• Taking the time to listen to children’s concerns. Class teachers and teaching support staff are usually the first people to notice if a child is worried or who a child wishes to confide in. They will provide pastoral support and seek extra help if needed.

• Our Family Support Co-Ordinator coordinates support for our families and will work alongside you to set achievable targets. She also liaises with the Local Authority Early Help Team and other external agencies when further support and involvement is
  needed.

• A school nurse may also come along and support us with Early Help planning so they can provide us with the medical information required.

• There are also agencies that you can contact independently should you wish to do so, who might be able to help and provide support for your family.

• Our Early Help offer is embedded in the Child Protection and Safeguarding policy and is part of a continuum of work in helping keep children safe. Any concerns in our delivery of the offer can be addressed using the school’s complaints procedure.
• Please see the Family Support notice board on our website for further contact numbers.

When is an Early Help assessment completed?

• An Early Help Assessment can be initiated when a parent or carer identifies a need or needs, that they cannot resolve themselves.

• A family can self-refer for support which may generate an Early Help Assessment dependent on their needs.

• Needs may consist of, but not limited to; debt, benefits support, behaviour challenges, poor school attendance, inadequate housing, poor routines, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol issues, mental health issues, crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB), poor parenting, low educational attainment, assist with appointment keeping and support with forms and applications

• To signpost to appropriate services to assist with training and employment

• To help to protect children from harm.

• To help families achieve positive outcomes for their children.
   
• To build a team around the family that builds confidence and helps to address low-level issues so that they do not escalate and to tackle issues head-on to prevent them from getting worse.
   
• To provide the right support at the right time.
   
• To coordinate services for the family.
   
• Early Help supports all of the family and tries to get families to help themselves and maintain a positive change and outcome.

We can assist with:

• Advocacy support and linking multiple agencies.
   
• Support with filling in forms.
   
• Arranging and facilitating consistent and regular meetings to help the families stay on track.
   
• Helping with day-to-day challenges.
   
• Supporting all of the family and children of all age ranges.
   
• Promoting well-being for all of the family.
   
• Referring to appropriate services.
   

The impact this has is:

• Building parental confidence
   
• Improving the management of finances
   
• Improved attendance and attainment
   
• Preventing harm for children and their parents
   
• Promoting independence for the parents and children
   
• Obtaining the correct professional support
   
• Parents being able to seek out other support options, for example, support groups

• Parent / Carer
   
• Family Support Coordinator
   
• Schools Representatives from Secondary, Nursery and Specialist provisions
   
• Health Visitor
   
• School Nurse
   
• Speech and Language Therapist
   
• Mental Health Services
   
• Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo)
   
• New Era (Domestic Violence Services)