Early Help
Early Help at Cloughside College
At Cloughside College, we understand the importance of identifying emerging needs as early as possible. Early Help is about offering timely and preventative support to children, young people and their families, before challenges become more difficult to manage and wellbeing is affected.
If any member of our team feels that you or your child may benefit from early intervention our Safeguarding Lead (or Deputy) may contact you to discuss the support available. With your consent, this could lead to a Team Around the School (TAS) meeting.
A TAS meeting involves one of our safeguarding leads working in partnership with community agencies who may be already involved with your family. Together, we’ll explore the best ways to support you and your child.
As part of this process, we may complete a ‘Story So Far’—a tool used by agencies to gather a rounded picture of your current circumstances. This helps us to work with you to develop a shared plan of support that is right for your family.
Following this, if ongoing support is needed, you may be invited to take part in Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings. These meetings are held approximately every 6 to 12 weeks and involve a multi-agency team working together with you to monitor progress and adjust support as needed.
Examples of areas where Early Help may be offered include:
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or long-term health conditions
- Mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Behaviour in or outside of school
- Poor school attendance
- Risk of exploitation or radicalisation
- Home challenges such as unhealthy relationships, domestic abuse, substance misuse, or mental health issues
- Being a young carer or young parent
- Private fostering arrangements
- Financial or housing difficulties
Early Help can be accessed at any stage of a child’s life—from pre-birth through to early adulthood. The support offered will be tailored to your specific situation and may come from a range of local services.
All agencies in Bury, including Cloughside College, can offer Early Help to children and families.
If you would like to find out more, please speak to a member of our Safeguarding Team, or contact your Locality Team on 0161 253 5200 / 5077 to speak to an Early Help Social Worker.