In safeguarding we want to use the lowest level of support at the earliest known opportunity.
All children and young people have access to universal services which anyone can access freely without the need for any referral – such as GP services, health visiting, school nursing, schools, youth clubs etc.
If a child or young person has a need for more than one service to start to talk to each other to arrange support for an emerging need, then this is moving into the realms of early help. This is the process which helps agencies to formalise discussions around an emerging need, what that is, what the wider context of the need is in the family, the needs of the wider family and who or what can be done to address that need. The early help assessment paperwork is a vehicle for documenting this and is used by those already involved – it is NOT sent to children's social care as they are not involved at this stage. Anyone can undertake or lead an early help assessment, but usually for unborn children this would be the midwife, 0-5’s would be the health visitor and for school age children it is usually the school.
If a child or young person is thought to be at risk of their development being significantly impaired by their situation then it may be appropriate to consider help under a child in need plan under targeted help. A referral can be made for this via the online form to children’s social care – if an early help assessment has been completed this should also be shared to show the work done so far.
However, if it is felt that a child is at risk of significant harm then this would require specialist input from social workers on a statutory basis under a child protection plan. To refer to children’s social care, telephone children’s social care and make a verbal referral followed up by their online form detailing your concerns.
Please refer to the DDSCP Threshold document for further information – available in the documents library of the online procedures here: