Contact Advice and Assessment Services

01635 503090

Our story

The Early Response Hub launched in November 2019 as part of the Contact Advice and Assessment Service. The Hub recognised that often families
are in need of support but do not require a social worker. We also recognised that it is more effective for families to involve them in the support plan and to speak to families directly about the difficulties they have.

Referrals to CAAS

Referrals are made to the Hub via the Contact, Advice and Assessment Service (CAAS) on 01635 503090. If a referral is made about your children and your family does not require a social worker but you do need some support, the Early Response Hub will contact you to discuss the concerns and explore a support plan.

The Early Response Hub only works with families who want a service and therefore when we first contact you, you will be asked for your agreement to work with you to create a support plan which will include speaking to other professionals in the Hub.

What We Offer

We offer advice and interventions to work with
you to create a support plan to help to address the difficulty or difficulties that you are experiencing. for families in receipt of a support plan, the Hub will complete a follow up check, three months after a support plan has been agreed, to ensure the support plan was implemented and ensure that this support is sufficient or consider any additional services which may be required

Emotional Health Academy worker

The Emotional Health Academy (EHA) worker offers advice and support to families who have a child or young person who is struggling with their emotional wellbeing. They can offer advice directly to families and also advice to other professionals working with families who are experiencing this difficulty.

Disabled Children’s Team

The Disabled Children’s Team representative in the Hub offers advice on families who may require a statutory service from West Berkshire’s Children with Disabilities Services.

Home-Start

The Home-Start Resilient Families worker in the Hub offers support to families with a child between the ages of 3-7 who are struggling with their mental health, physical health, isolation, bereavement and many other issues. Advice may be by telephone or in person via a home visit.

Swings and Smiles

Swings & Smiles is a charity that provides support, friendship and play opportunities for children with special needs and disabilities and their families, this includes specialist sibling support and wellbeing groups for parents.

Our Service

Our aim is to support parents / adults in parenting roles, when you are in need of support and are struggling to manage. Your difficulties could
be a wide range of different things but as the Early Response Hub has a range of different professionals, with different skills and specialisms, it is well equipped to support you with the issue you are struggling with.

Recording

It is important you are aware that we record a brief summary of our work together on the Local Authority records of the child / children you care for.

Family Support Worker

The family support worker offers parenting advice and also advice about more specific difficulties such as private law disputes, accessing food banks and other community services. This advice may be by telephone or in person via a home visit.

Useful Resources

www.cafcass.gov.uk — information for separated parents

www.gingerbread.org.uk — charity for single parent families

www.capuk.org — debt advice charity

Early Response Hub Intervention Worker

The Early Response Hub Intervention Worker in the Hub offers support with issues such as:

• Children or Young People on the Edge of Care l Families at risk of Breakdown
• Parental Substance Misuse
• Parental Mental Health concerns
• Domestic Abuse
• Children and Young People at risk of, or subject to, exploitation
• Children or Young People who have gone missing from care or home

Self-Help Resources

l West Berkshire Directory and Local Offer ‘ Your one-stop shop for help and support

in West Berkshire’

https://directory.westberks.gov.uk/kb5/ westberkshire/directory/home.page

Young Carers

The Young Carers Project Worker within the Hub assesses children and young people who may
be Young Carers for a relative or member of their household. The Young Carers Project runs weekly youth groups as well as school holiday activities to enable Young Carers to have a break from their caring responsibilities.

Early Years and Family Hubs

Our Early Years and Family Hubs worker is the link between Children’s Services, early years settings and family hubs. They are able to liaise with
these settings and advise on the services/groups running from these settings.

Education Safeguarding

Our Education Safeguarding officer is the link between Children’s Services and education settings and can use this link to help to inform support plans for families within the Hub.

Interventions

We offer a range of interventions and the types of problems we can help address are:

• Difficulties between separated parents
• Parental conflict
• Difficulties in managing children’s behaviour l Difficulties with housing
• Difficulties with finances
• General parenting struggles
• Children experiencing emotional difficulties
• Concerns about children’s use of social media
• or online habits
• Concerns about children/young people becoming involved in substance misuse
• Difficulties with your teenager