1. The Request for Early Help Support Form
Support for Partner Agencies

2. Taking steps towards gaining support for young people and families
Strength based conversation
The Early Help Assessment
Help and Support Manchester
A strength based conversation that explores the five areas of life enables you and family members to identify where support is required and why
The issues you are aware of should not stop you looking to identify other areas of need.
Obtaining the voice of the child/young person reduces the risk of a chance being missed to help a child share something they are worried about.
Your initial E.H.A will provide the young person, family members and supporting agencies, with a clear understanding of what is working well, what needs to happen next and what is seen by you and family members as the agreed way forward.
For more information on completing an E.H.A please see the relevant presentation in this series of four, or visit our Early Help Practitioner web page.
manchester.gov.uk/earlyhe lppractitioner
This is a dedicated webpage designed to provide information on a range of supporting services for young people and other family members.
It is an important tool in empowering young people and families. It enables families to undertake an active role in improving their circumstances.
manchester.gov.uk/helpandsupp ortmanchester

3. Making a Request for Early Help Support
How?
Why?
When?
Access a copy of the Request for Early Help Support from our dedicated webpage for professionals;
manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppra ctitionerzone
Having previously completed an E.H.A, a significant amount of the information from your E.H.A can be copied and pasted onto the Request for Early Help Support form.
Further details of how to submit the form can be found on the form itself.
You may be struggling to engage the family with an EHA
you and family members may be struggling to identify a suitable supporting agency, or an alternate lead professional.
The young person or family may have given consent, yet struggle to engage with the agreed way forward
Specific’, ‘Measurable’, ‘Agreed’, ‘Realistic’ and ‘Timely planning, enables you to identify when further support from your local Early Help Hub may be required.
Your current E.H.A may have been ongoing for a period of time, yet no progress is being achieved and the identified areas of need remain unmet.
Don’t wait until circumstances potentially warrant a safeguarding referral.

4. The following 4 slides are extracts from the Request for Early Help Support form
These are shown to support an understanding of how your initial E.H.A can inform us at the hub and other supporting agencies.
Where additional support is required by you, a Request for Early Help Support must also be made. This will possibly be the first occasion the family circumstances become known to us in the Early Help Hubs.

5. The Early Help Hubs have been designed to assist in tackling emerging problems for children, young people and their families by providing effective advice, guidance, intervention and services. You can seek advice or guidance from or from an Early Help practitioner by telephoning the Early Help Hubs on:
North: Central: South:
Early Help Assessments should be registered by sending via to
- or -
Please complete this form to make a referral for a specialist intervention through the Early Help hubs and to:
- or -
- or -
or -
CONSENT
Professionals should have discussed the reasons for requesting Early Help targeted support with the family and sought agreement to making this request and the sharing of information with partner agencies to best identify the most appropriate services to support the family.
Date consent from the child / family was obtained:
EARLY HELP ASSESSMENT
If you are the lead professional for the child or family an Early Help Assessment should be completed prior to this request for targeted support.
Date Early Help Assessment was registered:
Please attach the Early Help Assessment to this request for support. If the Assessment has been completed within the last month please only complete details of subject child and what needs to happen section.

6. What are the views of the children and family?
WHAT’S WORKING WELL?
What existing support is in place for this child and family? What was the outcome of the early help assessment?
Are there resources (e.g. family/friends/community) being accessed or services that are being provided to address the concern?
What are the views of the children and family?
WHAT ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT?
Is there actual harm – what is causing the harm?
What are the future dangers for the child(ren) / family should this concern not be addressed?
What are the complicating factors that make the concern more difficult to deal with?
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT?
What changes do the family need to make? What do they think will help them?
What do you think would help to decrease the concern and risk to the child and their family?
What support would help the family to make the changes you have identified?
Are there any issues for worker safety that need to be considered when planning a response?

7. English not First Language
KEY ISSUES FOR CONCERN. To support in the identification of families needs please tick relevant boxes.
Key Issues for CHILD
Tick 
Key Issues for PARENT
HOUSEHOLD Issues
Alcohol Misuse
English not First Language
Domestic Abuse
Difficult to Engage
Disability
Numerous Police Call Outs
Mental/Emotional Health
Mental Health
Drug Misuse
Employment Information
Neglect
Parenting
Number of adults in the household in paid employment
Teenage Pregnancy
Physical Disability
Physical Health
Social Isolation
Number of adults on out of work benefits
Poor School Attendance
Homelessness/Housing Issue
Learning Needs
Number of adult NOT on out of work benefits but out of work
Anti-Social/criminal Behaviour
Young Carer
Work/Employment/Debt
Radicalisation /Extremism
Number of adults in training or education
Gangs
Child Sexual Exploitation
Debt, including Rent Arrears

8. Request for Early Help Support Form
The Children and Whole Family Decision Framework Level of Needs will assist professionals in identifying what service or intervention is most appropriate for the child and family.
Level of Need
Level description / response 1
Child, Young Person or families whose needs are being met, or whose needs can be met by universal services
Universal Services 2
Child, Young Person or family with additional needs that can be met by single agency providing additional support or by signposting to an additional agency – complete an early help assessment (EHA)
Early Help 3
Child, Young Person, or family who would benefit from a coordinated programme of support from more than one agency using the early Help Assessment and team around the child meeting.
Early Help / Early Help Hub 4
Child, Young Person or family who requires intensive and coordinated support for complex issues via targeted services / Early Help Hubs and where support at Level 3 has not improved outcomes – an EHA should have previously been completed.
Early Help Hub (or MASH) 5
Child or young person at risk of, or suffering significant harm, due to compromised parenting, or whose needs require acute services or care away from their home – Referral to MASH where practitioners can access specialist advice on safeguarding concerns, you must follow up the referral in writing in 48 hours.
MASH

9. What happens to your Request for Early Help Support
Allocations Meeting
Triage
Early Help Assessment Team
We may decide that due to the complex nature of the family circumstances and areas of need, that a more targeted multi agency approach is required.
Your requests will be explored by us, together with other partner agencies at our weekly, multi-agency (allocation) meeting.
If your request is discussed in this fora, we will contact you in writing or by to update you on the outcome
Where felt appropriate we will look to gather additional information from agencies who may have current or previous involvement with the family.
We will contact the parent/carer.
Based on the information shared with us, we will then decide on one of the following outcomes;
Contact you with advice and information
Allocate to our own Early Help Assessment Team.
List for case discussion at our weekly allocations meeting
We may decide that you or the family may benefit from a short period of support from one of our own Early Help Assessment Team.
The team look to provide additional support, in overcoming challenges, such as poor engagement and potential barriers to progressing the E.H.A. They can offer help with accessing support from other agencies and identifying possible alternate Lead Professionals.
If E.H.A.T become involved, the named worker will contact you.

10. To access support from your local Hub with an E. H
To access support from your local Hub with an E.H.A, you must submit a Request for Early Help Support form.  This should be in addition to your already completed/registered E.H.A. These forms are available via the following web address : manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppractitioner
In the event of any subsequent safeguarding referral, your registered E.H.A will be explored as part of a wider information gathering process.