Early Help
There are many services available in Warrington to help families. Some are universal; available to everyone, others are targeted to families with specific needs. The Warrington Early Help offer is a guide to the services available.
What is an Early Help Assessment?
An Early Help Assessment is a way of working with children and young people. It involves listening to you and your child to find out your child’s needs, and what is working well in your child’s life. An action plan, agreed with you and your child, is also put in place to make sure your child gets the right sort of help. An Early Help Assessment is voluntary – you and your child can choose to be involved.
How will an Early Help Assessment help my family?
An Early Help Assessment exists to help you support your child. It can lead to a quick solution or help to identify extra support if needed. It will ensure that everyone involved with your child – such as teachers and health visitors – works together to support your child. An Early Help Assessment will help your child receive the right support at an early stage before their needs increase which can be much more difficult to help you with. As the Early Help Assessment is a shared assessment, you and your child will not have to repeat the same story to different workers.
When is an Early Help Assessment used?
An Early Help Assessment can be used if you or someone who works with your child would like your child to receive extra support. It will help to identify your child’s additional needs, and other workers required to support your family.
How does it work?
With agreement a professional will ask you and your child some questions to find out what help and support your child might need. This information is recorded on a simple form. You and your child will agree what is put on the form, and you will be given a copy of it.
Older children may feel able to discuss their situation on their own with the professional. A young person’s wish to keep information confidential from parents may be respected by that person, where this is in the young person’s best interests and welfare.
Confidentiality
As a rule the information which you and your child provide will only be shared with your family’s consent. However there may be certain times when the people working with you need to share information.
For example:
• When they need to find out urgently if a child is at risk of harm;
• To help a child who is at risk of harm;
• When an adult is at risk of harm; or
• To help prevent or detect a serious crime.
Further Information
Further information on Early Help is available in the document below or by using the following links:
https://www.warrington.gov.uk/early-help
https://www.mylifewarrington.co.uk/kb5/warrington/directory/directory.page?directorychannel=1
