Our Early Help Offer

What is Early Help?

Early Help means providing help for young children, young people and families as soon as problems start to emerge or where it is likely that issues will impact negatively on children’s outcomes. Early Help can be provided at any stage in a child or young person’s life.

There are many reasons why Early Help is sometimes needed. Getting the right information and support at the right time ensures that support is focused and tailored to need.

Early Help is vital as evidence shows that it ensures better outcomes for children.

What can we offer?

At Springfield we pride ourselves on our inclusive ethos and focus on helping every child to achieve the best outcomes possible in all aspects of life. Early Help is a term that describes much of the everyday work at Springfield where we offer the following:

• Inclusion and Family Support Leader (Mrs Twigg)
• Inclusion Team staff who are fully trained and accredited to deliver a range of interventions including Positive Play, Lego Therapy and Nurture
• Inclusion Team staff who are fully trained and accredited to deliver – Incredible Years parenting course
• Liaison with other schools, agencies, and professionals to deliver tailored courses and support including the Henry programme and support for parents and carers of SEND pupils
• Signposting to a wide variety of external agencies
• Close liaison and relationships with local community services (health, police, social care, MAT transition team, WISH, housing etc.)
• Referrals to external agencies for children requiring additional support. This can include support with learning, behaviour, social and emotional needs, metal health, physical health, and wellbeing
• Support for families with food bank vouchers or Fare Share food parcels as well as provision of uniform
• A progressive PSHE curriculum which supports children and helps them to develop key skills not on for school, but for life
• A safe environment in which children can express any concerns to the adults in the school as well as a clear whole school focus on a wide range of topics including online safety, bullying, and road safety

Mrs Twigg is available via appointment for any advice about concerns you may have about your child or personal circumstances. Some of the things she may be able to help you with include support regarding your child’s behaviour; getting your child to school on time and good attendance; signposting to services and agencies to support your family; help with change such as divorce, separation or bereavement; any anxieties or worries you or your child may have.

To make an appointment to see Mrs Twigg please contact the school office on 01283 217855 or via email at info@springfield.derbyshire.sch.uk

Don’t forget that class teachers and TAs are also available to address any initial concerns you may have and can be contacted via the office.

Alternatively, you may catch them on the playground at the end of the day.

Where the school’s Early Help is not successful, escalation to outside agencies may be required. This will be discussed with you as a parent except in cases where a child is considered to be at immediate risk of harm. All inter-agency cases are kept under constant review with consideration to a referral to social care for assessment for statutory services if a child’s situation does not appear to be improving or is getting worse.

If any child is in immediate danger, it is the responsibility of EVERY adult to respond to this. If you are concerned that a child is suffering or is at risk of significant harm, please contact Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190 -immediately