Overview
What does the TAF mean for families?
The Team Around the Family (TAF) is designed to offer support to children and
families at the earliest opportunity, helping to prevent or address challenges
before they become overwhelming. TAF brings together the people and services
who are already involved with the family or are best placed to support them. By
working in partnership, the family and the lead professional will invite
additional professionals, services, or agencies that can provide the right
support at the right time.
TAF ensures that everyone who works with the family - whether currently or
potentially - comes together to collaborate.
Participation in TAF is voluntary. Parents and children have the choice to be
involved and can help decide which professionals will be part of the process.
Once there's agreement, the focus is on identifying the
family's strengths, as well as the areas where additional support is
needed.
The goal of TAF is to understand what is already working well, determine whether
extra help is necessary, and provide the most effective support to address any
challenges the family may face.
Key Aspects of TAF:
Partnership: The process is voluntary and places the family at the heart of decision-making, working together with professionals to find solutions.
Early Intervention: Focuses on addressing challenges such as parenting, finances, isolation, and emotional well-being. This is done early on, before they escalate into larger issues.
Shared Plan: Develops a collaborative action plan with clear goals, specific actions, and assigned responsibilities for everyone involved.
Who's Involved: The plan includes the family (parents and children/young people) along with professionals from various sectors, such as education, health, housing, and youth services.
Focus on Strengths: Looks at what the family is doing well, not just their challenges, and builds on those strengths to improve outcomes.
Coordination: Ensures all services involved are working together seamlessly, rather than operating in isolation.
The role of Lead Professional:
- Be the main point of contact for both the family and the professionals, acting as the child's advocate. Take the lead in organising and facilitating the TAF meetings:
- Ensure meetings start on time, introduce all participants, and note any apologies for absence.
- Set the ground rules at the start to ensure a respectful and productive meeting.
- Guide the meeting by following the agenda, making sure key points are discussed, and decisions are clear.
- Summarise the decisions made and agreements reached.
- At the end of the meeting, thank everyone for their contributions and formally close the session.
- After the meeting, share a copy of the minutes with all involved and schedule the next meeting, ensuring everyone is aware of the date and time.
How people can positively participate in a TAF meeting:
- Act with integrity and maintain confidentiality at all times.
- Treat everyone with respect, and use clear, simple language when speaking.
- Listen to others' opinions, even if you disagree, and remember you can respectfully challenge ideas if needed.
- Keep the focus on achieving positive outcomes for the entire family.
- Be mindful of time - keep discussions concise and on point.
- Ensure that the child or young person is supported to attend the TAF meeting or that their wishes and feelings are effectively represented, ensuring their voice is heard in the process.