What we do
We work with services such as education and health to help families in the borough who have children aged between 0-19 with challenges they may be experiencing. These can range from mental health, domestic abuse, poverty, chaotic family life and related issues such as school attendance and behavioural problems.
Early Help is a consent-based service and we will work together to identify the individual need for your family and how best to support you.
We also work with schools in the borough on a number of projects, for further information about these projects please contact us for a discussion.
Making contact
You may already be in touch with our team – we work with services such as education or health.
If you feel you need extra support, or are worried about a child or young person’s welfare, please contact the Initial Consultation and Advice Team (ICAT) on 0208 753 6600 for further advice and discussion.
Our trained and professional staff will deal with your enquiries and a member of staff will meet you to discuss your situation and tell you more about how we can help you.
We work in partnership with parents and families and our first priority is always to help families to stay together wherever possible.
Can anyone get help?
We want to help as many people as possible but we have to make sure that our services go to those who need them most. Whether you qualify for a particular service will depend on your level of need.
If you need help, but don’t qualify for one of our services we will try to put you in touch with someone who can help.
If you are worried about a child’s physical or emotional welfare you can contact us. It does not matter whether the child is a relative, neighbour or even a total stranger. We are there to help wherever possible.
How do I find out more?
For more information, to ask for an assessment or to tell us if you are worried about the welfare of a child call our duty service on 020 8753 6600.
The telephone line operates from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).
If you have a concern out of hours, please contact our emergency duty team on 020 8748 8588.
What if I am not happy with the service provided?
We always try to provide a high quality service, but we recognise that there may be times when things go wrong. If you are not satisfied with a service you receive or a decision we have made, you should first speak to a member of our staff. They will take your problem seriously and will try to put things right. If you are not be satisfied with this response, you are able to make a formal complaint via the following details to our complaints team:
020 8753 2456
Strengthening relationships within families
1 to 1 or group sessions with the aim of supporting parents to understand the impact of conflict, understand better their own feelings and triggers and be able to mentalise with their children’s needs. Find out more about the strengthening relationships within families course.