Early Help

What is Early Help?

Early Help is not a new service, it is a pledge made by all members of the Rotherham's Children, Young People's and Families Partnership to change their focus to ensure they identify need and support families at the earliest possible stage. 

The majority of our families who are facing difficulties are able to be supported by our front line universal and preventative services or through a single agency response. However, when one of our family's circumstances significantly deteriorate and/or their needs are more complex a multi-agency partnership approach is likely to be required. When this occurs we need to ensure that our work is well co-ordinated and effective to ensure the family receive the right help, at the right time.

Purpose of Early Help

In Rotherham we recognise the fundamental importance of ensuring that every child and young person has the best start in life. The only way we can achieve this is to invest in our most valuable asset - its families.

Engaging with families early and involving them in addressing areas of need ensures they stay empowered to take responsibility for their own situations, to build resilience, and enable them to regain control and become independent of services.

Outcomes

Problems can occur at any time in children's lives and our services need to be responsive to emerging needs at all ages. Early Help is not just aimed at preventing abuse or neglect but at ensuring the best start and improving the life chances of all children and young people, through their families, across seven outcomes;

• Parents/carers and young people are ready for work and  financially able to support themselves and their families
• Parents/carers and young people keep themselves and their children healthy
• Children and young people engage in education, achieve and have clear pathways into further learning
• Families and young people are not involved in crime or the risks of exploitation either as perpetrators or victims
• Families and young people are not involved in crime or the risks of exploitation either as perpetrators or victims
• Families and young people live in a safe and decent home
  Families and young people positively engage with their community and local services
• Parents/carers  look after their children well and all children and young people are kept safe

Useful Contacts

• Early Help Assessment Team - 01709 334905
• Families Information Service - 0800 0730 230

Early Help Learning and Development Prospectus