Last updated by Stephanie.Rosser@essex.gov.uk on Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Early Help Drop-In
More timely Early Help advice - Practitioners are now actively encouraged to attend any of the four Early Help Drop-Ins across the four quadrants, the panels will remain quadrant based but will welcome callers from all areas.
Clearer advice – After each drop-in, callers will receive an anonymised Early Help Plan for each family summarising the issues raised, and the suggestions made by the panel.
Enhanced advice & guidance for Requests for Support
Many of you may have received a call from a Team Around the Family Support Officer (TAFSO) in response to a Request for Support you have submitted. Rather than an email summarising the conversation you have with the TAFSO, you will now receive an Early Help Plan. As a 12 month pilot, Family Solutions will also be creating and supporting with Early Help Plans for families where their triage does not identify a role for their level 3 service. Please ensure that you include accurate contact details for yourself when submitting a Request for Support.
TAFSO response to demand
From 1st April 2024 there are more TAFSOs in Essex than there has ever been thanks to funding from Supporting Families, the Violence & Vulnerability Unit and DWP. TAFSO demand continues to be challenging with many of you experiencing significant delay before TAFSO support is available. TAFSOs will therefore be actively encouraging Lead Practitioners to hold virtual Team Around the Family meetings which could be more timely and more accessible for both the family and other practitioners.
We do hope that this additional development of Early Help Plans will support both practitioners and families in Essex. These plans will be followed up at three months and six months by whoever has drafted the Plan with you, to discuss progress for the family.
For any queries regarding the above information please do not hesitate to contact either
alison.duguid@essex.gov.uk or harriet.pickering@essex.gov.uk