Early Help Menu of Intervention

Barnet Family Services deliver Early Help across the 0-19 age-range. We operate from three locality hubs (East/Central, West & South), which enable us to be closer to where families live, and to work more closely with other community-based settings and organisations, including schools.

The core offer for support in each hub is similar however, each hub may offer different groups and services to meet local needs which can be accessed here.

Early Help Assessments

Undertaking Early Help Assessments
Act as the Lead Professional for the family and the professional network where there are three or more services
Transfer the Lead professional role to community-based professional at point of review where required

More details about Early Help Assessments

Universal Plus Family Resilience Support

A maximum of 6 sessions of youth or parenting support where there are one or two services involved without a lead professional role. More sessions may be offered if appropriate. This may also include work with the voluntary and community sector

Universal plus family resilience intervention is aimed at families where a multi-agency Early Help Assessment is not required. The referrals for Universal Plus work can be made via the online Universal Plus Form directly to the Early Help hubs.

The intervention will be a maximum of 6 sessions of one-to-one or group parenting programmes and youth intervention. Universal Plus intervention also includes requests for groups programmes such as the Wellbeing Programme, CAMHS in schools and Welfare Advice, Art Therapy Group, etc.

Universal Plus interventions will also include signposting and working with community and voluntary sector organisations.

Evidence-Based Parenting Group Programmes

Family Links, 10 weeks for parents of children aged 2-11 years
Triple P Teen, 6 weeks for parents of teens
Incredible Years, 12 weeks for parents of children aged 2.5 -10 years
Strengthening Families Strengthening communities (SFSC), 12 weeks of group work for parents of teens
Early Years Parenting Hub (EYPH) Specialist Parenting Intervention, 18 months, for parents and children aged 0-5 years
EYPH Targeted Parenting Intervention for parents and their children aged 0-5 years
Empowering Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC)
One-to-one targeted parenting and family support interventions based on specific need

Evidence-Based CODA (Children Overcoming Domestic Abuse)

Previously known as AVA (Against Violence and Abuse) Group Programmes for women and children

CODA/AVA Women’s Support Group Programme, 8 - 12 weeks
CODA/AVA children's Group Programme– 12 weeks
One-to-one targeted support interventions based on specific need
This programme is aimed at parents and children that are not currently living with domestic abuse

More details on CODA here.

Graded Care Profile

NSPCC neglect assessment tool

The GCP is and Evidenced-based assessment tool for evaluating levels of parental care. It works on a Graded scale (1-5) to capture physical and emotional care to provide practitioners with an objective way of assessing when inadequate care could put a child at risk of harm.

Parent - Child mediation

The focus of this service is to prevent family or placement breakdown. Practitioners will meet with the young person and parent/carer separately to explore their views. They will then facilitate a meeting between the young person and their parents/carers to help them explore whether a compromise or resolution can be reached. In order for mediation to take place the young person and parent/carer must be willing to take part fully in the process.

Low level parental conflict

Direct sessions with parents around low-level parental conflict around parents’ communication’s issues and the impact of parental conflict on children
These are structured sessions for parents that are together and/or separated

The Early Help practitioners will complete direct sessions with parents around low-level parental conflict around parents’ communication’s issues and the impact of parental conflict on children. This is not to be confused with parental conflict around contact issues, domestic abuse, therapy or counselling as for these issues a referral to Family Group Conference, Raphael House, Your Family Matters and Homestart Family Counselling should be considered. Or if deemed to be domestic abuse, then to Solace and/or Rise.

Barnet Integrated Clinical Services (BICS)

Mental Health Support Teams in Schools
Children Wellbeing Psychological Team
Primary Mental Health Team

Note: Please note there is a separate pathway for BICs intervention go to www.barnet.gov.uk/bics

Universal and Targeted Outreach and Group activities for under 5’s

Universal and Targeted stay and plays
Targeted language groups
Family resilience drop-in sessions
Outreach home visits with the view to deliver outreach activities

The Early Help practitioners provide a range of activities and programmes for children under 5 and their families which you can find here.

Positive activities and interventions for children and young people

Positive Activities - Holiday activities both face to face based in venues or outdoors across the borough, as well as online activities which are scheduled throughout the year with additional activities for holiday periods which can be found on www.barnetyouth.uk
The Barnet DofE Award Programme (Duke of Edinburgh Award) is overseen borough wide by the Early Help Service, for further information on the educational facilities that the Traded Service and Programme Team support with the DofE Award please go to www.barnetyouth.uk

Targeted Youth Intervention

RHI (Return Home Interviews)
Out of Court disposals
Signposting to a range of services and youth activities

Welfare Advice

This includes Benefit Advice, In Work Benefit and Better Off Calculators

The Welfare Rights Officers are based in the Hubs and provide free confidential advice to Barnet families who have children aged 0-19 (including pregnant women). This includes Benefit Advice, In Work Benefit and Better Off Calculators. Officers will hold drop-in sessions and appointments across the hub areas.

Employment Advice

Troubled Families Programme, supporting unemployed members of families with children 0 -19 to access training and employment opportunities

We can sign post families to Employment Advisors who are part of DWP staff based in the hubs who work as part of the Troubled Families Programme, supporting unemployed members of families with children 0-19 to access training and employment opportunities.

Other interventions-such as one-off workshops, or groups and pro-active pieces of signposting to other agencies

We may offer some other targeted group work, to meet particular needs of primary and secondary age children, dependent on the needs being identified by each Hub.

For example, we may receive a number of referrals around on-line safety, or young children struggling with friendship groups or keeping safe in the community.

In response to specific needs, each Hub, may offer one-off workshops or a short group-work programme.

Or we may work alongside other community-based organisations to deliver these interventions, or signpost to other more relevant agencies. Sometimes, some families/young people, may need a more pro-active approach to introduce them to another organisation who may be best able to meet their needs.

Some examples of agencies we may signpost a young person or parent to may include (this list is not exhaustive):

Access to positive activities and groupwork
Careers – BEETS
Drug and alcohol services - CGL
Sexual health services – Brook
Counselling services – BICS, KOOTH, Raphael’s House
Trusted Relationship Partners, such as Art Against Knives or GAV in relation to staying safe in the community, healthy relationships and reduced risk of criminal or sexual exploitation
Home-Start Peri-Natal, Family Coaching or Befriending services
Adult Health and Wellbeing Hub
GPs
Citizen Advice Bureau
Early Years Brokerage Team
Domestic Abuse support agencies.