Early Help Offer
What is Early Help?
At Harper Green School, we understand that every family may need a little extra support from time to time. Whether you have concerns about your child's education, emotional wellbeing, attendance, behaviour, health or family circumstances, we are here to help.
Early Help is available for all children and young people up to the age of 18. It is a voluntary process that brings together the right people, with the right support, at the right time to help children and families overcome challenges before they become more serious.
How We Can Help
Our experienced pastoral and safeguarding teams offer a range of support within school, including:
- One-to-one pastoral support
- Small group pastoral interventions
- Advice and guidance for parents and carers
- Support for students experiencing difficulties with school attendance
- Access to an experienced school counsellor
- Working with families to identify concerns and develop strategies that help children thrive
Additional Support
Sometimes families may benefit from support from other services. Where appropriate, we can work with external agencies to ensure families receive the help they need.
Support may include:
- Behaviour support
- Attendance support
- Health services
- Family support
- Drug and alcohol services
- Bereavement support
- Emotional wellbeing support
- Parenting support
What is an Early Help Assessment?
If additional support is needed, an Early Help Assessment may be recommended. This is a collaborative process completed with your consent and is designed to build a clear picture of your family's circumstances.
The assessment helps to:
- Identify your family's strengths and what is already working well
- Understand any areas where additional support may be helpful
- Create a coordinated plan involving the right professionals
- Reduce the need for families to repeat their story to different services
How Does the Process Work?
The process begins with a conversation with one of our Early Help Practitioners. This is usually your child's Pastoral Coordinator, although another member of the Safeguarding Team may also carry out the assessment.
If everyone agrees that Early Help would be beneficial, an assessment and support plan will be completed together. The plan will identify agreed actions, who will provide support and when progress will be reviewed.
What Happens Next?
With your permission, professionals involved in supporting your family will work together and share relevant information to ensure you receive coordinated support. Your personal information remains protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and will only be shared where appropriate and with your consent, unless there is a safeguarding concern that requires information to be shared.
A Lead Professional will coordinate your support plan and arrange regular review meetings to monitor progress. Once the agreed outcomes have been achieved, the Early Help plan can be closed. If further support is needed, the plan will continue until everyone agrees the right outcomes have been reached.
Contact Us
If you would like to find out more about our Early Help Offer or discuss any concerns, please contact your child's Pastoral Coordinator.
- Year 7 – Mrs Gaskell - HallK@harpergreen.net
- Year 8 – Mr Gaunt - GauntC@harpergreen.net
- Year 9 – Mrs Burt - burth@harpergreen.net
- Year 10 – Miss Rhodes - rhodess@harpergreen.net
- Year 11 – Miss Leader - leaders@harpergreen.net
You can also access support through your local Family Hub, library or community centre.