The vision for the lead professional
‘All children and young people with additional needs (including complex needs), who require integrated support from more than one practitioner, should experience a seamless and effective service where one practitioner takes the lead to ensure that services are co-ordinated, coherent and achieving intended outcomes’. (DfES 2006)
The lead professional is not a new role, rather a minimum set of functions which need to be carried out to deliver an effective, coherent service to a child or young person with an additional need that require an integrated response. Delivered in the context of multi-agency assessment and planning, underpinned by the Common Assessment Framework or relevant specialist assessments, the lead professional ensures that professional involvement is rationalised, co-ordinated and communicated effectively.
The lead professional should ensure that the child and family remain central to any decision made. The outcome for children, young people and their families is that it will help to diminish some of the frustrations traditionally experienced when they need support from a range of services.
An exception to this is the ‘designated’ model of key working that operates, for example, for some children with disabilities. In these cases, the practitioner is employed exclusively to provide a lead role (i.e. as a key worker). Part of this role will include carrying out the functions listed above, so they will in effect be the lead professional for that child.