Early Help

Providing early help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children and young people than reacting when things go wrong later and safeguarding procedures need to take place.  Early help means providing support as soon as a problem is identified, at any point in a child or young person’s life.  Early help can also prevent further problems arising.  It relies upon agencies providing services to children and young people working together to identify children and families that would benefit from support and providing a relevant assessment using the Common Assessment Framework (CAF).

What does Working Together say about Early Help?

Under Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, the RSCP is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of training, including multi-agency training, for all professionals in relation to identifying the need for early help.  It also needs to agree, with the Local Authority and other partner agencies, through the development and publication of a Multi-Agency Threshold Document, the levels for the different types of assessment and services to be commissioned and delivered.  The RSCP has agreed and published a thresholds document:

• Redbridge SCP Multi-Agency Safeguarding Referrals and Threshold Guidance, 2023

LB Redbridge Early Intervention and Family Support Service (EI&FSS)

The Redbridge Early Intervention and Family Support Service (EI&FSS) is based in the Children and Families Service and located at Albert Road Children’s Centre.  The Service can be contacted via Early.Intervention@redbridge.gov.uk.  A referral for an early help assessment can be made by downloading and completing the referral form below:

• LBR Families Together Hub (FTH) – Early Help – Referral Form [November 2023]

The Service provides a wide range of services including family support, parenting courses, and co-ordination of the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and Return from Missing Interviews.

Common Assessment Framework

• CAF – Common Assessment Framework Information for Schools (PDF 1MB)

Information Sharing

Information sharing between professionals and agencies is essential for effective identification, assessment and service provision.  Early sharing of information is the key to providing effective early help where there are emerging problems.

• Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers (HM Government, 2018)