Thurrock Assessment and Responses to Children System (ARCS)

Introduction to the Practitioner Toolkit

ContactPoint

The current government closed down ContactPoint on 6th August 2010. All references to ContactPoint within the arcs toolkit are therefore obsolete. Further information on the reasons behind the decision and alternative plans to support professionals working with vulnerable children can be found on the Department for Education (DfE) website: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/strategy/deliveringservices1/contactpoint/contactpoint/

The practitioner tool-kit linked below has been developed by Thurrock Local Safeguarding Children's Board (LSCB), ARCS Sub-Group, using guidance issued by the DfES (now the DCSF) in relation to Integrated Working and the Common Assessment Framework, and locally agreed guidelines in relation to levels of intervention. The tool-kit contains all the information, guidance and processes to assist practitioners in working together across professional boundaries in early identification of children with additional needs and how they can be met.

The governance of the ARC system now sits within the Children's Trust. Therefore, it is expected that all those working with children and families, including those not affiliated to the Children's Trust, will use this tool-kit as a means of providing effective services to children and families, both within universal services and targeted intervention.

The Children's Trust will take responsibility for overseeing the implementation of integrated working and the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and the monitoring and evaluating of progress.

Note: the documents linked below are PDF files, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader

Letter from Chair, Thurrock Children's Trust Board

Download the Toolkit

Download individual chapters

Download individual forms (MS Word documents)