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ACCORD - working together for families in Suffolk

ACCORD stands for Adult and Children's services Co-ordination of services where a parent has a disability or additional support need.

This page is a resource for anyone with an interest in effective joint working to support families where a parent is disabled, or has additional support needs. This includes parents, young people, practitioners, managers, policy makers, trainers and colleagues in any setting.
The page provides links to:
  • The ACCORD Protocol and Practice Guidance and the "At a Glance" Guide
  • Associated policies and guidance for working with families   
  • Information about ACCORD Champions
  • Areas of Suffolk covered by the services involved
  • Information about the implementation of ACCORD in Suffolk
  • Comments and feedback form for any aspect of ACCORD in practice
  • Further information for effective practice
  • Useful websites

The ACCORD Protocol and practice guidances

The Universal Protocol (PDF, 344Kb) sets out Suffolk’s co-ordinated approach to supporting families where a parent is disabled or has additional support needs.

The Protocol is accompanied by six sets of Practice Guidance to provide practitioners and managers with in depth information, tools and tips for effective practice and good outcomes around particular issues. They have been developed by groups of practitioners and are designed to complement each other and to be used together where relevant.        The guidances are:
  1. Practice Guidance for staff working with families where a parent has mental health support needs (PDF, 212Kb)
  2. Practice Guidance for staff working with families where a parent has substance misuse support needs (PDF, 557Kb)
  3. Practice Guidance for staff working with families where a parent has a sensory loss (PDF, 100Kb)
  4. Practice Guidance for staff working with families where a parent has a physical disability or long term illness (PDF, 118Kb)
  5. Practice Guidance for staff working with families where a parent has a learning disability (PDF, 434Kb)
  6. Practice Guidance for staff working with families where a young person has a caring role for a parent or carer who is disabled or has additional support needs (PDF, 151Kb)

Clarification of Parenting Tasks (PDF, 22Kb)
This guidance is intended to help families and professionals to determine what are the core parenting tasks and therefore to clarify entitlement to an assessment under Fair Access to Care. These parenting tasks are also an Appendix to the Universal Protocol.

The "At a Glance" Guide to ACCORD (PDF, 37Kb) gives an overview of the key principles, arrangements and issues in putting the Protocol and Guidance into practice 

Associated policy and guidance for working with families

This Protocol for Mental Health Act Assessments ( PDF 33Kb ) should be followed when a parent is asssessed under the Mental Health Act and is caring for dependent children 

The Suffolk Strategy for Parenting Support sets out how all agencies in Suffolk will work together with all parents and each other to ensure that parents have access to, and feel able to use, services which will support them in their role as parents

ACCORD Champions

ACCORD Champions are practitioners whose role is to promote positive joint working and be a resource for their teams and colleagues.
Here is the contact list arranged by Area.  
Champions meet every two months at Kerrison Conference and Training Centre Thorndon, nr Eye. For details of the meetings contact either of the ACCORD Project managers above.  

The Areas covered by services relevant to ACCORD

Children's Services in Suffolk are organised around  Community Clusters.
Information about the areas covered by the Adult Services will also soon be available here

Implementation of ACCORD in Suffolk

ACCORD Launch Keynote speech from Jenny Morris and Michele Wates (July 2007) - gives the national overview of the policy and research basis for ACCORD.
ACCORD Launch Presentation - Implementation in Suffolk gives the context and implementation plans for ACCORD

ACCORD Awareness sessions

These are part of the ongoing implementation. Please contact one of the ACCORD Project Managers if you would like someone to come to your team, management or other local meeting to discuss the implementation of ACCORD in Suffolk.

Your comments

Please use this comments form for:

  • comments about the launches or ACCORD in practice;
  • suggesting information to include on this page.

News and information for effective practice and joint working

Presentations from the Research in Practice seminar held in February 08 on the topic of "Think Family"

This toolkit from Alcohol Concern gives information for practitioners working with families where parents misuse alcohol

This booklist contains examples of relevant national publications, books and articles.

Useful web sites

These websites provide information for practitioners and managers that is relevant to ACCORD.:

Further sites and resources on specific issues and areas of practice can be found in each of the Practice Guidance documents listed above.

Professional development and associated events

**The Joint Professional Development Strategy is currently being developed.**

Children and families