Guidance for Team around the Family panels

This document is an example guide for managers contributing to Team around the Family Panels, in particular those Panels that provide a forum for multi-disciplinary case discussion about how best to support families with additional needs.

As Team around the Family arrangements are not specified nationally in either England or Wales, the document reflects the specific detailed requirements of one particular local area that may not be in common to all.

However, the guide is based on key messages from research and also draws on recent in-depth reviews of Panels undertaken by IPC. As such, it is likely to be relevant to a number of other local authority areas and includes sections on:

• Panel objectives
• The role of the Team around the Family Coordinator
• The role of the Panel Chair
• The responsibilities of Panel members prior to meetings
• How to facilitate effective case discussions
• What to record in relation to case discussions
• How to support family members when they attend Panel meetings
• How a Panel can contribute effectively to overall quality assurance arrangements for Team around the Family