The Early Help Transformation Team promotes supports and coordinates Early Help for families across Medway. This is provided through regular communications and events, group multi agency training, one to one work with Early Help Leads across all agencies and advice through our help desk. The team also manages Medway’s response to the Troubled Families Programme.

Early Help incorporates prevention and intervention. It is all of the work that is carried out below the thresholds for specialist care and treatment for children, young people and families with additional needs. It is not undertaken by one team but is delivered by many services across all agencies working with families in Medway. Early Help is everyone’s responsibility.

An Early Help Lead works closely with the child and family undertaking a whole family Early Help Assessment (EHA) to ensure all needs are identified, an outcomes based plan is developed and that the family receive all the support they require in a sequenced way and at the right time for the family. The lead is the one constant point of contact for the family.

Early Help can transform children’s and families’ lives by identifying and resolving difficulties before they escalate into a potentially unmanageable situation; and gives them the resilience they need to thrive without professional support.

The Early Help Transformation team can offer support on these Early Help Assessments, training and supporting Early Help Leads in how to complete the assessments and reviews, developing plans and coordinating interventions. In exceptional circumstances, offering contact details of other agencies who may be able to strengthen your assessment, as well as answering any questions you may have about the team, the forms or the process, including leading on assessments.

For more information about this team please contact the Early Help Transformation Team’s Help Desk on 01634 338 746 or via email at ehtt@medway.gov.uk

The useful downloads section on this page are the Early Help Strategy, Ten things about Early Helps in Medway, the Early Help Workflow and the Guidance Notes which explains the workflow and how to get the right support for families. The tools to support early help leads can be found at www.medway.gov.uk/docs/Tool%20Kit.docx