Early Help and Support (EHaS)
Early Help and Support is a voluntary service that can provide support to help you support your child and to receive the right support at an early stage before the needs increase, which can be more difficult to help you with.
The service is provided through an allocated coordinator who will support you by listening to your views and the views of your child, write the Assessment and coordinate all the services identified in the Plan to help.
The coordinator brings together a group of people who have the skills, knowledge and specialisms that can help your child overcome any difficulties they are experiencing at home, in school, or in the community.
We use a family centred approach that builds on the things that you are already doing well. We involve children and adults, from start to finish, in the child’s journey to becoming successful and happy.
When to request support from Early Help and Support
Support can be requested when you identify a combination of problems that require support.
If your child:
- Is struggling to cope at home, at school or in the community
- Is struggling with learning and/or attending school or nursery
- Is not meeting developmental milestones
- Has issues with poor health, self-care, well-being or emotional difficulties, or bereavement
- Has caring responsibilities
- Has behaviour or anger issues which is impacting on day-to-day activities and family life.
If you:
- Are worried about your child's behaviour
- Are having difficulties with family relationships
- Are struggling to cope
- Are worried about your family's finances
- Are having difficulties with your own physical health, mental health, self-care, disability, learning difficulties, or parenting and know that these difficulties are having an effect on your child
How to make a referral to Early Help and Support
There are two ways a referral can be made to Early Help and Support:
- You can request a referral to be made by discussing with your child’s teacher, nursery staff, health visitor, GP or another professional you trust who will meet with you to complete the referral and submit to the Early Help and Support Team
- You can contact the Early Help and Support team to discuss making a self-referral. An appointment will be made with a Coordinator to complete the referral at a home visit. Contact details can be found overleaf
You will be asked to provide written consent for the referral information to be shared with the professionals involved with supporting your family. You can withdraw consent at any time if you no longer wish to proceed with support.
What happens next
After the referral is received, a coordinator will arrange a home visit with you; will visit your child to help gather their views; collate information from professionals already involved with your family to help complete a Strengths and Needs Assessment and help identify who needs to be involved to attend a Planning meeting.
The coordinator will organise a Planning meeting and invite you and your child (where appropriate) along with relevant people to agree how they will contribute to the plan of support.
Help and support will then be provided as identified in the plan of support.
Two Review meetings, 6 to 7 weeks apart, will also be arranged to review the support plan and see whether the hoped-for changes have occurred, look at Outcomes and any additional support or next steps.
What rights parents/carers have in this process
- To be treated with respect
- To have your views listened to and taken into consideration when decisions are made
- To be kept informed and involved (where this does not place a child at risk)
- To have your racial, religious and cultural background and that of your child considered
Get in touch with EHaS
Early Help and Support (EHaS)
Manx Care
2nd Floor, Murray House
Mount Havelock
Douglas
Isle of Man
IM1 2SF
EHAS Team: +44 1624 686179
Self-referrals enquiries: +44 1624 686091
