1. The Early Help Assessment Journey
The Early Help Assessment Journey. (part 2) How to Complete and Register an Early Help Assessment
Support for OUR Early Help
Partner Agencies.
©Manchester City Council

2. Recording a families shared information onto an E. H
Recording a families shared information onto an E.H.A form : Key Points
The outcome of your “Strength Based Conversation” should be recorded on your (initially registered) electronic copy of the E.H.A form.
The family should be provided with a copy of the initial/registered E.H.A and at any point during the E.H.A journey do let the family know they can request an updated copy. The lead professional should always hold the up to date copy.
The E.H.A is not your case record/file. It is a shared record and reference point for the family, as well as any agency contributing to meeting identified needs in the family.
It needs to be recorded in Plain English
Use bullet points instead of lengthy paragraphs.
Record any brief direct statements from parents and young people.

3. Recording explicit consent on the E.H.A Form
Please make sure that parents/carers have a clear understanding as to why an Early Help Assessment is the best approach to meet the identified needs
Please make Sure that parents/carers have a clear understanding of what exactly they are agreeing to, prior to obtaining their signature. You can gain a signature on a printed version of your completed E.H.A and keep this secure with any other paper records held by your agency. Register your electronic copy but state in this box where the paper copy is kept.
Please provide your details as other agencies may wish to contact you as and when the E.H.A or other information is shared with them. Please note the agreement for professionals.

4. Completing the Form; continued
Electronic versions of the form allow for additional information to be added (such as Key Adults) as each text box expands.
Having a good overview of the make up of the household enables you and other supporting agencies to plan with these people and associated potential responsibilities in mind.
A Multi Agency approach begins with knowing who is involved and how you and other potential supporting agencies can contact them, if needed.

5. Recording the outcome of your Strength based Conversation.
The following two slides highlight what information is key to a good E.H.A and how to record that information on this section of the form.

6. Remember each text box expands
What could be better and why?
Think about what’s important to you and your family
This is where we record your worries & our worries.
Everyone deserves to be happy: what could be better?
What’s working well?
This is where you record the good stuff!
What makes you happy?
Think about what you’re good at; your successes.
Who makes up your support networks?
Score
1 - 10
What needs to happen? The Plan.
What’s important for you and your family?
What would make you happy?
What are your goals? Actions needs to be set to help you and your family achieve them.
Use the E.H.A form to record the outcomes (resulting in an E.H.A) of your initial Strength Based Conversation.
The outcomes from all subsequent Team Around the Family (multiagency) meetings can be recorded on the same electronic form.
You will then always be in a position to share (where required) an up to date copy of the Early Help Journey, with parents, young person (where appropriate), or other professionals if needed.
Home: Initial meeting with mum and
P. MAN (Teacher) ( )
“The Kids could do with having separate rooms as they are always arguing”. (mum)
“I want my own room. I shouldn’t have to share” (child a)
Initial meeting with mum and
P. Man (Teacher) ( )
“I like the area I live in” (mum)
“All my bills utility are paid on direct debit, so I don’t
owe them anything “
“My mums a good cook and makes my lunch”
(child a)
Initial meeting with mum and
P. Man (Teacher) ( )
Mum has agreed to register on Manchester move by the end of this week.
A. Practitioner to meet with mum and child (b), next Monday at School to talk about room sharing and other areas of life.
Mum 6
Child (a) 4
T.A.F meeting ( ) with mum and P. Man and J. Lo (Health Visitor)
T.A.F meeting ( ) with mum and P. Man and J. Lo (Health Visitor)
T.A.F meeting ( ) with mum and P. Man and J. Lo (Health Visitor)
Remember each text box expands

7. against 1 of the five areas of Life. The Plan should be Specific
What could be better and why?
Think about what’s important to you and your family
This is where we record your worries & our worries.
Everyone deserves to be happy: what could be better?
What’s working well?
This is where you record the good stuff!
What makes you happy?
Think about what you’re good at; your successes.
Who makes up your support networks?
Score
1 - 10
What needs to happen? The Plan.
What’s important for you and your family?
What would make you happy?
What are your goals? Actions needs to be set to help you and your family achieve them.
Home
Work
School/College
Social/Community
Health and Wellbeing
Parents and carers can provide an initial report on how a child feels about certain aspects of life.
The Plan should reflect how and when the voice of the child is to be obtained and by who. The voice of the child should be recorded on the same E.H.A.
Professionals should reflect back to parents and young people any strengths they/you have identified as a result of conversation. The strengths should be recorded
against 1 of the five areas of
Life.
The Plan should be
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
We should always look to record information electronically and in bullet points, so the recorded information is easy to read and can be quickly reviewed.
The name of the person undertaking an identified task should be recorded.
Any agreed tasks should have an agreed time frame/date. This will help when deciding when your next meeting should be held.
Recording key statements made by the parent or young person evidences their inclusion in the E.H journey.

8. Registering an E.H.A. Safeguarding Preventing Duplication
At any point in time the Local Authority Contact Centre may receive a Multi Agency Safeguarding Referral, in connection with a family being supported by you via an E.H.A.
The information contained on a registered E.H.A will be explored to see who the lead professional is and what planning/actions were agreed at the point of registration.
This information will assist the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub information gathering and response Process.
Preventing Duplication
Improving Quality
Professionals can check with the relevant District Early Help Hub, to see if an E.H.A and Team Around The family meeting is ongoing. Prevent yourself from duplicating work.
With a parents consent you may explore a previous E.H.A that has been closed. This may provide you with historical context/ information that evidences things that have previously worked well.
Registered E.H.A’s provide us with an opportunity to work with you and agency managers, to identify areas for development with the form itself.
As part of our ongoing development programme we explore registered E.H.A’s to contribute to the wider picture of training we may be able to provide to agencies.

9. Registering an E.H.A Please send us your completed initial E.H.A
Via to:
You will receive an ed acknowledgement of your E.H.A registration.
You will be provided with a Unique Reference Number for the E.H.A registered.
You will be prompted to register for a Free, Secure data sharing, Egress account.
By using Egress accounts we are working together to keep families information safe.

10. Ending of an E.H.A Journey
With the support from agencies working together, many families successfully end their E.H.A journeys.
Helping families to bring about improvements in areas of their lives, whilst keeping young people centre to all planning, can be a journey of empowerment for all family members.
When you complete and return the Closure Section of the E.H.A we;
Gain the views/feelings of families about the positives of their journey.
Ensure records regarding open and closed E.H.A’s are accurate.
Gain information regarding any potential areas for increased service provision.
Please send you full completed E.H.A (including outcome of T.A.F meetings) to us securely at:

11. Additional Support for Ongoing E.H.A’s
Help and Support Manchester
Access information on a wealth of supporting agencies/services. This web page can be recommended to families in order for them to explore potential support in areas that they feel things could be better: manchester.gov.uk/helpandsupportmanchester.
All of our resources, for those supporting families via an E.H.A, can be accessed via this web page:
manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppractitioner
You may be struggling to
Engage a family with an E.H.A
Identify a suitable supporting agency
Have an E.H.A open for more than six months without any improvements.
Please send us a copy of your registered E.H.A with a completed Request for Early Help Support Form. Return details can be found on the form itself. Access a copy of the form via
manchester.gov.uk/earlyhelppractitioner

12. The Early Help Assessment Journey
The Early Help Assessment Journey. (part 2) How to Complete and Register an Early Help Assessment
Support for OUR Early Help
Partner Agencies.
©Manchester City Council