Can families choose whether to have an early help assessment?

Yes. Early help assessments are voluntary. This means that parents or carers do not have to agree to have an assessment. Remember, early help aims to prevent problems getting worse. So, early help services may prevent the child and family’s needs escalating. They may help prevent the need for children’s services to become involved.

If a parent or carer feels that they do not want an early help assessment it may be a good idea for them to:

• Take time to think about any worries they have about the assessment
• Note down their worries and any questions
• Speak to the person who is suggesting the assessment (or another practitioner) about these
• Ask for further information about the assessment process
• Ask for further information about what may happen after the assessment.

If a parent or carer does not agree to an assessment, the practitioner who suggested it may:

• Become more worried
• Become concerned that the family and child will not get the help they need
• Worry that the child and family may struggle, and things may get worse
• Make a referral to children’s services about their concerns.

See our Children’s services page for more information about the different ways children’s services can become involved with children and their families.