Independent investigation: Margaret McIntyre, Corby, Northants (2007)

The Trust should commission the production of a procedure and process for taking a thorough social history and combine with this a review of the involvement of families and the sharing of information with them.

Service users and families should be given a clearly written and easily understandable description of the service and supporting information which covers issues of confidentiality and responsibilities to share information in order for the Trust’s staff to support the service user and them.

The ‘Interim Core Care Plan’ resulting in first stage Care Plan and Risk Assessments should be audited to ensure they are formulated within the Trust’s required second visit criteria.

The Trust should undertake a review of the model practiced by the EIS to ensure that there is sufficient flexibility in the levels of support offered and that firmer interventions are available when these are required.

Safeguarding children should be at the forefront of staff working in service users homes where there are children. The Trust should ensure that all service users families are offered a carers assessment and where children are involved this should be mandatory factoring in any of the safeguarding concerns or needs as they arise.

The Trust should devise and undertake an audit of the Early Intervention Service to assure itself that it is adhering to the requirements of the Care Programme Approach and the Trust’s Risk Assessments, including the quality of them, paying particular attention to review date adherence.