1. The Early Help Assessment Journey
The Early Help Assessment Journey. How to Undertake a Strength Based Conversation
Support for OUR Early Help
Partner Agencies.

2. What makes the Early Help conversation different from other conversations?
Key Principals of the Strength based conversation:
Explore more than just the issue being presented by the parent/carer, young person, or yourself. Look to achieve a genuine holistic family assessment.
Identify what family members feel are the most important issue to them. Your priority may not be their priority. Although any issues professionals wish to highlight should be explored.
Identify what is working well for family members Anything that can be described as working well can be viewed as being a strength. Something to build on for the future.
The conversation looks to create a genuine open and honest, joint working relationship/understanding between professionals and families.

3. Why we should undertake a Strength Based Conversation
The information shared during this conversation enables families and professionals to jointly achieve a truly holistic assessment.. This in turn results in the improved quality and direction of your informed response.
When presented with a single area of need, the Strength Based Conversation process, has on occasion resulted in professionals submitting Multi Agency safeguarding referrals. Having A better understanding of the wider picture is Safeguarding in practice.
The Strength Based Conversation is an important aspect of the Manchester's Signs of Safety approach, to supporting families. This approach is being adopted across Manchester.

4. What should trigger the need for a Strength Based conversation.
Parents/carers and young people come into contact with professionals on a regular basis
We can present as approachable and easy to speak with. This can often lead to family members requesting information or advice on a wide range of issues. Not just your specialist area.
There are times when we as professionals become worried about a young person or parent/carer, due to what we see as a presenting or an emerging issue.
Our professional worries for families can include poor home conditions, potential homelessness, poor school attendance, challenging behaviour, poor health, Family struggling financially and many other issue presenting issues.

5. When should we be undertaking a Strength Based Conversation
Sorry Harry there is no escaping it. A quality Strength Based Conversation is one where those involved, have made the time for a proper conversation. This will invariably require you to meet or arrange to meet with a parent/carer for at least 1hr.
The process of working in partnership begins here. You know your constraints. Try and explore with the parent, what things may impact on them being able to attend this or future meetings with you. Be clear that the purpose of the meeting, is to see if there is any support the family may benefit from. The reason for the meeting being a presenting issue they have raised or one you wish to raise.

6. How to begin the conversation
We each have our own style, when communicating with family members. You may
already be confident at discussing potentially sensitive issues with families. The following are some suggestions to consider when undertaking a Strength Based Conversation.
Starting a conversation. (Impromptu or Pre arranged meetings)
The parent / carer may raise an issue they need help with.
Asking “how things are for other family members” or at home in general is a means to broaden the conversation.
Letting a person know you would like to make sure “they are getting all the support they may need”, also helps when exploring areas like Health, Finances etc.
Be open and transparent - Explain why you feel the family “may possibly benefit from support”. This involves you explaining any worries you may have.
When explaining your worries give the individual a clear opportunity to air any worries they or other members of the family may have.

7. How to progress the conversation
Exploring the Five Areas of Family Life.
Home Life
Are there any issues around rent repairs, bills?
Things at home may be going well and can be reflected back and recorded as being a strength
Health and Wellbeing
How are you. Do you have a G.P and dentist
If not registered with a G.P, we would view this as an issue of concern and clear need.
Work Training
Would you like some support to get into work
Support from extended family members is a strength that may support future appointments etc.
Social Community
Do you have help from family members.
Establishing a parents/carers view will establish a starting point on moving issues forward.
School and College
How do you feel things are going for your child
Childcare, benefits, and work life balance are just some of the issues that may arise.

8. Responding to Identified needs
Informing the level and type of your agency response
Based on the information shared with you.
You are now better placed to decide if the Family require:
What's Working well?
Being able to record those things that are going well, will clearly evidence where no further support is required in a given area of life. This also provides evidence of a potential base/source of support with identified needs in other areas of life.
What could be better and why?
Will clearly evidence for you, parents and young people if there are multiple needs that could potentially be supported via an Early Help Assessment.
Advice or single agency referral/ response
Coordinated Multi agency support via
An Early Help Assessment.
Multi Agency Safeguarding Referral

9. Recording the Conversation
The outcome of a Strength Based Conversation, will best inform any future decision making and agreed actions. The details of the conversation should be:
Recorded
Before you begin, let the individual know you will be making a written record of the main points from the conversation. Explain that it will help both parties remember what has been said or agreed.
Brief and Relevant
Take notes in the form of bullet points. This will make things simpler, if following the conversation, you agree to undertake an Early Help Assessment. You just transfer your bullet points to the E.H.A form.
Agreed
Ensure parties share a common understanding of what has been said and agreed. Take the time to reflect back to the individual any significant points, during and by summarising at the end of your conversation.
Shared
As and when appropriate gain explicit consent, to share your recorded information.

10. When in the Early Help journey do I need to obtain consent?
Example:
Levels of Need: 1 and 2 (Multi Agency Needs and Response Framework)
When you provide information or signpost a parent/carer or a young person to universally available services?
Appropriate Response:
Levels of Need: 1 and 2
Ensure verbally, that the parent/carer or young person is clear as to what actions you have, or will be undertaking.
Example:
Level of Need: 3 and 4 (Multi Agency Needs and Response Framework)
Where a young person or family would benefit from a coordinated programme of support from more than one agency using the Early Help Assessment.
Appropriate Response:
Level of Need: 3 and 4
Explain how the Early Help Assessment process works. Explain that if felt needed the information recorded on the E.H.A form, will only be shared with other agencies, who will potentially be able to provide support and that these agencies will keep the information safe.
All circumstances that are assessed as being level 5 should be responded to, in keeping with your agencies safeguarding referral process. Whilst consent is preferable the act of obtaining consent should not delay a referral being submitted, or potentially increase the risk of harm to a child or vulnerable adult.

11. Young People and the Strength Based Conversation.
Any strength based conversation with young people (under the age of 18) should be undertaken with the parents/carers prior knowledge.
The outcome of this conversation is more commonly known as obtaining “the voice of the child” and is shared with the parent, unless doing so would potentially place the young person at risk of harm. If so please consult your Safeguarding guidance.
Manchester City Council provide a range of resources to support practitioners in undertaking a Strength Based Conversation with young people of various ages. For further information on these resources and other aspects of the Early Help Journey please visit our web page Early Help Practitioner Zone: manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppractitioner

12. Engaging young people and obtaining their views/voice
There are a number of resources designed to support workers in obtaining the voice/views of young people
Details on the use of these and a range of additional resources can be accessed via the Early Help Practitioner Zone web page: manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppractitioner

13. Key points to remember
The Strength Based Conversation is the starting point of the Early Help Journey.
The outcome of the conversation enables professionals to provide an informed response to the outcome of the holistic assessment process.
At the start of the E.H.A journey ask individuals to give a score as to “how they feel” (on a scale of 1 to 10) about the five areas of life. This is recorded on the E.H.A form. By revisiting this during future meetings those present gain a clear picture of how things are progressing.

14. Key themes to remember.
The Strength based conversation is a technique that should be used throughout the Early Help Assessment Journey. Each Team Around the Family/child meeting is an opportunity to gain a common understanding of What is working well? What could be better and why? What needs to happen next?
Engaging parents/carers and young people in the conversation enables us to gain a more informed overview of circumstances and improves our ability to provide an appropriate level of response.
The most affective method of addressing presenting issues and worries is to gain a better understanding of the wider circumstances.

15. The Early Help Assessment Journey
The Early Help Assessment Journey. How to Undertake a Strength Based Conversation.
Support for OUR Early Help
Partner Agencies.