‘Every Child Matters’ guidance recommends that children and young people with additional needs that require support from multiple services should receive coordinated and coherent support through the input of one practitioner acting as a Lead Professional. It is not a new role but a means of improving what we are already doing.

By taking a lead role for a particular child, the Lead Professional will:

• Act as a single point of contact that the child or young person and their family can trust, and who is able to support them in making choices and in navigating their way through the system.
• Enable children and families to receive appropriate interventions when needed, which are well planned, regularly reviewed and effectively delivered. 
• Reduce overlap and inconsistency from other practitioners.

The Lead Professional will be identified from the practitioners currently working with the child and family. It should not be viewed as a further task for practitioners, nor should it lead to an overall increase in workload. It is a means of coordinating existing services to deliver better outcomes for children and families.