Early Help Assessment

Early Help is the response made when a professional identifies unmet needs with a child/family and works with other agencies to meet those needs. At this level of need an Early Help Assessment - Signs of Well-being and Success (EHA) should be completed with the child and family to identify, what is working well, what the worries are and what wellbeing and success would look like?  A clear plan will be developed by the agencies with the family that is SMART and is focused on what success will look like for the child/ren.

Any professional from a service that supports families can initiate an Early Help Assessment (EHA) - Signs of Well-being and Success (EHA) (DOC 45KB) and can it be carried out with any child or young person from pre-birth up to age 19 (up to the age of 25 if the young person has a learning difficulty or disability).

The completion of an Early Help Assessment would trigger a response from different agencies.  A date should be set for a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting, in order to identify a coordinator, agree the plan and which agency would work to achieve each of the wellbeing goals.

Once agreed with the family:

For all Early Help forms, guidance and information including:

  • Early Help Assessment - Signs of Well-being and Success and Supporting Documents - including Early Help On-line forms
  • Early Help Guidance - Including Leaflets A message for Parents/Carers and A message Children/Young People
  • Early Help and Family Support Panels
  • SEND in the Early Help Process
  • Early Help Quality Assurance
  • Early Help Training
  • Early Help Team including Early Help Consultancy 
  • Wczesne Dokumentacja / Early Help Documents
  • وثائق المساعدة المبكرة / Early Help Documents
  • Early Help Strategy

Please use the CSCP website - Professionals - Early Help page: 

Dedicated Early Help consultation, advice and guidance: 

Telephone number - 03003 033 896  Email: early.help@cumbria.gov.uk