What is the Graduated Pathway?
The Graduated Pathway of Early Help and Targeted Support is our early help assessment and planning process, which provides an integrated and holistic framework to support all practitioners working with children, young people and families. This applies to the whole range of needs including:
- learning and development;
- social, emotional, health (physical and mental) and / or disability; and
- wider family and environment.
The Graduated Pathway is most effective when it is mobilised by practitioners who have an existing, trusted relationship with the child, young person or family in order to intervene early and prevent problems from escalating. The model is also consistent with the requirements set out in the SEND code of practice (Jan ’15) that requires support to be made available as a continuum or cycle referred to as 'The Graduated Approach'.
The Graduated Pathway supports a whole-family approach and is based on a simple assess, plan, do, review cycle and has graduated responses which can be used as in the diagram. It is important to capture the views of children and young people, You will find some useful resources to support you with this in the ‘Graduated Pathway Tools and Templates’ section of this guidance.
A graduated approach - enabling the right level of intervention and support when needed:
