Early Help
Training and support update
Early help is simply about identifying children and families who might need some extra help and supporting them to access this through a trusted professional. It’s also about ensuring that the help they receive is the best it can be and well co-ordinated. It is not primarily about safeguarding; but it might be. It’s not social services.
In Doncaster we’ve established a multi-agency Early Help Hub to provide a single point of contact for people and to support more effective delivery of services where there is a need for a multi-agency response.
If you are unable to help a child or young person on your own or the child’s needs are unclear, or broader than your service can address alone then call the Early Help Hub.
The Hub provides information, advice and guidance; and checks to see if the family is already receiving help or whether they need a coordinated response managed by a lead professional.
The Hub team then identify the best person to lead the support for a family. Very occasionally the team may be concerned about the welfare of a child or young person and will refer the family to children’s social services.
The Hub team is available Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm on: 01302 734110
In addition to establishing the hub we’ve also appointed Early Help Coordinators. Their job is to help you to understand and access early help arrangements including:
• Taking on the role of lead practitioner
• Undertaking an early help assessment
• Arranging a team around a child/family meeting (TAC/F)
• Any issues with the Early Help online system - Early Help Module (EHM)
Early Help Coordinators can support you over the telephone, face to face and through support network meetings in your localities. If you require their support simply get in touch:
Support network meetings timetableMonday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
North / PM / AM
East / PM / PM
South / AM / AM
Central / AM / AM
Call or email an Early Help Coordinator to book on and confirm venue
A range of free training is available to help you better understand Early Help and to become an Early Help lead practitioner (lead practitioners co-ordinate support and are the main point of contact for the child and their family).
The training programme for Early Help Practitioners includes:
· What is Early Help? (2 hours) for professionals and volunteers who works with children and families, for example staff from health, childcare, police and schools
· Lead Practitioner (full day) for professionals who might take on the lead practitioner role
· Early Help Module / system training (2.5 hours) for professionals who will be lead practitioners
· Early Help Assessment workshop (3 hours) for lead practitioners with open cases
· Early Help outcomes and planning workshop (3 hours) for lead practitioners with open cases
· Managing difficult meetings (2 hours) for all professionals working with children and families
· Engaging with difficult families (2 hours) for all professionals working with children and families
To find out more about this free training and to book your place visit: www.engagedoncaster.co.uk