Decision details
Early Help Strategy
Decision Maker: Cabinet
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: Yes
Purpose:
To approve the early help strategy 2016-18
Decision:
THAT:
(a) The early help strategy 2016-18 (appendix 1) be approved
Reasons for the decision:
The early help strategy will play a key role in securing outcomes set out in
Herefordshire’s children and young people’s plan 2015-2018 and contribute to
meeting the expected commitments to the troubled families (families first)
programme; and contribute to delivery of Herefordshire’s health and wellbeing
strategy.
The development of the children and young people’s partnership’s early help strategy
is at a time of increased financial pressures on all agencies and organisations,
including early year’s settings, schools, colleges, NHS, public and mental health
services, police as well as the council. At the same time there is an increased
pressure on resources, with higher numbers entering health and social care services.
Herefordshire has experienced comparatively high numbers of MASH and child
protection referrals and the number of looked after children are at comparatively high
level against statistical neighbours. Whilst the local authority and partners do not set
activity by statistical comparisons they do point to potentially different ways of
meeting needs. There are significant cost pressures, with capped budgets, that need
to be absorbed. The early help strategy provides a vehicle to maximise the council’s
and partner’s work and resources to meet need in a more preventative way. It also
recognises that there are strengths and services within local communities than can
play a strong and effective part in supporting families. The council has been clear that it is families and communities who bring up children, and this proposed approach will build on that theme.
Alternative options considered:
The alternative option to the proposed early help strategy is to continue with the
current arrangements. However this is not recommended as it does not maximise or
coordinate early help in Herefordshire, and has contributed to a higher than
necessary number of referrals through the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
Many of these are inappropriate to be dealt with at the agreed Herefordshire
Safeguarding Children’s Board’s level 4, threshold of need. Herefordshire has
experienced higher comparative levels of child protection referrals and increased
numbers of looked after children. The current system is ‘overheated’ resulting in extra
activity, a greater level of intrusive work with parents and families than is ideally
required, and higher costs to partners and the council. There is a need to build on
current early help activity and provide a clearer approach across Herefordshire that
will improve effectiveness to ensure where appropriate, children and families access
support at an earlier stage of need; and contribute to reducing pressure on the
statutory child protection system.
In considering alternative solutions to this issue, the provision of early help is a
nationally recognised, cost effective use of resources and an appropriate way to
organise and manage the delivery of services. Whilst there are a number of national
models, the proposed strategy aims to develop service and budget arrangements that best suit Herefordshire, to focus the early help service arrangements in communities across the county and maximise the collective approach in all agencies.
Reason Key: Strategic nature / impact on communities;
Publication date: 21/10/2016
Date of decision: 20/10/2016
Effective from: 26/10/2016
Accompanying Documents: