Early Intervention in Early Years Settings

Most children who attend early years settings will make good progress. However, some children require additional support and will need extra help to address their needs. Sometimes these needs will be long term, ongoing and may even be recognised before the child starts at their early years setting. There will also be children whose learning does not develop in line with other children of a similar age or who need support at specific times as a result of an event in their lives such as bereavement, divorce, parental unemployment, a long term hospital stay etc. The important thing as far as practitioners are concerned is to intervene early and to take action as soon as concerns arise to support the child and their family.

Definition of Early Intervention

Early intervention is about:

“intervening early and as soon as possible to tackle problems emerging for children, young people and their families or with a population most at risk of developing problems. Early intervention may occur at any point in a child or young person’s life”.

Grasping the Nettle: early intervention for children, families and communities (Executive Summary Page 2) (October 2012: Centre for Excellence and Outcomes in Children and Young People’s Services (C4EO)

In Cheshire East there are a range of people and agencies that will offer practitioners support or provide information to signpost families to services they may need.

If you are not sure what to do then Cheshire East First Contact Service may be able to help. The Family Information Service sits within this team. As well as supporting families with finding childcare FIS has access to information about a wide range of services, organisations and agencies that work with families, children and young people. They are an excellent service to signpost parents and staff for further information about anything connected with children and young people.

Information and support with, The Common Assessment Framework can also be accessed through the First Contact Team. Their experienced consultants will advise on whether a CAF should be carried out or not. This team sits alongside the Children’s Assessment Team in Children’s Social Care. They are in a prime position to talk through those borderline cases that sit between CAF and the thresholds for Social Care. Every early years setting should aim to have at least one practitioner trained in completing a CAF .

Cheshire East Family Service also offer support to families through Children’s Centres and Family Centres and hold a range of universal and targeted events for families of children aged 0-19. Every early years setting should build partnerships with their local Children’s Centre and signpost families to the services, support and facilities they offer. Further information about Cheshire East family service can be found by contacting your local childrens centre.

If you have a Cared for Child in your setting then please make links with the Early Years Consultant with responsibility for Cared for Children. The EYC works with colleagues from The Virtual School to support Cared for Children in Cheshire East.

If there are children in your setting with a Special Educational Need or Disability the Early Years Consultant with responsibility for SEN and Disability should be contacted if you have concerns or are unsure about what procedures should be followed. Again, early intervention is crucial so that needs can be addressed early and plans made for transition into school.

The SEN helpline is open on a Monday afternoon from 1.30pm-4.30pm for support and advice. Tel: 01625 374162