This page is for professionals and agencies. However, parents and families may also find this detailed information useful.

You can find information for parents and families on these pages accessing support, child protection or Child and Family Centres

Early Help means providing support as soon as a problem emerges. This can be at any point in a child’s life, from foundation through to the teenage years.

Early Help can come from universal services providing advice, information or support to a family.

Our District Early Help teams provide a targeted support service. It is a planned and structured approach in response to the family’s needs. They work with children and families from 0-19 years. If there are special education needs the age range is 0-25 years.

North Cambridgeshire

Heads of Service: Sarah Tabbitt, Targeted Support, manages the following teams:

  • March, Chatteris and Whittlesey 
  • Wisbech
  • Huntingdon and St Ives
  • St Neots, Ramsey, Sawtry and Yaxley

South Cambridgeshire

Heads of Service: Tanya Diaper, Targeted Support, manages the following teams:

  • East Cambridgeshire
  • South Cambridgeshire
  • Cambridge City

Contact

Early Help Hub

Email: early.helphub@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Tel: 01480 376 666

Disciplines within each team work together to support families meet the identified needs of a child or young person.

  • Child and Family Centres – offer groups, events, activities, courses and support for families with children aged 0-19 with a focus on the Early Years. They offer a wide range of services and support for families from pregnancy to the teenage years.
  • Family Work - working with families through one to one interventions, parenting programmes and group activities. They build confidence and develop strategies to effect change in children’s lives.
  • Young People’s Workers – working with young people, who are at risk of becoming Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET), to overcome the barriers and issues they face.
  • Senior Transition Advisors / Transition Advisors / YOS Transition Advisors - provide targeted information, advice, guidance and support to vulnerable young people at risk of becoming NEET.

All staff within the District Targeted Support  Teams receive monthly caseload supervision and an annual practice observation.

All Managers are trained Designated Child Protection Officers. All staff have access to a comprehensive workforce development offer and continuing professional development. This includes access to relevant qualifications.

Business Support assist our District Targeted Support Teams. They maintain systems and processes to a high level. This frees up staff time to undertake front line work.

The Safeguarding Service in Cambridgeshire operates within five District Teams:

  • Huntingdonshire (North)
  • Fenland (North)
  • Cambridge City (South)
  • East Cambridgeshire (South)
  • South Cambridgeshire (South)

The Heads of Services for these areas are Sam Howlett (South) and Sam Nour (North).

Each District Team comprises of an assessment team and children's teams. The service also has two adolescent teams - one in the north of the county and one in the south of the county.

A District Safeguarding Manager runs each District Team. They report to the Head of Service. The Manager is responsible for the oversight of the work within their district. Teams are made up of:

  • Team Managers
  • Senior Practitioners
  • Social Workers
  • Child Practitioners
  • Children's Information and Advice Officers

The teams work systemically to support families, children and young people to thrive. The teams in Cambridgeshire:

  • manage all new referrals to the service
  • conduct social work assessments
  • undertake child protection enquiries.

They provide short and long term interventions for children who are subject to Child In Need or Child Protection Plans. They also deliver court work in care proceedings and work with Looked After Children.

  • In February 2020, the District Teams started operating within the Family Safeguarding Model. The teams also include adult practitioners who are expert at supporting parents to address challenges with:
  • emotional health issues
  • substance or alcohol difficulties
  • domestic abuse.