What is Early Help?

Early Help means providing help for you and you families as soon as problems start to emerge or where it is likely that issues will impact negatively on children’s outcomes.

Early help…

• Is for children of all ages and not just the very young,
• Can be provided at any point of need and;
• Can be very effective in supporting a child, young person and/or their family to step down from statutory services as well as preventing the escalation of issues.
• Is important because there is clear evidence that it results in better outcomes for children.

Early help is a term that describes much of the everyday work of schools. 

Our Role

Day to Day Support

Families, most of the time, although I guess not as often as you may think, can get on with their lives quite happily with little or no outside help. Family help is usually provided by universal services, such as schools, doctors, dentists etc. This can include the day-to-day support provided to pupils and their families by staff within school. This is early Help. Please, when you are struggling, need advice, need a chat, need a cuppa, school is often an ideal place to go for early help. We will listen, not judge. We will advise, not dictate. We help, not hinder. I promise, 

Focused Pastoral Support

All families have times, however, when difficulties arise and they either may not recognise it or may not know how to start putting things right. Without the right support early on, situations can easily get worse very quickly. School plays an important role in supporting families to address these difficulties through more focused pastoral support, which might include bringing in support via an external agency.  At St George's you can speak to any member of staff. Normally the most informed people to go to would be Andy, Michelle, Nic or Rob.  

Early Help Assessment

For those children and families whose needs and circumstances make them perhaps a little more vulnerable, or where school needs the support of other agencies to meet the needs of the family, a coordinated multi-agency approach is usually best. But we will work with you in decided the best way forward, if indeed this is necessary. 

So please, use us, and use our services. If you need a helping hand, call in and see us. We can sort it. Promise.