The TAC (team around the child) approach for assessment of needs within a local multi-agency integrated pathway
The Interconnections Manual 'An Integrated Pathway for Assessment and Support for children with complex needs and their families' (Limbrick, 2003) describes how health, education, social services and the voluntary/private sector can work together to provide children who have complex needs and their families with an effective service. This essay is adapted and updated from particular sections of that Manual and will touch first on the integrated pathway and will then focus on assessment of needs. In pursuit of the earliest possible support to child and family, I suggest two strategies for the assessment of needs: the simpler and more immediate TAC, or first level, assessment and the more explorative second level assessment which involves more practitioners and is relevant to a minority of children. (A child's TAC is an individualised team of parent and just two or three key practitioners who hold regular face-to-face meetings.)
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