Page 86 - PROOF_ENG

84
8.5. Gaps and Areas for Improvement
As outlined above, the range and level of care and support currently being provided aims to address identified need and offers a range of interventions at varying levels of intensity, with the aim of preventing escalation and delivering positive outcomes to children and young people. There is room for confidence that the required statutory services are in place to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and young people and to keep them from harm.
The development of fit for purpose services right across the range is, however, an ongoing journey and there are a number of areas in which further improvement can be made. These are set out below against the core principles of the SSWB Act.
Voice and control
• Enhancing assessment and care planning processes to ensure that citizens have a genuine voice over outcomes and support needed to achieve them
• Ensuringthatchildren,youngpeopleandtheirfamiliesareabletoaccessservices through their language of choice and that the ‘active offer’ of services through the medium of Welsh is always available
Prevention and early intervention
• Furtherdevelopmentofinformation,adviceandassistancetomeettherequirements of the SSWB Act and direct children and young people to appropriate care and support within communities
• Continuing to strengthen the focus on prevention across the range of services, to build resilience of children, young people and families, reduce reliance on statutory services and facilitate de-escalation from intensive support where appropriate. It will also be important to have robust mechanisms in place to assess the impact of these new approaches
• Improved working with community-based organisations to support children and young people in the development of life skills
• Refocusingsocialworkpracticeandresourcestowardsearly,directinterventionsthat strengthen the resilience and functionality of families
Wellbeing
• Reducing the number of placement moves for LAC and reducing reliance on residential care
• Improvingaccesstomentalhealthservicesatanearlystage,thuspreventingtheneed for referral to CAMHS services. There continue to be significant numbers of young people who require psychological support (intensive or remedial intervention) although there remains very limited provision. It will also be important to improve joint planning between CAMHS and learning disability services to ensure equitable service provision for children with neuro-developmental conditions. The ‘Together for Children’ programme provides a mechanism for this
West Wales Population Assessment March 2017 Children and young people