Lead Professional (LP)

“All children and young people with additional or complex needs requiring support from more than one practitioner should experience a seamless and effective service in which one practitioner takes a lead role to ensure services are co-ordinated, coherent and achieving intended outcomes” . Taken from the DCSF Lead Professional Guidance 2006.

The Lead Professional will:

• act as a single point of contact for the child or family
• co-ordinate the delivery of an agreed action plan
• reduce overlap and inconsistency
• act to support children with a range of additional needs that require integrated support
• continue to support the child or family if more specialist assessments need to be carried out
• be the first person who identifies unmet need(s), completes a Common Assessment Framework, places an indicator onto the ISA child index and contacts the ISA Co-ordinator to convene the first TAC meeting
• facilitate TAC meetings, initially supported by the ISA Co-ordinator who will advise on the process only
• complete and send copies of the TAC plan to the ISA Co-ordinator to disseminate to child/ young person and family and agreed workers
• add or remove indicators on the ISA child index, as appropriate to the Lead Professional’s involvement
• reconvene the TAC meeting when necessary
• ensure that a careful and planned “handover” takes place it if is appropriate for someone else to take on the role.

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