The Matrix Vulnerable children Children in Need Children in Need Child Protection Low priority Moderate priority needs High priority needs Children are vulnerable but Families experiencing A reasonable standard of is a high level of need, not need’ as defined by the difficulties improvements may health and development is unlikely to serious concerns about the care, health ‘in Children Act 1989. be desirable but there is no acute be maintained without Social Services or development of a child and the child No requirement for a core risk at present support. The child may move into the likely to suffer significant harm. assessment but, if possible, should be Social Work intervention urgent category without the provision of offered advice, information and could be helpful if available. services. redirection to sources of Support may be provided There are identifiable factors assistance through community services to which indicate that considerable Social Services help is not which families need to be sign deterioration is likely without support. essential to the monitoring or posted. is serious family maintenance of the Alternatively a term dysfunction, a child is beyond control, intervention could be considered no person is able to exercise parental responsibility or the child is abandoned, trafficked or rejected Areas of Need Low level concern Moderate concern Serious concern Urgent Child’s Some concerns re diet, Regularly missing routine Child involved in serious Child suffered or at serious Developmental hygiene, clothing etc. and non-routine health substance misuse or offending of significant harm Need Has missed some routine appointments behaviour Child being trafficked or health appointments Defaulting on Child has chronic mental prostituted Slow in reaching milestones immunisation and checks health needs that impact on child Child has acute mental health Poor punctuality/late for Not achieving key Chronic self harming needs that impact on safety/care of child school benchmarks behaviour Acute self harming behaviour Intermittent school absences Regular non attendance Disclosure of historical sexual Poor concentration/not Some fixed term abuse where perpetrator no longer achieving potential exclusions present Under stimulated Disruptive/challenging Child previously looked after Smoking/using alcohol behaviour in or previous request that child be looked Low level anti-social school/community/home after behaviour Cannot cope with anger, has been subject of 3 frustration or upset CHIN referrals during the year Experimenting with drugs Excluded or serious risk of exclusion
The Matrix Vulnerable children Low priority Children in Need Moderate priority needs Children in Need High priority needs Child Protection Children are vulnerable but not ‘in need’ as defined by the Children Act 1989. No requirement for a core assessment but, if possible, should be offered advice, information and redirection to sources of assistance Social Services help is not essential to the monitoring or maintenance of the Families experiencing difficulties improvements may be desirable but there is no acute risk at present Social Work intervention could be helpful if available. Support may be provided through community services to which families need to be sign posted. Alternatively a term intervention could be considered A reasonable standard of health and development is unlikely to be maintained without Social Services support. The child may move into the urgent category without the provision of services. There are identifiable factors which indicate that considerable deterioration is likely without support. is serious family dysfunction, a child is beyond control, no person is able to exercise parental responsibility or the child is abandoned, trafficked or rejected is a high level of need, serious concerns about the care, health or development of a child and the child likely to suffer significant harm. Areas of Need Low level concern Moderate concern Serious concern Urgent Child’s Developmental Need Some concerns re diet, hygiene, clothing etc. Has missed some routine health appointments Slow in reaching milestones Poor punctuality/late for school Intermittent school absences Poor concentration/not achieving potential Under stimulated Smoking/using alcohol Low level anti-social behaviour Regularly missing routine and non-routine health appointments Defaulting on immunisation and checks Not achieving key benchmarks Regular non attendance Some fixed term exclusions Disruptive/challenging behaviour in school/community/home Cannot cope with anger, frustration or upset Experimenting with drugs Child involved in serious substance misuse or offending behaviour Child has chronic mental health needs that impact on child Chronic self harming behaviour Disclosure of historical sexual abuse where perpetrator no longer present Child previously looked after or previous request that child be looked after has been subject of 3 CHIN referrals during the year Excluded or serious risk of exclusion Child suffered or at serious of significant harm Child being trafficked or prostituted Child has acute mental health needs that impact on safety/care of child Acute self harming behaviour
Intentionallyhomelessprotocol.docx