A ‘Think Family’ approach considers the needs of all family members and not just the individual person that a professional is supporting or working with.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and whether you primarily work with children, young people or adults, it is essential to consider the well-being and safety of everyone within their family context.
In Salford, the Safeguarding Children’s Partnership (SSCP) and Safeguarding Adult’s Board (SSAB) promote and encourage a ‘Think Family’ approach.
Learning from local and national reviews show that when services focus only on single issues or one-person, overlapping vulnerabilities and risks can be missed. Local reviews highlighting the need for a Think Family approach include, but are not limited to Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) ‘Mathew’ , Joint Adults’ and Children Review 2023, Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) ‘Yvonne’
Families come in all shapes and sizes and ‘family’ can mean different things to different people. Families can include complex networks of friends and relatives, some of whom you might not expect to be classed as a family member.
Exploring who is in an individual’s family can help to identify a person’s support network and identify potential risks.
The Think Family guidance sets out 7 steps to help professionals take a Think Family approach. These involve recognising the wider family context, identifying support networks and caring roles, understanding linked needs and risks, considering how family members affect one another, working collaboratively across agencies, and promoting sustainable change.
Professionals should work together, considering the entire family’s needs by ensuring relevant professionals from both children’s and adults’ services attend key meetings so all professionals involved can work together in a co-ordinated way to ensure better outcomes for the whole family. Professionals should share information with each other in accordance with local and national guidelines.
What to do if you have concerns
You may need to complete referrals/raise concerns for other family members where this is appropriate. If you have a safeguarding concern about any family member (adult or child), you have the responsibility to raise that concern – DO NOT ASSUME SOMEONE ELSE WILL DO IT.
Additional Information
Worried about an adult? Report concerns via the Adults’ online portal or call 0161 206 0604
Worried about a child? Report concerns via the Children’s online portal or call the Bridge 0161 603 4500
Think Family 7 Minute Briefing Feedback Form
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