Early Help in County Durham
Early Help in County Durham is not a single service but a way of ‘thinking’ and ‘working’ through a collaborative approach between communities, families and services. Early Help is the term used by agencies in County Durham to describe our approach to providing support to vulnerable children, young people and families as soon as problems start to emerge or when there is a strong likelihood that problems will emerge in the future.
An effective Early Help System brings together a family’s own support network as well as the support from local partners including universal services e.g. GP, Family Health Services, Education, Voluntary and Community Sector and where appropriate more targeted services such as Drug and Alcohol, Domestic Abuse, Housing, One Point Services to provide resilience, prevent difficulties from escalating leading to better outcomes for families that are sustained.
You can find out more about the vision for Early Help in County Durham by reading the key document County Durham’s Early Help Strategy 2024-2026.pdf.
County Durham’s Early Help Strategy 2024-2026 video transcript.pdf
Prevention and Early Help Forums
Prevention and Early Help Forums provide an opportunity for practitioners and managers from across the Early Help System to come together to identify and address emerging needs in communities ensuring that children and families receive the best support possible. They also provide opportunities to network and share good practice. If you are a professional supporting Durham children and families and would like to find out more please email strongerfamilies@durham.gov.uk.