Each local authority has the overarching responsibility for the early help system and ensures that appropriate support is provided to families to prevent escalation to more intensive social care interventions.
For individual cases, a "lead practitioner" is appointed to coordinate support and work with the child and family. This professional can come from various backgrounds, such as a GP, family support worker, school nurse, teacher, health visitor, or SENCO.
We support Lead Professionals through our online chat and individual support to discuss how to complete the relevant documentation, (which will be slightly different between different authorities). We support the discussion around what support would best meet the families needs, is the support available and how to access the required support, how the initial Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting should be done, and all the following review TAF meetings .
An Early Help panel is the service your Local Authority Early Help Team offer when an Early Help appears to be stuck - none of the targets feel as though they are moving forward - no sign of positive change.
Various services are represented on the panel - Local Authority, Youth Services, Children's Social Care, Education Department and Inclusion Service, Health, Family Group Conferencing (FGC), Specialist services such as Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Domestic Abuse Support Services, Alternative Provisions and others depending on your area and what is available.
If there is a development that increases concern for a child, young person within the family that meets threshold or a child or young person makes a disclosure, then a Single Contact form must be completed and sent to your local MACH team. The referral will be triaged by the main services within your MACH - Police, Social Care and Health
Our service will support you as a Lead Professional every step of the way, we can offer support as and when required, or just here to answer a simple question.
Early Help Training is also a service we offer either as an individual or a group of individuals - please see our price list.
No matter how silly you think your question is, remember there is never a silly question
Lakes Safeguarding