Childrens First Contact Service (CFCS)

The Childrens First Contact Service is the first point of contact for support and services for families within Sutton.

The service offers a single referral and assessment pathway to access services in Childrens Social Care.

The new team consists of Childrens Social Care specialists from:

  • the MASH
  • Early Help
  • Parenting Support
  • Children with Disabilities teams

Referral and Assessment Service (RAS)

The Referral and Assessment Service complete child and family assessments for children who live in the London Borough of Sutton and who meet the threshold for support.

This team of social workers ensure that children are appropriately safeguarded by assessing needs and planning and coordinating the care arrangements necessary to meet the needs identified.

Early Help Team

The Early Help Team offer and deliver a range of preventative services to support families and provide early intervention and support to prevent issues escalating.

Roles within the team include Restorative Family Coaches, Early Help Coordinators and managers.

Restorative Family Coaches deliver support to children and families that meet Tier 2 of the LSCP Threshold Document.

Support from a Family Coach is voluntary and individuals must consent before a referral is made. In some cases, Family Coaches may work at a statutory level alongside Childrens Social Care teams, either where a family requires a Statutory Family Group Conference or placement stabilisation.

Childrens Emergency Duty Team (CEDT)

The Childrens Emergency Duty Team covers the four boroughs of Kingston, Sutton, Merton and Richmond.

Each borough provides on-call manager cover for the hours that CEDT operates (5pm to 9am and weekends and bank holidays).