The early help assessment should identify the help the child and family need. This should be help which prevents needs escalating to the point where children’s services would have to become involved to do an assessment (see Working Together 2018 at page 15, paragraph 8).
At the end of the assessment report there should be a clear early help plan. This plan should explain:
- What action is to be taken and by when
- What services are to be provided to the child, parent or carer, or to the whole family
- How all the early help services will be coordinated by the lead practitioner
- If the plan will be regularly reviewed. This is to make sure the right help and support is being provided. It will help to see what progress is being made
- If wider family and friends are able to provide support this should be detailed in the plan. This should draw on any family plan prepared at a family group conference (FGC).
Parents and carers should be involved in drawing up any early help plan. And they should give their views about who they think the early help plan should be shared with. For example, if the assessment recommends a child has help with speech and language, the parents or carers will likely want the plan to be shared with the child’s school.