What is Early Help?

This is the term used to describe the support given to children, young people and their families when they need extra help. We take a partnership approach as it’s difficult at times for one single agency to deliver effective support alone.

It means we work alongside a number of services to help you and your family. As we like to say: ‘Early Help is everybody’s business and responsibility.’

What is the aim of Early Help?

The aim of Early Help is to help families develop:

• Happier relationships
• Develop parenting skills
• Skills to be able to cope with day to day and longer-term challenges
• Healthier lifestyles, educational achievement, employment opportunities and community relations
• Support, advice and guidance.

Walsall’s Early Help Partnerships commitment is:

• To provide ‘effective whole family support’ to prevent escalation into statutory services, to ensure families thrive, build resilience and have ambition.
• To create the space for services to work together proactively, identifying and solving problems rather than reacting to crisis.

Why would I want Early Help?

There are lots of reasons why people look for Early Help. It could be that:

• You’re worried about your child’s health, development and/or behaviour
• You’re worried how they’re doing at school
• You’re struggling to develop positive routines and boundaries
• Perhaps because you’re caring for a disabled child
• It may be that you’re worried about money or housing
• Maybe your child or family is affected by domestic abuse, drugs, alcohol or crime
• Perhaps your child is a carer for other people
• Maybe you’ve had a bereavement in the family that’s made life a real challenge
• Maybe you want to find out about activities and services in the area

What happens next?

A lead worker will meet with you and your family and will be your main point of contact.  The lead worker will try to understand the views, needs, strengths and difficulties of each family member as well as how you work together as a family.  This will help them to develop a plan with you and your family to help you in achieving the goals you have identified. Practical support may be offered to help you and your family carry out the plan you agreed.

Lead workers will work in the interest of the family, but if they have any specific concerns about the well-being of a child or a vulnerable adult within the family, they will follow specific procedures for dealing with those concerns.

Contact the Early Help Hub for a chat about what’s happening and how they could help.

0300 555 2866, option 1 (Early Help Hub)

or 

01922 646 574 (Central & South Hub)

We are able to complete Early Help Assessments in school.  If you feel more comfortable talking to staff in school then please contact the main office (01922 721 112) and ask for Ms Hawthorn.