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.
The borough of Rochdale is committed to ensuring that children, young people and families receive effective help at the earliest point of need. Our Early Help Strategy details our progress and priorities to ensure that we provide the right help, at the right time, and prevent escalation to statutory services.
It reflects the collective ambition of our partners across health, education, social care, training and employment and the VCFSE (Voluntary, Community, Faith, Social Enterprise) sectors, to build a system that is proactive, relational, and firmly rooted in the lived experiences of our communities. This approach is aligned to our Children and Young People’s Partnership’s Raising Rochdale plan.
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