Early Help
Early Help
Early Help is intervening early and as soon as possible to tackle problems emerging for children, young people and their families.
Early Help is more effective in promoting the welfare of children than reacting later. Early Help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges, at any point in a child's life, including pre-natal interventions and early years support through to the teenage years.
Early Help can prevent problems escalating to a crisis level by providing help at the right time to meet family's needs and to keep them in control of resolving their issues and problems.
Rochdale's Early Help Strategy is currently under review.
The Early Help Strategy review will support our whole family neighbourhood approach to early intervention reflective of Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023, Stable Homes Built on Love, and incorporating Start for Life and Family Hub interventions for children and families.
The revised strategy will also respond to the ongoing Supporting Families Agenda; Greater Manchester Early Help principles and system conditions; and recent work undertaken locally across children's and adults services resulting in our All Age Prevention Strategy being published
The review is underway and priorities have been identified through the multi-agency completion of the Early Help Systems Guide, an assessment which has enabled a detailed review of all issues across Early Help in Rochdale. The revised strategy development and implementation is overseen by the Early Help Strategic Board.
School Readiness Strategy- under review
Following the implementation of Rochdale's School Readiness Strategy in 2018 a review is currently being undertaken to embed our multi- agency strategic priorities within a whole family Early Help and early intervention strategy. This will enable our new strategic priorities to be aligned with our local preventive approach; renewed Greater Manchester School Readiness priorities; and recent The Best Start for Life documentation. This work is currently underway and overseen through the School Readiness Strategic Group.
Rochdale Early Help Assessment
There are times when children and their families may need support from a wide range of local agencies. Where a child and family would benefit from support from more than one agency (e.g. education, health, housing, police) an Early Help Assessment will be offered to agree and coordinate that support.
The Early Help Assessment is an evidence based, family friendly tool designed to support solution focused conversations between professionals and the family. Its purpose is to identify strengths and difficulties, engage and empower individuals to achieve positive change and prevent needs escalating.
Early Help Assessment forms and guidance