• children’s social care
• Lewisham police
• health services 
• child and adolescent mental health services
• early help
• housing 
• probation 
• substance misuse
• victim support

The FFCP provides a secure environment for these services to share information and improve decision-making whenever there are concerns for a child.

What does the FFCP do?

If you are concerned about a child who has additional needs that are not being met by services currently involved with the family, the FFCP will respond to requests for advice and support. The FFCP also responds to child protection concerns for children at risk of significant harm.

How does it work? 

When the FFCP receives a referral, the agencies within the team can share information they have on the family with a social worker, who will use this to decide what help the child and family need and whether the child is at risk of harm. The FFCP ensures that all referrals are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner and that information is shared within a secure environment.

By sharing information as soon as possible, the team can get a better understanding of what difficulties the family may be facing. This way, we can make sure the family receives the right kind of help and support at the right time.

Our LSCP Family Help Continuum of Need Document will help you assess the level of support needed or risks present. Professionals should refer to the continuum of need document before making a FFCP request.

To make a referral please visit:  Lewisham Council FFCP website pages

Parental consent

The FFCP is a consent-based model. Professionals dealing with suspected child neglect, abuse or need for support, will endeavour to work in partnership with parents. This means the professional will:

• be open and honest with parents about the concerns they have about a child or children
• explain to parents, before making a referral, how the FFCP team will share information about the child and family to get the best possible picture about the child’s circumstances.
• If the referring professional believes that seeking consent for sharing information with the FCCP would place a child at further risk of harm or cause unnecessary delay, they may refer the child without parental consent, but must explain why this is the case. If in doubt please contact the FCCP on 020 8314 6660 to discuss.

Further information and advice about the Lewisham FFCP can be found on the Lewisham Council FFCP website pages