Early Support for families with children with additional needs Jo Sharman Early Support Development Officer

What is Early Support? Government’s way of improving services for children with additional needs and their families Offers an approach which promotes; –Partnership working with families –Services working together, joint planning and shared decision making –Flexible key working support for families A range of resources and information

Who is Early Support for? Early Support is for families with a disabled child and the services which they access. These children will be identified in the early years of their life and require support from a number of different agencies into adulthood.

Early Support is an approach which is relevant to all services who work with families with a child with additional needs: Voluntary organisations Acute Hospital, primary care and other community clinical settings Child Development Centres Mainstream Early Years settings Children's Centres A range of specialist support agencies, including Portage home visiting

Early Support in Cambridgeshire Elements of Early Support have been delivered locally since 2008 A review initiated in 2011 engaged with parents, voluntary and community organisations together with all agencies working with children and families with disabilities from health, local authority and education. Outcomes of the review –Strategic group established to oversee Early Support delivery –New Service Specification developed - sign up and commitment from all partners, with pooled budgets between NHS and CCC –Development Officer appointed –Operational group set up to develop best practice in the implementation and delivery of the service specification –Re-launch of Early Support Autumn 2012

Early Support in Cambridgeshire Core offer of services: A care co-ordination process which will work across agencies in partnership with families using the Family Service Plan (a tool for joined up assessment and planning) A single point of contact for families and practitioners to co-ordinate services and information An “Our Family File“ to reduce repeatedly telling your story and information in a format that families will find user friendly A named key worker; not the person who does everything but they are the person who makes sure everything gets done Team Around the Family meetings to avoid duplicating meetings and ensure families are supported and included.

Jo Sharman