Early help and prevention service for families

The Early Help and Prevention service in Portsmouth is a new way of doing things. We provide extra practical help to families early on to prevent problems from getting worse. We talk with families about what is most important to them, what might help, and what we can do differently to help them. We can start working with the whole family to help get things back on track.

Help is available for families with children aged 0-19.

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There’s also a page about the Early Help and Prevention service for professionals.

It will vary from family to family and depend on the type of help needed. For example, some families may need help getting children back to school and attending regularly or help finding work. Others may have family members involved in crime or with addiction problems. Some may have all of these issues and more.

We will complete an Early Help Assessment or work with the family’s existing plan on the issues identified. We will continue for up to six months to bring about the changes needed with the whole family.

The Early Help and Prevention service is about working with the whole family, not just the children or a single family member.

Each family will have a central point of contact called a Lead Professional that they can get to know. This person will help the family find solutions to difficulties and contact them to talk about things or provide practical help.

We also work with the family to develop an Early Help plan to address the problems identified and guide the needed help toward good outcomes.

We expect to work with the family for anywhere from a few weeks to six months, but this will be reviewed regularly with the Lead Professional working alongside the family.

The worker will talk with the family about their needs and develop a plan based on the identified priorities. The worker and the family will sign this plan and regularly check to ensure the right help and support is provided.

Portsmouth City Council and other groups share personal information to help families better. They use this information for research and check how well the help is working. Workers can explain more when they meet with families.

Early Help and Prevention have specialist family support workers across the city. They work directly with families, provide information, advice and guidance, strategy input and have key relationships with partners.

You can find out about more types of support using the links below:

• Managing children’s behaviour – parenting surgeries at your local family hub
• Solent Child and Families service – children’s health service
• Healthy weight – advice and guidance on eating and living healthily
• Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership – information about safeguarding children and young people
• Family Information Service – free information, advice and guidance on all aspects of family life to parents, carers and those working with Portsmouth families who have children 0-19 years
• Young carers – advice and support
• 4U Youth Group – help for young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender variant or who are questioning their gender identity or sexuality. To arrange a time to speak with the team, email LGBTYoungPeople@portsmouthcc.gov.uk with the appropriate contact details of the young person, parent or their support worker.
• Portsmouth Local Offer – help for parents and carers of disabled children and the professionals that work with them
• Let’s talk about it – sexual health advice
• Children’s Occupational Therapy assessment form – Children’s Occupational Therapists are trained to look at a child or young person in their environment and the everyday tasks they need and want to do. Requests for an assessment are accepted from families or professionals where children have a permanent or substantial disability or significant difficulties impacting on their participation in activities of daily living (everyday tasks).