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Locality Teams - Support and Resources

Who is in the Locality Teams?

The team is made up of a Team Manager, and a number of  Family Support Workers. Other staff work within Locality teams, retaining their own specialism; these can include, Legal Intervention Court Officers (LICOs) Parenting Specialists, Intensive Support Service (ISS) and Youth Crime Prevention (YCP) staff.  The team have admin support available to them.

What do Locality Teams do?

They will help to bridge the gap between universal services, targeted and those providing for more complex or acute needs.

Over the past 12 months there has been a review of the role and function of Locality Teams across Hampshire. This has involved a period of consultation and a decision at Schools Forum to reshape and redeploy existing resources available through locality teams.

The service aims to improve the co-ordinated response to those children, young people and their families who are most in need of help, but are not yet (or no longer seen to be) the subject of statutory intervention.  

It is intended that this will promote more targeted delivery of direct intervention with children, young people and families where there is complex, multi-agency need (Children’s Trust Threshold of Intervention).  

This service will be targeted at the 5-14 age group and to Hampshire young people and their families, irrespective of where they attend school. This follows the principle of “children first”.  Work outside of the priority age range (5 – 14) can be discussed on an individual basis.

The team accept work following completion of an assessment of need which clearly identifies needs, concerns and areas for support. There is also a consent to work together and share information as needed.

From 1^st September 2012, the Locality Team no longer provides an ‘Education Welfare Service’.

To ensure a more efficient and prompt response to attendance concerns (truancy), a Legal Intervention Team (LIT), that is a distinct but integral part of Locality Teams, has been established; more information regarding this team can be obtained by contacting your local Locality Team.

Further information regarding exclusions, home education and behaviour support (Education Inclusion Service, EIS)

Locality teams and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

Locality Teams, based within the Children's Services Department of Hampshire County Council, have a number of roles in the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) process. They will:

• Ensure the participation of children, young people and their families, so that they are in the centre of the CAF process.
• Advise and assist as needed at all stages of the CAF process.  Where it is necessary or appropriate, they will take on the role of lead professional.
• Provide direct work to children and families on the basis of needs identified through a CAF and 'Team Around the Child' (TAC) meeting identifying them as most appropriate to meet the needs.
• Broker access to services where necessary.  For example, they will use their links with a wide range of professionals and agencies to help engage services that are needed for a child, young person or their family, when this cannot be easily achieved by an individual lead professional.  They will identify the right professional to give the support required, and will work to gain their co-operation and involvement on the family's behalf.