Early Help – Everyone’s Responsibility

As with safeguarding, early help is everyone’s responsibility and relies upon all organisations and agencies working together. Through an Early Help assessment, we can identify children & families who would benefit from early intervention. Over the last 12 months, the partnership has worked together to review the Family Support Process and developed a new Early Help Assessment & Plan that aligns with practice we want to see happening in Norfolk where:

• We work ‘with’ families rather than ‘do to’ and develop plans, which are firmly led by families and their wider support network.
• We build meaningful relationships with children and families using plain, simple language and have open, honest, curious conversations that help families build on strengths that create hope for the future.
• We all share responsibility for achieving the outcomes we want for children and families, so they flourish and are supported to move from having worries to achieving shared goals.

The new early help assessment is shorter, embeds signs of safety practice, uses plain language, and is combined with a plan that allows for a timelier early help response. To support the workforce a new practice pathway has been developed that explains step by step how to approach working with children & families when undertaking an Early Help assessment. Support also remains available from the Partner & Community Focus teams who can provide consultation, advice & training to partners who are offering Early Help to children and families, contactable below:

• Breckland Team – 01362 654567
• Broadland Team – 01603 222811
• Great Yarmouth (East) Team – 01493 448153
• North Norfolk Team – 01692 502205
• Norwich Team – 01603 222812
• South Norfolk Team – 01603 222814
• West Norfolk and King’s Lynn Team – 01553 669673

You will find all the information, new forms, and practice resources on the NCSP website – www.norfolklscb.org/early-help. With your help, we can work together to support children & families earlier to live happy, healthy, and successful lives.

Chris Robson, Independent Chair of NSCP supports this new practice