What is early help?

What is early help?

'Early help' describes any service that supports children and families as soon as issues emerge.

Some examples of what early help services could include:

• parenting support
• play and activity groups
• emotional health and wellbeing support
• communication and language support

Early help is also known as 'early intervention'. We look at the different services which are available to support families. Working with a child and their family to address their needs early can reduce worries and highlight what is working well. 

We want families to know that it is always OK to ask for help.

Who is early help for?

There are early help services for parents, children or whole families. All early help is voluntary, and families do not have to participate if they don't want to.

Early help could provide support at any stage in a child or young person's life. Some are more likely to need this support than others, such as:

• children in or leaving care
• children with disabilities
• young parents
• families facing abuse and conflict
• low-income families
• children and families can access early help services in their local area. These may be at schools, health centres or through charities and voluntary organisations.

Early help can make the most difference when family support is provided before problems escalate. 

The purpose of early help is to identify and resolve problems early, rather than respond when families are in crisis. Ensuring that families have the right support at the right time is essential.

Early help has many positive social, health, and behavioural outcomes for children and families.

All agencies that work with children, young people and families are responsible for listening to families' concerns and worries, and for working closely with families to ensure they get the right support at the right time.

Examples of early help might look like:

• you could be worried about your own or your child's health, development, or
• behaviour, or how things are going at school or nursery.
• you could be caring for others, or maybe you've had a bereavement in the family, and it's made life a real challenge.
• it may be that you're worried about money or housing and how it's affecting your family.
• maybe you or your family are affected by domestic abuse, mental health, drugs, alcohol or crime

Additional help and guidance

An early help guide for families (pdf format, 1MB) is available from the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership.

They also provide general advice, guidance, forms and tools.