BRIF - Building Resilience in Families

Building Resilience in Families (BRIF)

What is BRIF?

BRIF is a multi-agency team working effectively to offer very early intervention to children and their families, in order to prevent and reduce the escalation of incidents or issues.

Vision of BRIF

It is made up of a consistent team of partners from different sectors within each locality, with a joint commitment to working together more effectively to intervene early. This integrated way of working can help reduce delay by streamlining processes.

What BRIF looks like

• BRIF is made up of a core group which includes Housing, 0-19 Service, Police, Adult Mental Health, Children Centres and any other key partners/agencies relevant to families or to the issues prevalent in the locality.
• Meetings are every week to discuss new requests and actions from the previous meeting.
• Meetings last for a maximum of two hours and serve as a facilitator for change in how we work together.
• Time is allocated at the meetings to discuss emerging issues in the community.
• All agencies attending BRIF will work on a Rota basis to chair meetings.
• Locally, the attendees are managed to suit that community needs.
• Schools can request a case to be heard at the meeting by completing a request and consent form and email to the contact person for their locality.

Benefits of the BRIF

• Members will talk regularly away from the meeting which will lead to more collaborative working between services.
• The professionals will bring together partners to work holistically around families.
• The professionals will eliminate barriers between services including referral processes.
• The meeting will provide a much-needed arena whereby all can have open and honest conversations about some of the barriers we face and more importantly how to overcome these.
• The key points of contact will allow managers to have effective communication and encourage their teams around a more joined up way of working.
• The professionals will help to further embed locality teams.

Criteria for the BRIF

The only ‘criteria’ for families brought to the BRIF is that they are not open to Early Help or statutory Children Services. Professionals may see an emerging need within a family and feel that they would benefit from other services or feel that the input of ideas and suggestions from the panel. There are no set referral criteria as this will take away from the purpose of the meeting.

Examples of requests brought to BRIF.

• Concerns around a family not engaging with health.
• Professional notice a mother is struggling with child/children.
• Visible tension between parents.
• Development milestones not being met.
• Antisocial behaviour.
• Issues around living conditions.
• Poor school attendance.
• Struggling to gain a school place.
• Families who have no recourse to public funds.

Consent

Verbal or written consent must be received from all parents prior to being discussed at meeting. There have been little or no issues in obtaining consent as families are keen for the support to meet their emerging need. Where families decline to give consent, they will not be discussed at meeting.  

Emerging issues

These are also discussed during the BRIF, and appropriate responses are agreed. This will be recorded and reviewed to track any outcomes. Also, that members can bring their concerns to meetings.

For further information, please contact:

Ivel Valley Locality Community Partner

Kerry Nielow

0300 300 6440   kerry.nielow@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

• Requests brought to BRIF - Professionals are responsible for bringing in requests. Families should not be open under statutory services or Early Help, to ensure focus on early intervention.
• Requests sent out - Before panel, all requests should be sent to Kerry Nielow, Community Partner for Ivel Valley Early Help Team, who will send to members before the next meeting.
• Action for members - Relevant agencies represented at the BRIF, will be responsible for stipulated actions.
• Lead for Requests - Identify who the allocated Lead Professional for each request should be.
• Plan - Discussion should be held around whether a Community Early Help Assessment should be open.
• Outcome - Discuss implemented actions and outcomes at the next meeting.
• Update - Review past requests from the last 3 months and update on progress.