Early Help Service The Mayors Early Years Summit

Early Help Service The Mayors Early Years Summit 30 th November 2018

What is Early Help? Early Help is the term used by agencies in Tower Hamlets to describe how we provide support to children, young people and their families, as soon as problems start to emerge. The aim is for families to get help as early as possible, so things don't get worse. Page 2

Early Help Vision Our vision for Early Help is that every family should get the right support at the right time to ensure that needs are addressed quickly; thus, preventing further escalation or crises; and ensuring that resources are put to the best possible use. Page 3

What are we doing to embed EH? • Promoting the single point of access • Early Help Enquiry Process • Early Help Hub – dedicated staff • Focus on Whole Family Working • Early Help Practice – streamlining Training • Quality Assurance Framework

Single Point of Access We are promoting the Children’s Services Hotline: 020 7364 5006 (open 9 am to 5 pm) Options for callers: Option 1: School admissions and exclusions Option 2: General advice and Early Help Enquiries Option 3: Concern about a child; child protection Option 4: Family Information Service

• • Early Help Hub Dedicated staff Alignment to hub Opening hours change from 9 am – 5 pm How the hub will work; 1. 2. 3. • • • Advice Screening/Initial Assessment Passing on to appropriate team/service to carry out Early Help Assessment and work with the family. 5 -day turnaround extended long term work with the family is an exception Handling external enquires Internal enquires Enquires to the hub Where there is no identifiable Lead Professional in Step Down processes agreed with Social Care Enquires can now be made on line @ https: //forms. towerhamlets. gov. uk/service/ehenquiries Page 6

Enquiry Pathway/Process Page 7

Practice An interagency assessment for a child and family who would benefit from coordinated support from more than one agency A holistic approach that addresses the children’s needs in the wider family context Early Help Assessment that identifies what help the child and family need to prevent needs escalating Simple, streamlined referral and assessment processes Early Help Professional Relationships A relationship with a trusted lead professional who coordinates the support needed from other agencies Practice empowers families and helps them to develop the capacity to resolve their own problems A multi-disciplinary approach, bringing a range of professional skills and expertise in a Team Around the Family Aligned with Restorative Practice Model in social care Page 8

Supporting Practice • Development of comprehensive training programme for Early Help • Practice Handbook • Staff training • Skills audit Staff Development Programme • Development of Quality Assurance Framework Page 9

Role of Early Help Coordinator The Early Help Coordinators will • Support the borough wide Early • Help offer by providing advice • Guidance around good practice in the delivery of Early Help services • Offer support to Early Help practitioners and their managers around the assessment process, multi-agency meetings • Develop with partnerships • A consistent pathways and processes • A robust quality assurance framework across Early Help services. The Early Help Coordinators are: Tanya Rajfeld East of the 020 7364 Tanya. Rajfeld@ Borough 2975 Towerhamlets. gov. uk Karen Simpson West of the Borough 020 7364 Karen. Simpson 3939 @Towerhamlet s. gov. uk Page 10

Questions ? Mohammed Abdul-Jolil Head of Early Help (Interim) Tel: 0207 364 0967 Mobile: 07507 563941 Fax: 0207 364 4257 Email: Mohammed. Jolil@towerhamlets. gov. uk Web: http: //www. towerhamlets. gov. uk Page 11