What is Early Help?

Early Help is about taking action early and as soon as possible to tackle problems emerging for children, young people and their families. It provides support as soon as possible to help families cope with difficulties and working together with other services to prevent bigger problems emerging.

Support can come from a range of services and organisations, for parents, children and young people of any age. Our aim is to provide the right action at the right time with the right support.

Early Help Assessment

An Early Help assessment is a partnership process designed to help professionals support children, young people and families. The EHA enables professionals to:

• Help a child or family receive the right support at an early stage, before a small need grows into a larger one.

• Complete a shared assessment, so that a family, child or young person, does not have to repeat the same information to different workers.

• Ensure that everyone involved with supporting the family, child or young person, such as teachers and health visitors, work together effectively.

The assessment enables both areas of strength and need to be identified; highlighting in the process whether other services may be appropriate to support the family, child or young person.

It is the families' choice whether they accept support and agree to who is involved in this process. They will be given a copy of the form and will be told who will see it, where it is stored and how it will be used.

Team Around the Family (TAF)

A Team Around the Family (TAF) is implemented where additional needs have been identified through and Early Help Assessment (EHA), and support is required from more than one agency, team or service. The TAF brings together young people, parents, extended family and a range of professionals/ practitioners, into a small, individualised team to co-ordinate support and interventions. All of the family members have a role in the TAF and their views and needs play a central role. A TAF should ensure that young people, parents/carers and extended family all have a role in agreeing goals, and agreeing actions to meet those goals.

Outcomes from a TAF meeting should include: The identification of a ‘Lead Professional’, the creation of a support package which identifies roles and responsibilities, and the setting of a review date for a subsequent meeting to assess whether needs are being adequately met by the support package.

Lead Professional

A ‘Lead Professional’ is chosen from amongst the professionals involved in a TAF; they should be selected by the end of the first TAF meeting. The family or child should have a key input into who should be the lead professional. The lead professional takes the lead to co-ordinate provision and act as a single point of contact for a child or young person and their family. 

For more information please look at the below website 

https://localoffer.bedford.gov.uk/kb5/bedford/directory/service.page?id=3VFvk6KKavA