Early Help Approach

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Contact details:

Email: [email protected]                     Telephone: 07797 920 571

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About the Early Help Approach

The Early Help Approach is a single way of assessing the needs of children, young people and families that can be used by all agencies working with children, including:

  • school staff
  • school nurses
  • people providing care for babies and very young children
  • people providing parenting support services
  • health visitors
  • youth workers
  • police officers

Why we need the Early Help Approach

We know that early help for children, young people and families is best at helping children achieve good outcomes as children and adults. Sometimes families need some help from a range of agencies and services.

The Early Help Approach provides a range of assessment and planning tools that are suitable for children and young people from conception to 18, which can be used by all those who work with families.

The assessment helps to identify emerging additional needs that, with help and support, can prevent things from becoming worse.

The Early Help Approach allows different professionals to co-ordinate their work with families by sharing a single plan.

The Early Help Assessment

You should use the Early Help Assessment when a child or young person (from conception to 18 years) has additional needs that might require more support than one agency can provide.

These needs can occur because of a wide range of life events, eg:

  • physical illness
  • mental health needs
  • job loss
  • relationship breakdown
  • bereavement

Contact the Early Help Coordinator if you’re if you are thinking about carrying out an Early Help Assessment.

Parents / carers / young people’s consent

Parents/carers and young people, as appropriate, will be asked to agree to an Early Help Assessment and which agencies their information can be shared with to make sure they get the support they need.

After the Early Help Assessment

Contact the relevant agencies and set up a ‘team around the child and family meeting’ if needed. If you work with  children and young people, use the templates below.

This meeting should be attended by the agencies/services that are needed and the child/family.

It should decide what kind of support the family needs and agree a plan of how and when this will happen.

This will make sure everyone working to support the child/family knows what actions will be completed, who will complete then and by when.

Supporting the relationship between Early Help and the Children’s Service.

We need to work together to make sure children and families receive the right support and help from the right services.

This protocol supports effective partnership working between the Children’s Service and partner agencies.

Role of the lead worker

The lead worker acts as the main contact for the family. The children and family will be involved in any plans to help them, agreeing on goals to work towards and what steps to take to achieve this.

When these goals have been achieved the process will finish (unless it is stopped for another reason). The family are then asked to share their views to make sure we understand what has helped the most and what we could do better.

Apply for Early Help Approach Training

Training on the Early Help Approach is available. It is a four hour course, from 9am to 2pm. Please select one of the following days:

  • 26 September 2017 – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 16 November 2017 – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 24 January 2018 – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 15 March 2018 – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 22 May 2018 – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 10 July 2018 – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College

Early Help Team Around the Child Plans – Refresher Training

  • 1 December 2017, (9am – 10.30am) – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 6 June 2018, (3pm – 4.30pm) – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College

Early Help Assessments Refresher Training

  • 4 October 2017, (3pm – 4.30pm) – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 19 April 2018, (9am – 10.30am) – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College

Early Help and Child Sexual Exploitation Training

  • 31 October 2017, (9am – 10.30am) – Room A, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 7 February 2018, (3pm – 4.30pm) – Room B, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College

Early Help and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse Training

  • 22 November 2017, (3pm – 4.30pm) – Room B, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College
  • 20 March 2018, (9am – 10.30am) – Room B, Professional Development Centre, Highlands College

 

If you would like to attend any Early Help Approach training, complete the form below. Make sure you include the date you would like to attend.

Download Early help Approach training application form

Early Help Approach briefings

The Early Help Approach briefings contain information for those who work with children and young people. You can download the latest briefings below:

Earlier Briefings are available on request from the Early Help Coordinator.

Additional documentation

Letters to Parents / Carers:

Letters to Professionals: