2.3 Early help

Providing ‘early help’ is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting when problems become more serious. This help may be needed at any point in a child’s life, from early to teenage years.

All professionals, particularly those in universal services, should be alert to signs that a child may require early help. This may include a child who:

• is disabled and has specific additional needs
• has special educational needs
• is a young carer
• is showing signs of engaging in anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups
• is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home
• is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation
• is at risk of being radicalised or exploited
• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol abuse, adult mental health problems and domestic violence
• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves
• has returned home to their family from care
• is a privately fostered child.

If a professional identifies a need for early help, they have a responsibility to share that information and work together with other agencies to provide children with the support they need. Indeed, effective early help relies upon local agencies working together to:

• identify children and families who would benefit from early help
• assess the need for early help, and
• provide targeted early help services to address the assessed needs of a child and their family in order to improve outcomes for the child.

Further guidance is available in the thresholds/level of need criteria guidance in Section 3 of these procedures. These explain the inter-agency processes for early help assessments and the type of early help services provided.