Had mini-breakdown in SALT office today. She now wants to get CAMS involved and do the CAF. Can somebody explain what she is talking about? Worried what innate brought upon myself.

[emkana]

He had a mega tantrum there today, and because I had already struggled with him before getting there I cried my eyes out. In the afternoon he was good though, so now I'm thinking what have i done, what will they don to me/him/us?

I have a CAF. My health visitor arranged it and for us it means that the pre-school SENco, area senco, health visitor and childminder all sit down with me and discuss what help my DS needs. They have referred us on for SALT, Ed Psych, other local services and will keep meeting us to help discuss how we can best get help for my son.

So far it has not been scary and has not caused a problem.

Some people on here seem to think they are a bad thing but for us it has just got us a few referrals.

Someone who knows more will be along soon I expect.

There's nothing wrong with having a CAF. It's a good way to make sure all the professionals are helping you in every way they can.
I've had this too, very very helpful.
Some professionals seem to get competetive around the table about how they can offer the most support, lol.
It makes sure there's no misscomunication and assumptions, everyone talks in the open air in front of you.

The only thing I would be worried about is social sevrices, but other proffesionals at a CAF meeting who know you better can even support you if SS jump to negative assumptions :)

So far our experiences of CAF/TAC has been positive and lead us onto to further referrals to try and get more answers. It is a way of getting those involved with a child to all get together and talk about the issues being faced and try and work a plan as to how best to move forwards with diagnosis and/or support put in place. Nothing is a miracle and things don't happen all that fast but having more meetings to attend in the future does make people actually sit up and do something as they don't want to look silly at the next meeting saying they haven't actually done something they agreed to do!

I would also add that most of the things which they have referred us for have very long waiting lists so they havent been that useful I suppose. It certainly hasnt solved the problem but it is a positive step which takes us slightly out of the stalemate we were in before the CAF process.

CAF and CAMHS have been a very positive step for my ds. We've managed to get rid of the dead wood and get the right people round my ds. Its taken time but we're nearly there I think. We are at last being listened to and taken seriously.

my ds (8) has been diagnosed with asd and has a paed, salt and various complex needs individuals working with him. i have requested a CAF and have been informed by headteacher that in her opinion it is not relevent to my ds and therefore she WILL NOT authorise. i believe it this lets a lot of people of the hook and am not happy with the decsion. please can anyone advise on how to proceed...

can I just hijack this thread and ask what a CAF actually means? had a meeting with DD's nursery last week to discuss how to help her (IEP, EYA+) and we also did a CAF form. what are the wider implications of a CAF?

CAF is common assessment framework. Its basically a way of getting everyone involved in the child sitting around the table and communicating at the same time and in a coherant fashion. We've found that its worked very well because its forced people to listen to what is going with ds in other areas that will have an impact on their area. Its also meant that I can go to the meeting with a problem that everyone has individually said its not their area and say "who is responsible for this?". Forces answers and forces actions. Everyone is accountable then and answering to each other. So I guess some professionals would not be happy with one because they actually do have to do some work and justify everything they say and do.

Geneeyuss A CAF would be relavent to your ds because he has a number of professionals working with him. It might be though that there is no problem that needs to be solved that isn't being solved one way or another. If however as a parent you feel that their is no coherancy and things are being missed and people are passing the buck then a CAF is the way forward. A parent can request a CAF. You need to find a lead professional. Its often the school but it doesn't have to be. It does need to be someone trained in it though. Contact Parent Partnership, they should be able to point you in the right direction.

thanks rebl.