Our School's offer of Early Help for Families
The wellbeing of our children and their families is very important to us here at William Austin Infant School and is at the core of who we are. We want you to feel part of our school and as the school's Family Worker I am here to support you with any issues/worries and anxieties that you may be experiencing. By working in close partnership with families I aim to encourage and motivate you to improve the outcomes of your child/ren by providing a vital link between home and school. We believe that early intervention and support is vital in identifying emerging needs and in turn can reduce the need to escalate certain circumstances to other agencies.
Parental Support
My role in school includes offering a variety of support strategies on a range of issues on things that are important to our families and children including:-
I can also help you complete online application forms for Free School meals and Pupil Premium applications. Alternatively, you can click on the link below:
Working with outside agencies
Where the needs of a child become more complex, and further support is necessary which does not meet threshold for the Family Partnership Team or Children’s Social Care but does require involvement from more than one agency; consideration will be given as to whether a Team around the Family (TAF) or a Team around the Child (TAC) meeting needs to take place.
When considering what further support is needed for our families, discussions with parents/carers will be implemented to explain the reasons why these meetings need to take place. During the meetings parents are invited to give updates and discuss how the family are moving forward to ensure that outcomes and expectations are completed in a timely manner.
The timeframe for a family to be subject to a TAF or a TAC is usually for around a three month period with six weekly meetings, however if during this time, progress is limited then an escalation to the MASH/Family Partnership Team will be considered and an online referral form that goes directly to the MASH Team (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub) is completed and assessed, this does require parental consent. Parental consent is not required where there are significant safeguarding concerns but it is good practice to ensure that parents/carers are aware of the need for a referral.
There may be times where a child is at risk of significant harm and as such, advice is sought and on occasions a referral will be submitted to the MASH Team without the prior knowledge of parents. Once a family is open to Children’s Social Care full support is given across all agencies who are involved to ensure that the best outcomes are achieved for children and families.
Contact details
Being a parent/carer is both a wonderful and challenging journey but at times, we may need additional support to help us face those challenges along the way. These can take on many different forms as detailed above. I am available throughout the school day so please call at the school office on 01582 595198 and ask to speak to me if you need help in any way, I look forward to working with you all.
Mrs Wright
Family Worker / Deputy Safeguarding Lead