Windscreen

The ‘windscreen’ is a model for understanding a child or young person’s needs, as well as the services required to meet those needs to enable the child or young person to maximise their potential, whatever their individual circumstances. An adapted model is available for schools which demonstrates the ‘waves’ approach to support.

The ‘windscreen’ model demonstrates the capacity for the child or young person’s levels of need to change throughout childhood. Those changes may be as a result of factors relating to the child, the family or the environment.

The focus for children’s services, is to help meet the needs of children and young people within ‘universal’ services wherever possible. This is where families have closer relationships with practitioners who see them on a regular basis and are in a better position to understand their needs and monitor the impact of services on their identified goals. Evidence suggests engagement with universal services provides protection and support to vulnerable groups of children and young people.  This is because families report a greater feeling of control and ownership of what is happening.  There is no stigma attached to using universal services, the regular contact allows better monitoring and more effective and efficient responses to need as situations change.

Additional or specialist needs of some children and young people will mean that they require targeted or specialist services to help them maximise their potential.

Within the model:

I  is identification of needs during a child’s or young person’s life at every level of need,

N is needs being met at each level and when this occurs successfully.

T is for transition towards universal services.