Early Help and the Neighbourhood Offer
What Early Help Is
Helping families early and providing support at the right time can reduce the likelihood of problems escalating, and improve long term outcomes for children, young people, and their families. This enables families to move on from difficulty and lead happier and healthier lives.
Working with a child and their family to address their needs early can reduce risk factors (the worries) and increase protective factors (what is working well). Protective factors can reduce risk to a child's wellbeing and includes:
- Developing strong social and emotional skills
- Having a strong social support network for the family
- Support for good parental mental health
- Having good income support, access to benefits and advice
- Having access to good community services and facilities
Please click the button below to read the full Early Help Strategy.
Our Vision
Most of our children and families grow up in a supportive environment that enables them to have the best start in life without the input of specialist services. When this is not the case, children and families may need some extra support at different times in their life.
Providing early help to children and families is a priority for Tameside Council and its partners. Together we are committed to ensuring children and families get the right help and support at the earliest opportunity.
In supporting this vision, we have set out a number of long term outcomes that will enable us to achieve our commitment:
- Children will have the best start in life
- Families will know how to access services and information
- Our targeted and universal offer will be right and families will be able to access it
- Families will raise and achieve their aspirations for employment, education and training
- Families will manage their health and prevent illness
- Families will be confident and self-reliant.
Neighbourhoods
The Neighbourhoods are:
- North - Ashton
- South - Hyde, Hattersley and Longdendale
- East - Stalybridge, Mossley and Dukinfield
- West - Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw.
Our Tameside Families Together Family Intervention Workers, Early Years Workers, Early Help Assessment Advisors, and the Neighbourhood Co-Ordinators all work in neighbourhoods.
Children's Social Care, Health Visitors, and School Nurses have now aligned their staff to neighbourhood areas, and although at present they are largely centrally based, it is anticipated that where possible, they will co-locate in the future.
Our commissioned services Inspire, Homestart, and Action Together are also aligned where possible by neighbourhoods.
Targeted Family Support
As part of the commitment from TMBC, the Tameside Families Together service has been fully embedded within TMBC Children's services. This ensured additional resources could be provided, and a wider range and number of families could be worked with.
Children and families are identified through the referrals to the Early Help Access Point/Early Help Panel.
The Troubled Families Programme has been an integral part of our ambitious Early Help service offer, and is one of several programmes and interventions that are embedded in our holistic Successful Family centred approach.
What to do if you are Worried about a Child
If the situation is immediately dangerous for the child then ring 999 and ask for the Police.
If you think a child is being abused, mistreated, or you have concerns about a child's wellbeing, please contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub.
During office hours, please contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub on: 0161 342 4101.
Office Hours
Monday to Wednesday: 8.30am - 5pm
Thursday: 8.30am - 4.30pm
Friday: 8.30am - 4pm
