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First Contact Service

The First Contact Service is the ‘front door’ into the Cheshire East Family Service ( CEFS ), and provides information, advice and guidance about services available to young people, parents and practitioners. 

First Contact also offers practical support and guidance to practitioners who need help with Common Assessment Frameworks ( CAF ) or Lead Professional processes and with assessing and managing interventions for children and young people with complex needs.

Where there are concerns about the safety of a child or young person, enquirers will be transferred directly through to the Children’s Assessment Team ( CAT ) in Children’s Social Care.

Cheshire East Family Service (CEFS)

CEFS has been set up to ensure children and young people with additional needs receive the right help at the right time. CEFS will deliver a range of evidence based interventions to children and young people aged 0-19 on a locality basis. Services include Family Support and help with parenting, and Family Service Workers will be available to work especially with families with targeted and complex needs, and will undertake the role of Lead Professional using Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) where appropriate. Further services will be developed within our four localities in consultation with partner agencies as well as young people and parents. Introductory Briefing Number 1 (PDF, 112KB) and Introductory Briefing Number 2 (PDF, 158KB) about Cheshire East Family Service is available to read here. 

In order to help make sure children and young people receive the right services at the right time, and in line with the establishment of CEFS , new pathways have been developed into CEFS and Children’s Social Care.   One Minute Guides have been designed to give more information about Cheshire East Family Service (PDF, 63KB) and First Contact (PDF, 63KB).  There is also a new form to request services from Cheshire East Family Service (CEFS) (MS Word, 505KB)

Below you can find some leaflets that explain the work of CEFS in more detail:

Children and Families Resource Directory

Our Directory of services aims to help you to access information and advice about services relevant to you and your family.

Common Assessment Framework (CAF)

Sometimes for one reason or another a family cannot resolve some of their problems and need extra help and support. The sooner these problems can be identified the better it is and this is where the Common Assessment Framework ( CAF ) can help. The CAF is a way of working that is designed to help you at these times - it can make problems easier to understand and quicker to solve.

Family Information Service (FIS)FIS Logo

FIS is a free, impartial one-stop-shop service for parents/carers and young people aged 0–19, providing accurate and detailed information on services in Cheshire East, regionally and nationally. From childcare to tax credits to guidance on bullying, the Family Information Service can assist for all manner of queries, big or small.

Contacts

First Contact Service
0300 123 5033
firstcontact@cheshireeast.gov.uk

Cheshire East Council  Telephone: 0300 123 55 00
Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach, CW11 1HZ
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