Early help

[purpleme12]

What is an early help assessment and what does it consist of please?

Is this through a school?

If you Google ‘early help assessment’ and your county then you should find out more about it, but it’s basically access to a multi-discipline team. For us, 4-5 years ago, you had to fill out an application (ours was done via nursery) which then went to a panel to be accepted or not. Following that we got a folder of information (mostly signposting to other agencies), a SALT assessment, an appointment at the child development centre (where we got an ASD diagnosis) and regular ‘team around the family’ meetings. We had to refer to OT and a dietitian separately. It also give us access to the specialist teaching team, via the SALT. We attended sessions of a couple of different play groups and I attended the equivalent of an early bird course. None of this was done via the GP. Once he turned 5 they discharged him from early help as it was managed via his EHCP.