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Families First Award process
The steps to achieving your Families First Award are:
STEP 1
Complete the expression of interest form.
STEP 2
You will be sent an induction pack which includes a self-assessment matrix for your FIS to complete and return. This will help you identify what evidence you already have and where you might need additional support. It doesn’t matter if there are gaps when you submit your self-assessment to us, we will work with you to revise this document as your assessment progresses.
STEP 3
On receipt of your self-assessment and invoice payment, a regional assessor will be assigned to you who will be your primary contact and adviser for the duration of your assessment.
STEP 4
You will be set up with an ePortfolio account on the Families First Portal. The ePortfolio will allow you to collect and submit all of your evidence towards the Families First Award electronically to your assessor.
STEP 5
Your assessor will visit you on at least two occasions. During an initial visit your assessor will meet your team along with any of your colleagues that you feel will play a significant part in the Families First Award. At this meeting your assessor will also get an idea of how your service operates; what resources you have; what challenges you may be facing. From this they will be able to estimate how long the assessment process might take.
The second visit is normally the final assessment visit. Any significant areas for development should have been addressed before the point of final assessment so this last visit should just be to sign off your ePortfolio and to provide you with a summary assessment.
The Families First Portal provides a channel for communications between client and assessor so that there isn’t the need for an assessor to make more than two or three on-site visits. Most of the support from your assessor throughout the process will be done remotely via the Portal, telephone and email but sometimes an additional visit is required and may include professional observations of service delivery and/or interviews of clients and colleagues.
STEP 6
Following the final assessment visit, your assessor will complete an end of assessment report and provide this to the verifier. Following the verification process you will receive written confirmation of your accreditation, a Families First Award certificate and trophy in recognition of your achievement.
STEP 7
Continuing Professional Development / Areas of Excellence. By the end of your Families First assessment you and your assessor will have a good appreciation of your areas of strength. Once you have achieved your Families First Award, your assessor will encourage you to continually develop your service beyond Families First accreditation and may discuss working towards an Areas of Excellence Award.
Contact us
For more information about the Families First Award contact Jan Burt on:
Email: jburt@daycaretrust.org.uk
Phone: 020 7940 7510
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