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Family Help

What is Family Help?

  • Family Help brings together targeted early help, child in need and wider support services
  • Children and families can receive coordinated support from one team
  • Families experience fewer changes of worker
  • Services work more closely together

Helping families get the right support at the right time 

Family Help is Gloucestershire's way of supporting children, young people and families when they need extra help. 

Family Help brings services together so families can get support from the right people at the right time. It helps make support simpler, easier to understand and more joined up.  

We want children and families to: 

  • Get help earlier 
  • Tell their story fewer times 
  • Build strong relationships with people who support them 
  • Have support that focuses on their strengths 
  • Receive joined-up help from different services working together  

Helping families get the right support at the right time 

Family Help is Gloucestershire's way of supporting children, young people and families when they need extra help. 

Family Help brings services together so families can get support from the right people at the right time. It helps make support simpler, easier to understand and more joined up.  

We want children and families to: 

  • Get help earlier 
  • Tell their story fewer times 
  • Build strong relationships with people who support them 
  • Have support that focuses on their strengths 
  • Receive joined-up help from different services working together  

How Family Help works

A Family Help worker will work with your family to understand:

  • What is going well
  • What worries you have
  • What support may help
  • Who is important in your family's life

Together, you will make a plan that focuses on what matters most to your family.

Family Help may involve support from:

  • Family Help workers
  • Children's centres
  • Schools and colleges
  • Health services
  • Housing services
  • Employment and training services
  • Mental health services
  • Community groups and local organisations

What has changed?

  • Introduction of Family Help teams 
  • A new Family Help assessment form and plan
  • Greater multi-agency working

New Family Help teams 

Targeted Early Help, Child in Need services and specialist support now work more closely together through Family Help teams. This means families can get more joined-up support.  

New Earliest Support Plan

The Earliest Support Plan replaces My Plan and My Plan+. 

It helps families, schools and professionals work together to identify needs early and agree the right support.  

More professionals working together 

Family Help teams work closely with education, health, police, probation, domestic abuse services and community organisations to make sure children and families get the help they need.  

New Family Help teams 

Targeted Early Help, Child in Need services and specialist support now work more closely together through Family Help teams. This means families can get more joined-up support.  

New Earliest Support Plan

The Earliest Support Plan replaces My Plan and My Plan+. 

It helps families, schools and professionals work together to identify needs early and agree the right support.  

More professionals working together 

Family Help teams work closely with education, health, police, probation, domestic abuse services and community organisations to make sure children and families get the help they need.  

What will not change?

  • Safeguarding referral pathways remain unchanged
  • Front Door for Children remains the route for support requests 
  • Child protection thresholds remain unchanged

Some things stay the same. 

Referral routes stay the same 

If you are worried about a child or need support, you should still contact the Front Door for Children.

Child protection remains the same 

Children who may be at risk of serious harm will still receive child protection support and safeguarding action when needed.  

Families stay at the centre 

Children, young people and families remain at the heart of every decision. Your views, strengths and goals continue to shape the support you receive. 

Some things stay the same. 

Referral routes stay the same 

If you are worried about a child or need support, you should still contact the Front Door for Children.

Child protection remains the same 

Children who may be at risk of serious harm will still receive child protection support and safeguarding action when needed.  

Families stay at the centre 

Children, young people and families remain at the heart of every decision. Your views, strengths and goals continue to shape the support you receive.