Multi-Agency Plan (MAP)

The Multi-Agency Plan (MAP) is Halton’s early help assessment which, replaces the CAF (Common Assessment Framework). The principles of it remain the same however, the format is more user-friendly and outcome-focussed. The MAP provides a standardised approach to identifying risks and strengths for children and families and ensuring they access appropriate, timely support. It aims to co-ordinate support around early help in order to prevent needs from escalating and requiring statutory intervention. No single agency or organisation can ensure that these outcomes are achieved, it needs all agencies to work together to ensure that children, young people and their families receive services which are well co-ordinated, integrated, responsive and timely. You may identify that a family would benefit from a MAP or you may be advised to do so if you have made a referral to iCART. 

In Halton, the locality teams can offer some advice and support with regards to the MAP process and this can be requested by contacting the relevant team to where the family resides as follows:

 Below you will find a range of information which, will support practitioners with their work. The MAP guidance offers context to the MAP and practitioner advice. There are a range of supplementary tools which, can help to inform the MAP process and focus on specific areas of need. The voice of the child tools help practitioners to undertake direct work with children and document their views. These tools can be stored against the child’s records within Eclipse, which is Halton’s database where MAPs are stored. If you are going to be involved in MAP, you should be trained on Eclipse (contact the team via [email protected]).

Guidance

Guidance

Assessment Tools

Halton Assessment Tool Kit and Screening Tools

Voice of the Child

Voice of the Child

MAP pack

We have created family friendly packs to be used as tools alongside the MAP, to evidence the child/young persons voice more clearly in the assessments and to also evidence outcomes more clearly using an outcome star.

There is a parent pack, a teen pack and a child pack. Each one has slightly different focused questions to ask. Each part of the pack is about areas of a parents/childs life that are important. These areas are the same as in the MAP assessment. The aim is to talk about each part together and discuss what is going well, the strengths, and what that individual may need some support with. The needs will then formulate into your actions.

The questions on the packs are just prompts and are there as examples of the type of information that a professional could ask when using the packs. We would encourage you to ask other questions as well and explore each area identified.

If you have completed a pack, then this can be uploaded onto Eclipse as a document and attach it to the MAP assessment. (guidance for uploading documents can be found in your guidance booklet). You would then reference it in your assessment. E.g in the Health section of the MAP assessment you could write *please see attached Child MAP pack.

It is not mandatory for agencies/professionals to complete the MAP packs with families but you may find them useful.

Scaling:

Within the new MAP assessment you will see that there has been some scaling introduced. This is a new introduction to help the MAP packs and the MAP assessment follow the same format.

Scaling is used to help families provide a picture of where they are currently and where they would like to be.

A simple scaling question you could ask is “on a scale of 1 – 10, where do you see your health? If a child/young person scored themselves a 2, you could explore why they feel they are a 2 and ask how could you support them to get to a 5. Their answer would then formulate an action.

The scaling on the MAP assessment and reviews is not mandatory, however completing the visual outcome star in the MAP packs at the beginning of your intervention, half way through and at the end, visually demonstrates the progression for the individual involved. 

Here is an explanation around the scaling:

Each scale has numbers 1 to 10.

1 = It can’t get any worse. Things are not going well and they are not changing.

3 = Things aren’t going well but it looks like they could change. You and other people are working on it.

5 = Not unhappy, but not happy either. Some ok days, some not so good.

7 = Not quite there yet. You have a few worries and still need some support.

9 = Mostly where I want to be, mostly ok.

10 = Things are the best they can be. Everything is working well for you.

Parent/Child Feedback forms:

We have created parents/carer and child/young person feedback forms to be completed when a MAP is closing. It is really important that these are completed, particularly with our children and young people so we can ensure they are being included in the MAP process adequately and if there are any changes we need to make to our practice. Please ensure the forms are then saved onto Eclipse.

If you have any queries around this you can contact myself or any of the MAP champions listed below for support.

Krista Hibbert – 0151 511 8199

Kelly Rice – 0151 511 6179

Sophie Crane – 0151 511 6170

Denise Caldwell – 0151 511 6455

Gemma Fish – 0151 511 8065

Adam Stanton – 0151 511 8734

Clare Yearsley – 0151 511 7781

Gareth Thomas – 0151 511 6807

Lisa Wright – 0151 511 7331

Nikki Adams – 0151 511 7515