Worcestershire Children First Supporting Families

Early Help means providing help and support to a child, young person or their family as soon as it is identified they need additional help and support. This could be at any point in a child or young person’s life for example in pregnancy right the way through to their eighteenth birthday. This can be help and support on more than one occasion as we know children’s needs change as they grow and develop, there are challenges in their communities and their family circumstances and situations can change too.

In Worcestershire, we know that by us all working together we can help families access the right help and support at the right time. At the earliest opportunity, Worcestershire Children First can support children and young people to meet their full potential and try to stop the challenges or difficulties that they are facing from escalating for them and their family. Please see below for further information:

Virtual Family Hub | Worcestershire County Council

This service is delivered by Worcestershire Children First company directly to families permanently living here in Worcestershire who have children aged 0 to 18 years old and need help and support specifically from a Family Support Worker. We are part of a wide range of early help services across Worcestershire for children and young people aged 0 to18 years old.

Here2Help:

If you need help with paying your household bills, need advice about managing your debt or finances, emotional support or getting back into work please contact Here2Help on 01905 768053 then press option 3. The Here2Help opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9.00am to 5.00pm and Friday 9.00am to 4.30pm. Here is a link to a directory of the services that are available:

SearchForHelp (worcestershire.gov.uk)

At Crabbs Cross Academy, our Early Help support is provided by our Family Support Worker, Tabatha Kenny who works closely with families to offer guidance, signposting and practical support.

In addition, Early Help assessments and WEST (Worcestershire Early Support Team) referrals are coordinated by Sal Dunstan and Kim Power, who ensure families are connected with the right services at the right time. Together, the team works proactively with parents and carers to identify emerging needs early and to provide tailored support that helps children thrive both at home and in school.