About the Single Point of Access

We are committed to ensuring that all children and young people with additional needs are identified early.

We ensure information is shared effectively between different agencies, offering advice and guidance and referring children, young people and their families to services that can help them.

Contact us

Our services

The Single Point of Access is a multi agency team, managed by Achieving for Children, who work closely with a wide range of teams and partner agencies and facilitates different levels of support depending on the needs of the child, young person and their family.

This support includes:

• Providing professional with consultation and support
• Making referrals to partner agencies
• Access to Early Help Services within AfC
• Making referrals to Children’s Social Care Services.

About the team

The Single Point of Access team is made up of different professionals with different areas of expertise who work together to assess, decide and coordinate how best to support children, young people and their families were there are concerns.

Team members:

• Contact and Information Officers receive your calls and can provide information, advice and guidance
• Social Workers assess the needs or concerns raised about a child or young person
• Child and Adolescent Mental Health clinician(s) triage referrals made to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams
• Police Officers assess information and notifications about children and young people coming to the attention of the Police
• Adult Social Workers share information and advise how best to respond to concerns relating vulnerable adults caring for children or young people
• Health Visitor advises on the developmental needs of children under 5 with additional needs that are referred to the SPA to ensure they receive the most appropriate support

When the Single Point of Access is contacted about a child or young person they will decide within 24 hours about what action should be taken next.

To help the team make an informed decision they may contact you or other agencies for further information.

The Single Point of Access will feedback to the person who initially made contact with the Single Point of Access within 72 hours to let them know of their decision and the next steps.

Contact us

The Single Point of Access team is available from 8am to 5.15pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 5pm on Friday.

Call us on 020 8547 5008, or if you need to speak to someone urgently after hours or at the weekend, call the ‘Out of Hours’ team on 020 8770 5000.

If you think a child or young person is in immediate danger call 999.