With effect from 1st July 2021, Warwickshire Safeguarding has replaced the existing Thresholds document with the newly developed ‘Spectrum of Support’ Document.

The new Spectrum of Support guidance document aims to strike the right balance between supporting practitioners from all settings to identify situations where children and young people might require support, recognising the vital role of professional judgement in assessing the impact of risk and protective factors on positive outcomes for children and young people.

This document is for everyone working with children, young people and their families in Warwickshire. It is important because the work it describes is at the heart of our arrangements to ensure that children, young people and families get the right support, advice and services at the right time.

This guidance provides a framework for professionals who are working with children, young people and families, and aims to help identify circumstances when children may need additional support to achieve their potential. The Spectrum of Support provides information on the levels of children’s needs and gives examples of some of the factors that may indicate when a child or young person needs additional support or protection.

The document provides a more detailed explanation of when an Early Help Pathway to Change Assessment and Action Plan are appropriate and when an assessment by Social Care should be considered. The Warwickshire Safeguarding Board are required to publish a multiagency threshold document that includes:

• The process for the Early Help Pathway to Change Plan and the type and level of early help services to be provided
• The criteria, including the level of need, for when a case should be referred to children’s social care for assessment and for statutory services

This should be read in conjunction with the Assessment Framework from inter-agency procedures manual (view here)

A copy of the new ‘Spectrum of Support’ document can be accessed here.