Early Support

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Preschool children playing in classroom.

The Early Support Pathway aims to improve the delivery of services for children with a disability or significant and complex additional needs and their families.

The Early Support Pathway follows a child and family centred approach which aims to get the best possible outcomes for both children and families in Cambridgeshire. 

What is the Early Support Pathway?

The Early Support Pathway is a multi-disciplinary approach to meeting the individual needs of children who have a disability or significant and complex additional needs. Specialist Services who are part of the Early Support Pathway include Paediatricians, Speech and Language Therapists, Specialist Teachers, Specialist Practitioners, Health Visitors, Physiotherapists and Child and Family Centre Managers. 

Early Support in Cambridgeshire uses the Think Family approach to support children and their families. This approach ensures there is: 

  • one thorough family assessment using the Early Help Assessment 

  • one family support plan, which is developed and reviewed by parents and professionals together at multi-agency Team Around the Family meetings. This enables services to co-ordinate support and avoids duplication 

  • one lead professional; chosen by the family. This can be any professional working with the child. The Lead Professional provides a first point of contact for the family and supports the planning and coordination of services. 

Who is the Early Support Pathway for?

The Early Support pathway is for children from birth until the end of Reception year at primary school, who have, or may have, a disability or significant and complex additional needs, and who will require ongoing specialist support from across education, health, and care.

This includes children who have sensory, learning, or physical difficulties, great difficulty communicating, and/or who have complex health needs. All children on the Early Support Pathway will need additional support with many aspects of their daily lives and it is probable that there will be a lifelong impact on their development and learning.

Please note that children in Reception will still be considered for Early Support until 1 May that academic year, from this point the School Aged pathway will be more appropriate. 

How are children referred to the Early Support Pathway?

In partnership with parents/carers, early years settings, health professionals, schools and other services can initiate an Early Help Assessment (EHA). The Early Help Assessment is initially reviewed by the Early Help Hub and is then sent to the Early Support Coordinators to process.  

Early Help Assessments are then reviewed by a multi-agency panel to determine the best next steps for your child. This could involve referrals to the Community Paediatric Team, Speech and Language Therapy Team, SEND Service 0-25, support from a Family Worker or other agencies. You will get a letter informing you whether your child has been accepted to the pathway or not and what the next steps are for you and your child.

What is the role of the Early Support team?

The Early Support team in Cambridgeshire can be contacted by parents and professionals; they support the administration of Early Support and assist Lead Professionals by: 

  • coordinating referrals to Early Support from practitioners such as health workers, early years settings or schools 

  • coordinating assessment, planning, and sharing of information for children on the Early Support Pathway and their family 

  • signposting parents and professionals to available services, support, information, and Early Support resources 

  • supporting arrangements for Team Around the Family meetings 

  • supporting transition planning such as from and into health, Early Years settings, entry to school or to other areas and services. 

What happens when my child joins the Early Support Pathway?

The Early Support Team will make referrals to the services determined by the multi-agency panel, and you will receive a letter confirming this.

Who will the Lead Professional Be?  

The person completing the Early Help Assessment with the parents/carers is known as the Lead Professional, until the first Team Around the Family meeting. At any Team Around the Family Meeting the Lead Professional can be changed to be a professional of the family’s choice. This is usually the professional the family see most frequently and as such is often a representative of the Early Years Setting the child attends. 

What is a Team around the Family (TAF)?  

This is a term used to describe the group of professionals, volunteers and members of the wider family who are involved in supporting the child and family. The Team Around the Family could just be the Lead Professional and the family.  

What Services might Support My child?

Early Support brings together a number of different services to provide a joined up approach to supporting your child’s needs.

SEND Service 0-25

SEND Service 0-25 supports children with significant and complex additional needs and their families. SEND Service 0-25 consists of specialist teachers and practitioners, educational psychologists, and sensory support services.  

If your child is part of Early Support, the SEND Service 0-25 team may be involved as part of the support offered. If your child does not attend an Early Years setting or only attends for a few hours they may be offered a place at a Support for Learning group, which usually takes place at a Child and Family Centre. If your child attends an Early Years setting a specialist teacher or practitioner may visit the setting to offer support and advice.  

If your child has social communication difficulties, you may be offered a place on one of our Social Communication, Interaction and Learning Skills (SCILS) courses. These seven-week courses for parents are run by SEND specialists and cover topics including understanding communication difficulties, developing communication skills, understanding play, using visuals and behaviour. You can find details of courses in the local offer directory. 

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy 

Speech and Language Therapists are employed by the NHS and are based in clinics as well as working in education settings. They work with children to assess their speech, language and communication difficulties. Parents can take their preschool children to an Early Advice session, which is a video consultation enabling you to discuss your concerns with a Speech and Language Therapist. They will advise you on next steps for your child during the appointment.  

Children’s Occupational Therapy 

Children’s Occupational Therapists and Therapy Assistants see children at home, in school or in a clinic setting and work across both health and social care. Their role is to help children and young people participate in normal everyday activities such as play, participation in school/nursery and manage personal care. They can also give advice on how to adapt environments in order to help make them safe and accessible. They can also provide advice on how to manage sensory needs. You can obtain advice from them on their helpline 0300 029 5050 (Option 3).  

Community Paediatric Team

Community Paediatricians will help you understand your child’s needs and will work with you to reach a conclusion that best describes your child’s challenges and strengths. This will enable your family, as well as health, education and social care services to best understand and support your child’s needs. Community Paediatricians may also refer your child to other health teams if they feel it is appropriate for their needs.

Child and Family Centres

Child and Family Centres may be able to offer you groups or activities to attend with your child, including groups specifically designed to support children with SEND. They may be able to support you to manage difficult behaviours your child has through individual advice or group-based sessions.

How do I find out more?

Please contact the Early Support team for more information, help and support.  

General email: early.support@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Early Support FAQs

Do I have to wait for a diagnosis for my child to receive help?

The Early Support Pathway is needs led rather than diagnosis led. This means that support will be provided for your child and family based on your child’s needs rather than any diagnosis they may receive. All services will be subject to a waiting time, however your child does not need to wait to see a paediatrician prior to other services becoming involved.

Will a member of the Early Support team visit my child at home or in the setting or attend the TAF meeting?

The Early Support Team’s role is to co-ordinate services and support for children on the Early Support Pathway and their families. They do not usually visit children or families. There is a system for the Lead Professional to feed back to the Early Support Officer and adviser after TAF meetings if further information or support is required.

My child has not been accepted onto the pathway, but I still have concerns, what should I do next?

When a child is not accepted onto the pathway the Early Support team contacts the parent or lead professional to explain why they haven’t been accepted and to discuss next steps. If your child has not been accepted onto the pathway, please talk to the person who referred them who will be able to advise you on next steps for your child.

How can I support my child at home?

Professionals working with your child Please see our Support for Families page for ideas for how to support your child at home. Alternatively our Early Years SEND Toolkit is written to support practitioners to meet the needs of children with SEND but contains useful ideas and resources you can use at home. To find out more about supporting your child at home you can watch our short video: Cambridgeshire Early Years Home Learning Video

Related Pages

  1. Support for families
  2. Early Years Education and Childcare
  3. Preparing for the future
  4. Special Educational Needs Support
  5. Targeted Support

Downloads

  1. Cambridgeshire Early Support Guidance & Pathway
  2. Cambridgeshire Early Support Leaflet

External Links

  1. Cambridgeshire Community Services
  2. National Portage Association

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