All children and families in Dudley can access services such as health and education, we call these Universal Services. However, some will need extra support in order to be healthy, safe and to achieve their potential.

Early Help is about children, young people and families getting the right help at the right time, to prevent issues from getting worse.

We want all our children and young people, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), to achieve the best possible outcomes and to receive the support they need - when they need it most. Provision of early help support can be at all stages of a child's life; during pregnancy, childhood or adolescence. Early Help support could come from one service or a few different types of services, including a targeted service.

What is Early Help?

Early Help is taking action early to provide support where problems are emerging for children, young people and their families. Early help support may be provided at any point in a child or young person’s life. The sooner the family receives the support, the sooner they are able to improve their situation and prevent the need for prolonged support.

Early Help is here to find out what is working well for families and what areas they might be worried about; it can help to build on families’ strengths and identify any needs where support might be needed. It is an approach that brings people together from different teams and services who work together with the whole family. The main focus is to improve outcomes for children.

Who do I ask for help?