-ordinator to work with and expand volunteering opportunities across the Early Intervention Service, to ensure we retain as many of our volunteers as possible. Hub partnershipsThe Early Intervention Service will link with existing partnerships in the locality in the first instance. A draft partnership model (.pdf format, 40 KB) has been created to support the development of new partnerships over time. Boundary maps are being created to show the area that each hub will serve. Data and evaluationStaff have gathered information and data to create a baseline against which to measure the impact of the hubs and the outcomes for children, young people and their families through the services that are delivered from the hubs. Each hub will also have a demographic profile of the local area to ensure that they reach those families that most require their support and develop services with community partners to best support these needs. Oxford University is supporting the overall evaluation of the service. 
Staffing updateThe three Early Intervention Managers – Maria Godfrey (Northern area), Tan Lea (Central area) and Iain Watson (Southern area) – are working with the recruitment team on staffing for the new service, and this will be completed in August. Early Intervention Service staffingAppointments have just been made to the hub service manager positions:
Within each hub, supporting the service manager, will be two team leaders (tier 5), ten community hub workers and seven community hub support workers (both tier 6). Each hub will also have two administrators, an apprentice and a part-time caretaker/cleaner. There will be two information/data officers working across all seven hubs. Over the next month, the service managers have a key role in recruitment for their hubs. Given the breadth of services to be offered by the hubs, they will be looking for staff with a wide range of expertise, experience and professional backgrounds. Appointments will be made from internal local authority staff that are affected by the restructure of directorates. Where roles cannot be filled in this way, they will be advertised externally. Early Intervention Management TeamAppointments have also been made to other key management posts in the Early Intervention Team:
The Behaviour, Inclusion and Attendance Service Manager is still to be appointed. Recruitment is still underway for the remaining early intervention staff positions. A structure chart (.pdf format, 16 KB) sets out the appointments so far, including tier levels. Early Intervention Service delivery themesIn addition to work on the individual hubs, there are also seven broad delivery themes that will be led by the service managers:
Once the hubs open on 1 September, service managers will continue to work together to coordinate issues relevant to the whole service. Hub open daysOnce hub services are available from 1 September, service managers will organise an open day event for each hub to offer local partners, schools, children’s centres and children, young people and families themselves an opportunity to meet staff and become involved in the shaping and development of the service. Details and dates will follow shortly. Further informationFor information about what services will be available and how to access them, and to download a hub factsheet and poster visit: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/earlyinterventionhubs If you have any questions, you can contact Project Manager Liane Low on liane.low@oxfordshire.gov.uk |
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Welcome to the second newsletter for the Early Intervention Hubs Development Project. This newsletter is for professionals who work with children and young people, and also for families, to help us keep everybody up to date with the progress on the hubs in Oxfordshire.