The Early Help assessment is a way of supporting children and families. It involves listening to you and your child to find out more about your child’s needs, and what is working well in your child’s life.
An action plan, agreed with you and your child, is also put in place to make sure your child gets the right help at the right time.
The Early Help assessment is voluntary.
How we can help
The Early Help assessment will ensure that everyone involved with your child, such as teachers and health visitors, works together to support your child.
If an Early Help assessment is to be completed, you will choose who you would like to be the lead practitioner, wherever possible. This person will keep you informed, listen to your views and support you. The named worker will also co-ordinate all the services supporting your child.
How the assessment works
With agreement, a worker will ask you and your child some questions to find out what is working well and what help and support your child might need. This information is recorded on a simple form. You and your child will agree what is put on the form, and you will be given a copy of it.
Older children may feel able to discuss their situation on their own with the worker. A young person’s wish to keep information confidential from parents may be respected by the worker, where this is in the young person’s best interests and welfare.
After you've provided your information
Based on the information you and your child provide, all those who can help your child will work together to provide the support your child needs. Only workers who need to know about your child will share your child’s information.
Confidentiality
As a rule the information which you and your child provide will only be shared with your family’s consent. However there may be certain times when the people working with you need to share information.
For example:
- when they need to find out urgently if a child is at risk of harm
- to help a child who is at risk of harm
- when an adult is at risk of harm
- to help prevent or detect a serious crime