Early Help / Family Support Offer

Early Help

The Trust Early Help Service provides Early Help support across all Trust academies, including Granville Academy, to children, young people and their families who require additional support.

Every family has its ups and downs. Being a parent/carer is hard work and there are no instructions.Sometimes, children, young people and their families may need extra support. Often these parents/carers turn to school staff for support. Early Help aids children/young people and their families recognise what’s going well for them, where they may benefit from extra help and who is
the best person to support the family to make this happen. This may be through an Early Help
Assessment (EHA).

The de Ferrers Trust Early Help service provides targeted support for children/young people and
their families with proven results. The service offers a team of early help practitioners to deliver this
support.

What is Early Help?

Early help is a way of getting extra support when your family needs it, but getting it as soon as difficulties start, rather than waiting until things get worse. It is for children and young people of any age. Help can come from all kinds of services and organisations who work together to support your family. You might be using some of these services already, but we want to make sure they are
providing the right support for the whole family’s needs. 

Why would I seek Early Help?

There are lots of reasons why Early Help may be needed or may be of benefit to your family. It could be that you are worried about your child’s health, development or behaviour or perhaps because you are caring for a disabled child. It could be that your child is affected by domestic abuse, drugs,or alcohol or perhaps your child is a carer for other people.  If you or your child are in need of
additional support, Early Help may be able to help. 

How do I get support from the Early Help service?

Referrals to Early Help services are made via members of the academy team. Usually, they are made by either the pastoral or safeguarding team. If you would like to discuss a referral for Early Help support further, please contact your child’s head of year in the first instance.

What sort of services or help would be offered?

It depends on what you need and it might include services you are already accessing. An early help practitioner will undertake an Early Help Assessment with you to identify what support you may need and then, as long as you agree, the appropriate support can be put in place. This may include:

•        Family and young people support
•        Advice and welfare
•        Parenting groups
•        Drop-in sessions
•        Domestic abuse support 
•        School attendance support 
•        Signposting to community groups 
•        Support Groups for fathers and male carers 
•        Education welfare support 
•        Housing advice
•        Benefits or employment advice
•        Referrals to other services for support 

What is an Early Help Assessment?

An Early Help Assessment or EHA is an assessment that the family support worker will complete with you and your family to identify what support is needed and to create an action plan to deliver this. You will be fully involved in the process and the early help practitioner will listen to you and your wishes.

Will Early Help support mean that social care will get involved?

No. The support offered by the Early Help service is delivered by early help practitioners employed by the de Ferrers Trust. The practitioners are not social workers but their aim will be to help and support your family similarly to social care.

If in the future your circumstances change and a referral to social care becomes a possibility, the
early help practitioners will keep you involved and work with you so that you understand what is
happening and why.