CYSCP

We use the principles of the Supporting Families Programme to underpin our Early Help and prevention work with children and families.

The Supporting Families Programme is the delivery model for Early Help in York and aims to ensure that those families who need help and support get it at the earliest opportunity and from the right people.

Early Help can be provided by one agency, or with a multi-agency response. When we say agency, we mean:

• schools
• childcare
• health
• police
• voluntary sector
• City of York Council

The support a child or family receives may include:

• an assessment of need informed by all members of the family
• targeted support where needs cannot be met by universal or community services
• signposting to other relevant support that may be helpful

Supporting Families Advisers

To ensure that practitioners across the city are supported in the work they do with and for families, the Supporting Families Team offer a package of support to lead practitioners or any other individuals or services who are providing Early Help support to children and families.

Supporting Families Advisors do not work directly with families but are a point of contact for partners in the city who are working with children, young people and families at an Early Help level.

Support can include:

• support for all Early Help partners in settings across the City in terms of practice and process, use of assessment tools and the availability of services
• advising Early Help partners who else may be involved with the family to allow the development of an effective Team Around the Child and Family (TACF)
• provide case specific advice and guidance to help you better support the families you are working with This includes providing advice in cases where progress has become “stuck”
• where and Early Help assessment and/or TACF is in place for a family, the family will be eligible to access support from the Supporting Families Employment Adviser where there is an identified need
• attendance at team or training meetings to provide advice and support about Early Help practices
• reaching out to offer advice and guidance where there has been a recommendation for you or your agency to provide Early Help support to a family via an Early Help Assessment (EHA) and TACF

Early Help tools and resources

To support practitioners in supporting families we have a library of tools and resources available, including our assessment form, Team Around The Family forms, and our Early Help Resource Pack - which gives comprehensive guidance around all areas of Early Help delivery.

We also offer additional resources, such as our Children’s Workforce Induction Pack, and links to local and national guidance around safeguarding, Early Help and information sharing.

These resources will be added to this page as soon as they are available, or contact us on email: [email protected] if you require support.

Contacting the team

Contact the Supporting Families Team on email: [email protected], and a member of the team will respond to you; please provide your phone number if you would prefer a call back.

Delivering Early Help

Where you are taking on the lead practitioner role, send Early Help assessments and Team Around the Child and Family documentation to email: [email protected].

Maintaining records of Early Help assessments

We maintain a central record of the support a family has received so that we can help understand a family’s journey.

This means we can link together agencies who might be working with the same family. It also means that if the family is referred to the Targeted Intervention Service or Children’s Services, it is clear what support has already been in place and when.