Information for parents and families can be found on our accessing support for your family or child protection or local offer pages. This page is aimed at professionals and agencies.
Safeguarding and our Integrated Front Door
If there is a child or young person at risk of significant harm (safeguarding issues), you should make a referral through the Integrated front door.
Early Help Assessments
The Early Help Assessment (EHA) is a holistic assessment of a family’s strengths and needs. It assists when there are concerns around progress and additional support may be required. It should be used at the earliest opportunity to identify a plan to support the family and prevent needs escalating.
The EHA should:
- Include all the children and young people in the household
- Consider the strengths and needs of the family
- Be completed with the family and only with their consent
- Give the family a voice
- Always be shared with the family once completed
Support from Targeted Support teams can only be accessed via a completed EHA.
EHAs that do not give a holistic view of a family’s needs may be returned to the EHA initiator to add the required missing information. There is a range of support available for professionals completing EHAs:
- Completing good quality EHAs training – This training is available on a rolling basis. To check for availability please speak to your Early Help Support Officer or visit https://forms.office.com/e/b6sQkLU56H
- Early Help Support Officers - Can support with all aspects of the Early Help Process. They provide support, advice, and guidance on Early Help Assessments, Team Around the Family Meetings and Closures. EarlyHelpSupportOfficer@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Early Help Assessment - Liquidlogic
External professionals can establish whether a family has an existing Early Help Assessment within the Early Help Module (EHM) of Liquidlogic. If there is not an existing Early Help Assessment, you can complete one within Liquidlogic.
If you are a professional looking to make a referral for a family or have trouble accessing Liquidlogic, please visit Liquidlogic for further information on where to go for support.
It is the expectation that Early Help Assessments are completed within Liquidlogic (EHM). There may be some rare circumstances where it is not possible to complete the EHA within Liquidlogic (EHM). In this situation, please contact the Early Help Hub or Early Help Support Officers for further advice EarlyHelpSupportOfficer@Cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Early Help Hub
Telephone: 01480 376666 (office hours)
Email: early.helphub@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Useful links when completing an Early Help Assessment
- Early Help Privacy Notice
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Safeguarding Children Partnership Board website, tools for professionals (a range of tools including those covering abuse, neglect and exploitation)
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Partnership online resources
- Cambridgeshire Children's Services Procedures Manual, including substance misuse screening tool
Other services and resources:
Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
- Early Support for disabled children aged 0-5 and their families
- The Local Offer for children and young people with disabilities or special educational needs
Parenting
- Evidence based parenting programmes
- Child and Family Centres
- Pinpoint for information, support and involvement for SEND parent carers
Youth support
- Centre 33 provides free and confidential support and information for young people
- Transition Advisers provide information, advice, guidance and support to vulnerable young people
Children and young people's mental health
- Emotional health and wellbeing practitioners
- Kooth free, safe and anonymous online counselling for young people
- Keep Your Head local mental health support website
- YOUnited | CPFT NHS Trust
