The Early Help Process
Our Worcestershire approach to early help and support pathway.
Step 1: Identification and decision on what response is needed
- practitioner observes or is informed that the child/family has a need
- practitioner may need to speak with their line manager, safeguarding lead, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) to help identify the way forward
- if the needs can be met by practitioner’s own setting's Early Help Offer, organise the support directly
- for additional Early Help resources visit the Early Help web pages on our professional guidance page
- consider the parental relationship – could Worcestershire’s Harmony at Home planning tool and resources be used?
Step 2: Completing an Early Help Assessment
- discuss needs with the child/young person and family and gain their consent to have conversations with other practitioners involved
- identify other agencies currently involved and consider a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting to inform the assessment
- practitioner completes an Early Help Assessment to identify the strengths and needs of the family
- assessment can be recorded on the Early Help Assessment document
- practitioners own agency assessment and plan can also be used
- the assessment and plan must clearly identify the worries and strengths of the family
- the action plan that has been agreed with the family must be clearly recorded with roles and responsibilities
- Our Early Help Assessment or the agency's own assessment and plan can be submitted via the Early Help Assessment portal
Step 3: Create a plan
- using the assessment, create a support plan along with the child/young person and their family
- Identify SMART actions to achieve the outcomes or goals, for example, attending a parenting course
- involve other agencies if additional needs are identified as part of the assessment
- if more than one agency is involved, agree who the lead professional will be (this may not be the person who wrote the assessment)
- set a date to review the plan
- share the plan with the practitioners who attended the Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting as well as the child/young person and family
Step 4: Meet the needs in the plan
- everyone has a responsibility to carry out their agreed actions from the plan
- conversations can take place between meetings as required to progress the plan
Step 5: Review progress
- Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting (or telephone call) every 6-12 weeks to review the plan
- this might be a conversation between a single agency and the child/young person or family
- the review is led by the lead professional
- the lead professional and other agencies involved review whether there has been:
- 1) positive change
- 2) no change/improvement
- 3) deterioration or concerns increased
- the decision is made to continue to amend the plan or to end the plan as the needs are fully met
- or to end the plan and a single agency will meet the need or that only universal services are required
- if the plan continues, further reviews take place
- if the plan is not progressing, review and update the assessment, develop a new plan
- consider who else may need to be involved
- the review can be brought forward if the plan is not progressing, or the needs escalate
Step 6: End of the plan
- when the child/young person, family and the Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting agree that the needs have been met
- the plan will end and all those involved should be informed
- complete closing summary and submit to the Early Help Assessment Portal
- submit the closing summary to the portal, retain copies for your own records
- the child/young person and family have clear information about where they can access support moving forward
- or if their needs change – signpost to Virtual Family Hub