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Early Help

Early Help outcomes framework, a one-minute guide

6 Key themes

All Local Authorities have been asked to update and refresh their outcome plans to meet the new supporting families 10 headline themes.

We are therefore making changes to our Early Help Assessment and Plan & Review in the Right for Children system and this document will be updated as part of those changes 24/03/23

Crime/ASB

Indicator

  • Committed ASB /offence in last 12 months
  • Subject to probation or community order, suspended sentence or pre-court disposal
  • Household with higher than average police call outs
  • Involved with prevention services

Outcome

  • Reduction in young persons offending 33% over last 6 months
  • Reduction in adults offending 60% over last 12 months
  • No ASB or escalation over last 6 months
  • No breach of order in last 12 months or over length of order
  • 50% reduction in police call out in past 6 months

Education and attainment

Indicator

  • Attendance is below 90%
  • Permanently excluded or 3+ fixed term exclusion in 3 terms
  • Identified as missing in education
  • Not in education, employment and training
  • SEND

Outcome

  • Unauthorised absence is less than 10% over 3 terms
  • Where a child whose attendance was less than 40% has improved attendance by 50%
  • No permanent or >3 fixed term exclusions over 3 terms
  • Engaged in continuous education training or employment 3 terms/12 months

Specific support needed

Indicator

  • EHA/CP/CIN/
    Intervention, 2 or more MASH enquiries
  • Referred to Young Carers
  • Referred to Children Centre for targeted support
  • Homeless young person
  • Step Down to Early Help

Outcome

  • Is not identified as CIN, or subject to a CP Plan, or where an Early Help assessment has been closed, is not reopened or initiated within 6 months
  • An improvement in outcomes evidenced through and EHA/Family Star or recognised ‘distance travelled’ tool
  • Step Down to universal services

Work / Finances

Indicator

  • Claiming out of work benefits
  • At risk of NEET/ Homelessness /Eviction
  • Unmanageable debt
  • Claiming universal credit with work related requirements attached

Outcome

  • Adult in work or in education or training sustained for 13 or 26 weeks dependent on requirement
  • Not claiming Universal Credit. Have moved into ‘working enough’, ‘light touch’ groups. Claim closed due to earnings maintained
  • Suitable housing for 6 months
  • Debt managed for 6 months

Being safe

Indicator

  • Children/Adult experienced or perpetuated domestic abuse
  • Missing person
  • Risk of CSE
  • Has been subject to MASH enquiries, single assessment, CIN, CP planning, due to experiencing DVA

Outcome

  • No reported Domestic Abuse incidents/ Sexual Violence/Abuse or Honour based abuse in past 6 months
  • No missing episodes
  • Reduction in CSE risk over 6 months
  • An improvement in outcomes evidenced through an EHA/ Family Star, or recognised ‘distance travelled’ tool

Physical and mental health

Indicator

  • Adult or young person requires mental health or substance/alcohol misuse support
  • Physical health problems that require support
  • At risk of deliberately harming his/her self
  • Malnourished, under or very overweight

Outcome

  • Leaves substance/alcohol misuse programme having met treatment goals
  • No return to treatment
  • An improvement in outcomes evidenced through an EHA/ Family Star or recognised ‘distance travelled’ tool

Our Early Help offer is underpinned by the 6 Key themes that take a whole family approach to support:

1. Parents or children are involved in crime or anti-social behaviour. Crime and ASB
2. Children not attending school regularly or are being excluded. Education and Attainment
3. Children who need help (Vulnerable Children). Specific Support Needed
4. At least one adult is out of work, young people are at risk of unemployment, and families are experiencing financial disadvantage. Work /Finances
5. There is domestic violence and abuse, risk of CSE or missing children and young people. Being Safe
6. Individuals have a range of health problems, physical or mental health. Physical and Mental Health

Improving outcomes for families can enable Devon to access additional funding through payment by results claims (PBR) this funds the targeted services which provide support to families. To enable a potential claim a family needs to meet at least 2 out of the 6 key themes, which could increase as further needs is uncovered during the journey of support. The Right for Children recording system, Early Help tools, Assessment and Plan/Review, should be used, and are designed to support families to receive co-ordinated multi-agency support to improve and sustain outcomes. We need to evidence successful outcomes for all members of a family and these need to be sustained. Where worklessness in a family is a presenting issue a payment by results claim can be made where there is evidence that an adult family member has returned to employment for an expected period or is no longer in receipt of out of work benefits. Other presenting need should still be supported to improve outcomes for a family.

Families must also have:
1. An Assessment that in some way takes into account the needs of the whole family;
2. An Action Plan that takes account of all (relevant) family members;
3. There is a Lead Worker that is recognised by the family and other professionals involved with the family;
4. The objectives in the family action plan are aligned to those in the area’s Troubled Families Outcomes Plan (Devon Early Help Outcomes Plan).

So what does this mean for you, the practitioner?

Think – Whole family
Think – The 6 key themes 
Think – Right for Children assessment and plan 
Think – Lead Practitioner 
Think – Significant and sustained engagement/ Outcomes 

Further information on  the Devon Early Help system, offer, Early Help leaflet for families and the full Devon Early Help outcomes framework can be found at the Devon Safeguarding Children Partnership website, under Early Help:

https://www.dcfp.org.uk/early-help/early-help-information-for-workers/

If you are concerned that a child is being abused, or to request support, you can:

Call 0345 155 1071

Complete the request for support online form

If it’s an emergency call 999


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