1. Early Help in Sandwell

2. Defining Early Help
Early Help a core part of the Sandwell Improvement Plan.
Delivering services at the right time and in the right way to help families help themselves to meet the needs of their children.
This definition to be used by all staff across all partners
This means working with, children and families who are below the threshold of social care, that stops problems emerging and supports families to improve their situation.

3. Four very basic principles
Our Sandwell solution
Four very basic principles
Work in neighbourhoods
Share information
Work within the planned resource base
Help families improve their daily lives
= KEEP IT SIMPLE

4. Children’s Services Prevention Model
Lead professional co-ordinating necessary support
Key Worker delivering intensive interventions
Universal services meeting needs
Social Worker managing the case
Social Care/ Statutory intervention
Early Help
Build resilience in families and de-escalate needs
Intervene early to prevent escalation of needs
Section 17 Assessment
(Children In Need)
Early Help Assessment (CAF)
‘Early Help’ refers to needs and services before statutory intervention
The entire model is designed to de-escalate and prevent escalation of need

5. Questions and Answers

6. What is a COG? A Community Operating Group is a multi agency meeting
which will:
Assist the Early Help Family Support (Tiers 1-3) by helping to resolve issues and frustrations
Ensure the right partners are engaged, the appropriate Lead Professional is identified and supported and action plans completed
Monitor performance, feed into corporate scorecard and provide data for partners
To spot purchase support and inform commissioning

7. Practical details
Seven COGs, based on the learning communities - 1 per town, 2 for West Bromwich
Meet monthly
Chaired by Senior Early Help Coordinator
Admin support from Family Services Team
Paperwork and details available electronically via Early Help Information System (eCAF)
Twelve cases per meeting/10 minutes per case

8. When to refer to a COG The family are not engaging
A new Lead Professional is required or one cannot be identified (responsible for monitoring the action plan, coordinating partners and acting as the family’s point of contact)
Needs are escalating
There are gaps in service provision
A partner is not engaging properly

9. Multi‑Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

10. Partners signed up … West Midlands Police Local Police Units 
Public Protection Units
Health
Safeguarding nurse
Adult mental health
Sandwell & W Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust – Health Visitor
Children’s Social Care
Adult’s Social Care
Public Health
Education
Housing
Probation
Youth Offending Services
Family Support Services (inc. CAF)
Domestic Violence

11. Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub
SMBC Contact Centre
Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub
Multi-Agency
Enquiry Team
SMBC Children’s Social Care
Combined high- level information sharing, early help and child in need screening, and DV screening team
Continuing to develop Multi- Agency Enquiry Team model with Police (note MAET not MAIT)
Sandwell MASH and MAET now being considered as a pilot within a regional model
Multi Agency Referral Form
Early Help Assessment
Part 1
Sandwell Early Help Services
WMP
Domestic Violence Notification
COG
Sandwell Early Help Services

12. Questions and Answers