Early help, also known as early intervention, is support given to a family when a problem first emerges. Early help services can be delivered to parents, children or whole families, but the main focus is to improve outcomes for children.
In Milton Keynes, early help is co-ordinated by Children and Families Practices (CFP) and can involve support from different organisations such as schools, children and family centres, Health Visitors, the School Nursing Team or a GP.
Examples of early help services include:
- support from school to improve attendance
- parenting support e.g. on managing challenging behaviour
- play and activity groups
- individual mentoring for children or family members
- specialist therapy e.g. to develop speech and language, emotional or social skills
- support to improve housing or living conditions
Milton Keynes City Council has produced a leaflet that explains more about early help and how to access it, as well as a useful Directory of Early Help Services.