Durham Safeguarding Children Partnership

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Early Help Advisors – support for practitioners

For general advice and support contact your local Early Help Advisor by emailing EarlyHelpAdvisorSupport@durham.gov.uk

Support with Early Help

Early Help Advisors work alongside and directly assist Lead Workers to develop and deliver effective early help using a ‘whole family’ model for families who are experiencing a range of multiple and complex issues.

Early Help Advisors can provide staff training and individual mentoring for professionals who are likely to be involved in Team Around the Family (TAF) arrangements and who work with vulnerable children, young people and their parent/carers. Training and support can be tailored to cover the following areas adopting a Signs of Safety/Wellbeing approach:

  • Early Help and the ‘Whole Family’ approach
  • The role of the lead worker
  • Early Help Assessment – support for staff on how to complete a comprehensive whole family assessment
  • Child and Family Plan – support for staff in developing a (multi-agency) Child and Family Plan
  • An ‘Outcomes Focussed’ Approach using the County Durham Family Outcome Framework

Mentoring through Early Help

Mentoring by Early Help Advisors will:

  • Support and directly assist professionals to undertake proportionate Early Help Assessments and develop a (multi-agency) Child and Family Plan that considers all family members’ needs.
  • Support professionals to identify families who may be eligible for the Stronger Families Programme.
  • Assist professionals to undertake the role of Lead Worker where this is appropriate, providing support, coaching and mentoring as required by the individual.
  • Assist the Lead Worker to develop a robust multi-agency Team Around the Family (TAF) which includes agencies to support parents/carers as well as children and support a family can draw on from their local community.
  • Support and directly assist the Lead Worker and TAF members to identify solutions where there is a lack of change in the family or outcomes are not being achieved; this may include where families are resistant to support or engagement is a challenge.