Early Help Assessment Offer

Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service are committed to providing our families with the right help at the right time.

Any child may benefit from early help, but all school and sixth form staff should be particularly alert to the potential need for early help for a child who:

• is disabled and has specific additional needs;
• has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory education, health and care plan);
• is a young carer;
• is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups;
• is frequently missing/goes missing from care or from home;
• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves;
• is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation;
• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as substance abuse, adult mental health problems or domestic abuse;
• has returned home to their family from care;
• is showing early signs of abuse and/or neglect;
• is at risk of being radicalised or exploited;
• is a privately fostered child
• any other identified reason not listed above that requires extra support or intervention to improve outcomes for families and children including mental health support

We therefore ensure that:

• ALL staff and volunteers can identify the risk factors that indicate a family or student may benefit from Early Help
• ALL staff and volunteers will use the school's agreed format for letting the DSL know about Early Help requirements
• DSLs will undertake a Your Family’s Early Help assessment, when appropriate, to identify what Early Help is required
• DSLs will signpost and refer to appropriate support agencies
• DSLs will lead on TAF meetings where is it appropriate for them to do so
• DSLs will complete an Early Help Plan and Family Radar Chart
• DSLs will refer to CSC where Early Help has not been successful in reducing risk and meeting unmet needs using Lancashire Continuum of Need and Thresholds Guidance and CSC referral form
• DSLs and other identified staff will identify and work with any organisations that are relevant in meeting the needs of students and their families
• DSLs and other identified staff will initiate and maintain positive and supportive relationships with parents and carers of children who may benefit from Early Help
• DSLs or appropriately trained school staff will generally be the lead for Early Help cases if this is in the best interests of the family.

Early Help Assessment

On 6 September 2021 the Your Family's Early Help Assessment replaced the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) across Lancashire.

The Early Help Assessment is an intervention with a family to gather, explore and analyse with them information about all aspects of the child or young person (and their family's) life and then to identify areas where change will address support needs and positively impact on their lived experiences.

This is recorded on an Early Help Assessment form which includes the family's Early Help Plan.

The Early Help Assessment is not a referral form for professionals to complete to access other services supporting children, young people and families. The Early Help Assessment should be completed by the professional supporting the family to identify the family's unmet needs and develop a plan of support with the family.

Your Family's Early Help Assessment is available to all practitioners and professionals working with children, young people, and their families across Lancashire.

Working alongside families from a holistic, strength-based approach when areas of support are first identified will stop escalation towards crisis and the need for more intensive and specialist intervention.

Through the Early Help Assessment, Plan, and reviews via Team Around the Family meetings the wider partnership of services can provide families with the right support at the right time.