Team Around the Around the Family (TAF)
The Team Around the Family (TAF) refers to a group of people that are working with the child already, plus others that you think may be appropriate to bring in. The team should also involve the parents (child/young person as appropriate), professionals and possibly other people in the extended family if thought they can have a supportive role. From a Team Around the Family meeting, there should be the following outcomes;
- A Lead Professional will be identified (by the TAF itself), to coordinate the delivery of the team work with the child.
- A Child and Family Plan, which will identify roles and responsibilities for everyone, including the family members and the child/young person. There should also be dates identified for the completion of the work.
- A further date for a subsequent meeting to identify if the needs are being met by the plan.
What Difference Will this Make for Schools?
There should be much more of a sense of ‘shared’ responsibility. Previously schools may have felt isolated in their attempts to continue to work with complex situations. Some schools have in the past expressed frustration at not being able to access services by way of a referral to provide additional support to a child.
All agencies (including schools), as part of the move to integrated practice, will be asked to examine their working procedures, current practice and referral criteria, in order that we are all enabled to work together at a much earlier stage with identified additional needs.
Case Study
A teacher assistant completed a Common Assessment on Aaron, aged 7, who has some behaviour issues and is soiling himself at school. The Common Assessment identified that there is also behaviour problems in the home. The teacher assistant noted that the School Nurse is already dealing with his soiling problems, but was unaware of mum’s increasing behaviour management at home. The teacher assistant invited the Class Teacher, School Nurse, Aaron’s mum and a member of the Behaviour Support Team to a Team Around the Family Meeting. At the end of the meeting, the following were identified;
- Lead Professional – School Nurse
- A plan which entails support for the school on behaviour management from the Behaviour Support Team and support for mum on behaviour at home via the School Nurse. Aaron is also put on a special programme to reduce his soiling incidents.
- All the team agree to meet next term to identify whether the plan continues to meet Aaron’s needs.
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