Support with family life (early help)

There are times in family life when things might be difficult or someone in the family is facing challenges. Things can get better much quicker for you, your child and family if you get help as soon as possible.

Early Help is not a designated team, it is a way of working together to support children, young people and their families.

They can offer support to families from pre-birth to adolescents with:

• parenting
• employment
• school attendance
• emotional wellbeing
• anti-social behaviour

Early Help can help you build on your strengths and find long term solutions, as well as developing your skills to help manage any future challenges.

They will bring together different people to offer support, including: 

• schools 
• health professionals
• early year's settings,
• housing

While lots of people might be working with you, there will be one key person who will support you and co-ordinate the help you need. Your worker will be open, honest and respectful to you and provide support and challenge when needed.

Getting Early Help support

You can ask for Early Help support, or this may be suggested by someone who you are in contact with like a health visitor, teacher, or GP. It is your choice whether you want this support.

See how to ask for Early Help support.

Step 1: Talking to you

Your worker will ask about any problems and discuss what support might help. 

You will complete your Early Help assessement together and agree on a plan. Once this has been completed, your worker will have all the information needed, so you will not need to keep telling your story to different people.

Step 2: The Plan

Your worker will arrange a meeting with you and other people who might be able to help. At the meeting they will talk about the kind of support available, and agree a plan with you of how to help and support, this is called the Team Around the Family meeting (TAF).

This plan will clearly set out who will do what and when it will be done by.

Step 3: The review

Everyone will come back together to see how things are going and to agree if there needs to be any changes. The review meetings will happen every 6 weeks and will continue for as long as you need them. This is to make sure the support is making a difference to you and your family.

If you think an Early Help Assessment could support you and your family you can talk to a professional such as a:

• Teacher
• Health Visitor
•  Support Worker

You can also call 0191 424 6210 for advice.

Professionals have a responsibility to help families get the right support as early as possible.

Early Help provides support for children, young people and families up to the level of statutory intervention (Children's Social Care), from pre-natal stages up to the age of 18 years (25 years for those with learning difficulties and / or disabilities).

Support includes:

• information and advice
• universal services
• intensive targeted support

Effective early help relies on local agencies working together to:

• identify children and families who would benefit from early help
• undertake an assessment of the need for early help;
• provide targeted early help services to address the assessed needs of a child and their family

Useful documents

• Early Help Assessment
• Leaflet for families
• Practice Guidance
• The Threshold document

Early Help Support

If you want support to complete an Early Help Assessment, advice around the Early Help or TAF process including additional supports for families, you can contact the Early Help Service on 0191 424 6210.