Guide
Early help resource pack
‘Early help’ covers a broad range of services and support that are brought in before any formal interventions to help children, young people and families achieve good outcomes. This resource pack is designed to help all councillors to better understand their own local offer and how they can look at the role of evidence in developing and improving early help services.
Resource pack
This resource pack for elected members with responsibilities relating to early help has been produced by the Local Government Association (LGA), with contributions from EIF.
Early help can be for everyone – such as children’s centre services and health visiting – or more targeted at those at risk of poor outcomes, such as parenting support or help with speech and language. As budgets have tightened, councils have had to make difficult decisions about how to use their funds to support children and families.
This pack looks at early help, early intervention and the role of evidence in commissioning effective services and support, and summarises key pieces of related legislation and government programmes. It also provides councillors with a set of important questions to ask in order to understand and shape provision in their area, and signposts to additional resources on implementation and evaluation.