The Team Around the Child model has been developed in response to the need for joined up services and the need to provide a more integrated approach within existing resources. The aim is to reduce duplication and support a common service delivery approach which continues from the CAF process. A TAC aims to plan actions around the child's identified unmet needs through an agreed written TAC plan. The actions can be agreed in a variety of means.

Practitioners may be involved in the TAC in a number of ways, eg:

• as Lead Practitioner having completed the CAF
• as a practitioner involved with the family
• for information, consultation and advice
• delivery of services

The Team Around the Child brings together relevant practitioners with the family to address the child or young person's needs. The team works together to plan co-ordinated support from agencies to address problems in an holistic way. It can be an evolving team of practitioners who see the child/young person and family to provide support and who will work with the child/young person and family as appropriate.

Parents should have an active role in the TAC and their contribution should be recognised as they
have a central role in meeting the needs of the child. Some parents may need to be supported to
achieve this due to their own unmet needs.

Practitioners involved in the TAC must consider solutions, which should include family strengths and universal children's services, as well as statutory services (use service directory as appropriate).

It is important to be creative to find needs-led solutions.

The function of the TAC includes:

• reviewing and agreeing information shared through CAF
• planning and agreeing actions with timescales
• identifying solutions, allocating tasks and appropriate resources
• agreeing Lead Practitioner
• monitoring and reviewing outcomes with timescales
• reporting, as required, to other review meetings or resource panels
• identifying gaps and informing planning and commissioning

The membership of the TAC will inevitably change as the needs of the child and family change. The TAC operates as a supportive team, rather than just a group of practitioners and parents. In this way there is direct benefit to parents who have new opportunities to discuss their child and family with key practitioners all in one place and to practitioners who might otherwise feel isolated and unsupported in their work with the child and family.

What is important about the TAC process is that there is always a Lead Practitioner and an agreed plan of involvement. It is paramount that the parent/carer and child/young person can relate to the practitioners involved. The TAC does not always have to plan and review through meetings as long as the information sharing process is followed.

The ideal TAC:

• is encouraging, positive and supportive to all members
• provides members with an equal voice
• arrives at a collective agreement
• acknowledges differences of views and negotiates workable solutions
• reviews and tracks outcomes for the child/young person

The role of the Lead Practitioner with the TAC includes:

• chairing family friendly TAC meetings/discussions
• distributing a copy of the TAC plan after each meeting
• reviewing and tracking outcomes for the child/young person
• generally supporting the child/family through the process