Melanie Lawson (Executive Headteacher) [email protected]

Ladywood Primary School works to provide Early Help to families in the school community. We provide support through school and have some support from the Early Help Advisory Team.

We aim to provide Early Help services supporting in both the home and the school setting.

As part of our Early Help offer, the school uses the Thrive Approach and currently have 3 members of staff who are practitioners. These offer support for children suffering from anxiety and other issues affecting their well-being.

Early Help services aim to both provide advice and/or intervene where there is evidence of emerging needs with the objective of preventing escalation to higher level services.

Early Help

Our primary aim is to identify needs early and to make sure that appropriate support is put into place. ALL staff recognise their role in ensuring safeguarding practices to ALL children at ALL times.

We believe that information sharing and timely effective support can ensure that ALL children and families get a good start in life.

Families need support from a wide range of agencies. We recognise that other agencies will be able to support families based on their specialised work. Therefore, our role is often to signpost families to the resources that will best support their needs.

If you have any concerns about your child, or another child at Ladywood, please email us at: [email protected]

How will we know when Early Help is needed?

• Staff have daily contact with children and their families throughout term time. All staff recognise their role in identifying needs of vulnerable children and their families need for Early Help.
• Staff are clear that acting on hearsay is not appropriate. All staff will advise ‘concerned others’ to report their safeguarding concerns to Starting Point (the county’s single point access for safeguarding referrals).
  

However, all reports of concern are logged on the school reporting system called ‘myconcern’ The Designated Safeguarding Leads monitor the entries logged on ‘myconcern’.

• Where appropriate staff will assess the needs of a family and this may identify that an Early Help assessment is required.  
• The Headteacher and staff monitor attendance in school.  
• They are active in their role to ensure that families recognise the importance of their children attending school regularly.  

Where there are immediate Safeguarding concerns, it will be taken to Starting Point following consultation with the Designated Safeguarding Leads in school.

Early Help Interventions

• At Ladywood, we have a Family Support Worker who provides support for children and families. Should you wish to contact her, her email address is [email protected] 
• Over the school holidays the email address [email protected] will be monitored and we will offer support, or sign post you to the most appropriate advice and support.
• Our school website contains information for families actively seeking advice and support.
• In some circumstances, a home visit may be appropriate.

What sort of service or help might happen?

It will depend on what you need and might include services you already get. We will agree it with you and make sure it all joins up. Here are a few examples.

Recording, Reporting and Referrals

Based on the needs of each family, staff will coordinate the support of the appropriate services. Where appropriate TAF (Team Around the Family) meetings are arranged to monitor the work of all the agencies involved.

Joint working arrangements with partner agencies, such as school health, CAMHS (Child and adolescent mental health service) and with the PCSOs (police community support officer), are already in place and information is shared through meetings, email and telephone communications.

The Headteacher (DSL – Designated Safeguarding Lead) has case management responsibility. She identifies needs based on the safeguarding thresholds e.g. low level, emerging, complex/serious (Section 17) or Child Protection concerns (Section 47).

Where emerging needs are identified the DSCB (Derbyshire Safeguarding Children’s Board) approved Early Help Assessment Form will be used and will be reviewed under the single plan format, with reference to the safety and wellbeing grid.

A current recording system, ‘myconcern’ is available online for staff to record information and concerns and chronologies are closely monitored – identifying patterns/ frequency of concerns and the actions that have been taken.

If a vulnerable child moves school, we will ensure that information is shared with the receiving school. Depending on the level of safeguarding need, it may be appropriate to hold a meeting telephone conversation.

Where there has been no improvement to the welfare of the child, and there are escalating concerns around the safety and wellbeing of a child, staff will step up the Early Help Assessment to Starting Point. The Welfare Officer and the Headteacher meet regularly to discuss the children and families and the progress that is being made. 

Beyond Early Help

Following a review of a family’s needs, or at a time of crisis, it will be appropriate to escalate the support a family requires. At the stage where early intervention attempts have not been successful and a social worker becomes involved we will continue to support children and families. Ongoing communication with all services involved continue to be essential.

The Headteacher or representative will be available to represent the school at Case Conference or Child in Need Reviews, and will provide reports when required.

PLEASE NOTE: Over the school holidays, signposting for other early help support is available on our school website. 

If you are concerned about the safety of a child or you require urgent help or advice, Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190.

Quality Assurances

The best quality assurance will be received from the families receiving the support.  

The school community is committed to the welfare and safety of children and as such, are relentless in questioning the support families are receiving.  

Ladywood Primary School Governing Body actively challenge the Senior Leadership Team at termly Governors’ meeting regarding safety and welfare of all the pupils. Governors are involved in the annual safeguarding audit, meet with the Designated Senior Leads for Safeguarding and Attendance.

Resources used are recommended by the Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board.

The school networks with other school-based family resource workers and pastoral staff and keeps up-to-date with developments in safeguarding families including attending DCC Safeguarding briefings and training.