WEBINAR: Early Help Skills Session (Strengths and Needs) Ref: 0923

The Early Help Skills Session (Strengths and Needs) is designed for all professionals, including voluntary/charity sectors, to learn about what Early Help is, why it is so important and how to use the Early help tools in Oxfordshire. Early Help is simply the collection of all services available in Oxfordshire and how we work with families in a co-ordinated way when there are additional or complex needs. The Strengths and Needs ensures children and families needs are identified as soon as they emerge so that they can be responded to in a co-ordinated way.   Early Help is legislated by Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018, therefore the skills session supports attendees to develop confidence in using Early Help tools and to have conversations

Target audience:

This training is designed for any professional/practitioner from both children and adult services, including the community and voluntary sector. The course is specifically designed to increase confidence, skills and knowledge in supporting families at an early stage to ensure co-ordinated support is offered to children/families.

Aims:

• To help professionals/practitioners identify emerging concerns for children and families, and to understand why Early Help is important
• To support understanding of their role in Early help and give time to practice using the tools in place to undertake Early Help in Oxfordshire

Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Recognise when 'Early Help’ is required and be familiar with completing the process including the use of the Strengths & Needs Form
• Understand where to find all the tools that support Early Help, feel more confident in the use of these including the Prompt Sheet Guide to aid conversations
• Be confident to start conversations with families when concerns first emerge and gain tools to do so
• Understand how to implement a 'Team Around the Family' (TAF) plan and the benefits of doing so with the family and other professionals
• Ensure the 'Child's Voice' is at the centre
• Understand the role of the 'Lead Professional'
• Be familiar with the 'Oxfordshire's Threshold of Needs' document and be able to use this to understand levels of concerns and recognise when to use this to support referrals
• Be confident about how to access support from the 'Locality and Support Service (LCSS)

This is an OSCB training course delivered by the LCSS and partner agencies including Early Years, Health visitors, education staff and other health professionals.