MS, Minister for Children and
Social Care: In my written statement of 24 January, I updated
members on the engagement and development work we had been
undertaking to deliver a National Multi-Agency Practice Framework
for Children's Services in Wales, formerly termed the National
Multi-Agency Practice Strategy for Children. The rationale
behind this work has been to improve consistency of practice
across Wales and support a strengths-based way of working across
agencies delivering children's services. This forms part of
our radical reform of services to support children in care and
care leavers.
I am pleased to announce today the publication of
the National Multi-Agency
Practice Framework for Children's Services.
This Framework has been primarily developed for children's
services but can be adapted for use in any organisation working
with children. Partnership working has developed
extensively in Wales over the last decade with agencies
pooling expertise, support, and funding to navigate children
through situations which can seem insurmountable. When this works
well children, families and professionals all see benefits but
when it fails it adds to risk, delays and missed opportunities
for children, young people and families; and increases
frustration and workloads for professionals. Every part of
the system needs to adopt a collaborative problem-solving
approach, which is strength based, and the aim of this Framework
is to drive forward progress and success with good
practice.
The Framework will be a live working document to take account of
developments and changes in practice and the policy landscape
across Wales, it will be accompanied by tools to support
multi-agency practice. For example, today we are publishing
alongside the Framework, the first of these tools - the National Practice
Guidance on Therapeutic Support for Care Experienced
Children.
The Practice Guidance steers existing therapeutic services
working with care experienced children and young people to work
in closer partnership across health, social care and third sector
to ensure care experienced children and young people receive
trauma informed therapeutic support at the right time, in the way
that is right for them.
Listening to the voices of those with lived experience and
upholding children's rights is central to our core values in
Welsh Government. This guidance has been developed in response to
the feedback and voices of care experienced children and young
people who told us they needed improved access to mental health
and wellbeing support. The guidance has been co-designed with
stakeholders, including foster carers, adoptive parents and
practitioners.
These publications today are just the start, with further
additional tools and resources coming online during the next
year.
