Early Help System (eCAF)
Following consultation on the Green Paper the previous Government introduced the Children Act 2004 which sets out the legislative framework to enable the changes required to support the delivery of the vision.
A fundamental part of the vision is a move towards more integrated, multi-agency ways of working which overcome professional boundaries and barriers that currently exist within Children's Services.
The Early Help Assessment (EHA) is a key enabler of this change.
The current EHA form is the most appropriate mechanism for practitioners to access and share data quickly and easily. The Early Help System allows a practitioner to electronically create, store and share a EHA securely. The Early Help System gives practitioners from different sectors appropriate access (following explicit consent) to key information concerning the assessment to allow them to participate in the delivery of the most appropriate services.
To deliver a solution to facilitate communication between practitioners from different services and agencies which will enable them to share EHA information appropriately and securely for the benefit of children, young people and families. The Early Help System provides a number of benefits:- reduction in time taken for a practitioner involved with a children or young person to identify others involved
- improved multi-agency communication and information exchange
- more effective intervention, reflecting greater knowledge of circumstances
- ability to audit compliance to procedure
- reduce the need for multiple assessments.
You can find more information on our eCAF Factsheet.