What are Network Checks? 

When starting an early help assessment, you will be making contact with a wide range of people and professionals in the family's network. This is to help you start to build a picture of the family's strengths and needs that build on the family's own views. The network might include the family's wider friends and family network, and organisations, services and social supports they use in their community.

You will of course have talked this through with the family in your discussion about the privacy notice. If the family are worried about you contacting a particular agency or person, talk this through with them and with your line manager. 

Contacting the Family's GP

One thing you must do when starting an assessment is write to the family's GP to let them know you are working with the family. You should ask if there are any relevant health issues or concerns that the GP thinks you should to be aware of and that should be referenced or addressed in the family's early help assessment. 

Ensuring regular communication between GPs and early help is something Camden is particularly committed to, following multi-agency audits into neglect which found that primary care staff aren't always aware of early help involvement. 

Make sure to discuss this with the family in the conversation about the privacy notice. If they don't want you to contact their GP, talk this through with them and with your line manager. 

You can find the GP letter template here. You should also attach a copy of the Camden Privacy Notice which you can find here

Once you have sent the letter, upload a copy as an attachment to the family's Mosaic file. 

If you have any questions about this, or feel stuck, please talk with your line manager. There is also a short practice guidance on the GP letter here