Information is a key tool for parents and carers, providing options and possibilities that might otherwise remain unknown and therefore inaccessible.
The Childcare Act 2006 sets out the roles and responsibilities of Local Authorities in relation to the provision of information, advice and guidance to parents, prospective parents and carers. The Act significantly increased the breadth of information that Local Authorities are now required to provide relating to services for children and the ways in which this information should be made available.
The National Association of Family Information Services has revised its Quality Standards and developed a quality assurance scheme to enable Local Authorities to develop and provide information services that exceed the requirements of the Act and provide evidence that you are meeting the needs of parents, carers and practitioners within your area.
The quality assurance scheme provides a development framework for all Local Authorities to improve upon their delivery of information to parents, regardless of current status and is intended to support those authorities that face obstacles to complying with the Information Duty.
We appreciate that many Local Authorities cite their Family Information Service as the vehicle for delivering the Information Duty on behalf of the authority; we would urge all Local Authorities to reflect on whether the resources they make available to FIS are adequate to deliver the range of services required and consider how to improve on quality.
NAFIS is developing a range of services to support FIS undertaking the scheme and those Local Authorities wishing to undertake it; we very much hope that you will access these and make your service one to be proud of.
These Standards have been developed in partnership with DCSF and other partners and we gratefully acknowledge the contributions from the range of stakeholders from the statutory and voluntary sector who have given their time and expertise to assist us in developing them.
Chief Executive, NAFIS
Here you will find the latest publication of the Families First Standards along with all of the major annex's that support the standards.
Annex 2 - Guidance for England
Annex 7 - PKH Generic Consent Template
Annex 8 - Relevant Guidance & Statutory Documentation
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