Early Help
What is Early Help?
Everyone needs a little help at times.
'Early help' means providing support as soon as a problem emerges at any point in a child’s life, from the foundation years through to the teenage years. (KCSIE 2024)
Early Help is the support we give to children and their families when they need extra help with a whole range of individual, social, health and education concerns. Support is provided to the ‘whole family’ to ensure the right help at the right time is available.
Early Help is voluntary and consent from children, young people and their families to work with should always be agreed.
Working together as early as possible, regardless of the child or young person’s age can positively improve outcomes.
Early Help is a partnership approach, not a provision, and very much relies on local agencies working together with families. Some early help is provided through “universal services”, such as education and health services. They are universal services because they are available to all families, regardless of their needs. Other early help services are coordinated by the local authority and/or their partners to address specific concerns within a family and can be described as targeted early help. Examples of these include parenting support, mental health support, youth services, youth offending teams and housing and employment services.
How can I access Early Help?
If you would like further information about Early Help, if you would like to make positive changes in your life or if you are worried about a child, please speak to any member of our Safeguarding Team.
You can also contact the Local Authority directly through the following links:
Early Help - Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership (lscpbirmingham.org.uk)
Early Help Assessment (EHA) | Early Help | Sandwell Council