What to do if you need support in caring for your child

Being a parent is one of the most important jobs there is – it is also one of the hardest.

Most parents want to do their best for their children but for many, living with disadvantage can severely compromise their ability.  Poverty, unsuitable and insecure housing, domestic violence, lone parenthood, and being a young parent can all disrupt a parent’s ability to cope, and families under stress need extra support.  Even without any of these factors present, sometimes a little help can go a long way in helping us to cope with the pressures of parenthood.

If you are a parent/carer and you think you could benefit from additional support in caring for your child, you have a number of options.

First of all – please feel free to talk to someone at school.  We have a wealth of knowledge about local support services and we can signpost or refer you to the right place.  Sometimes, all a parent/carer needs is someone to listen to them and to tell them they are doing it right.  

To contact a member of staff in school, please call us using our Contact Us page or email our Child Centred Support Officer, Mrs Whiteway: ccso@sandbach-pri.cheshire.sch.uk

You may find it useful or necessary to access support from external agencies who can offer support and guidance for you as a parent/carer.

Early Help Assessment (EHA)

An EHA is used as an early tool of support which will involve working with other professionals to help a child/family achieve their outcomes.

A multi-agency approach involves working collaboratively with professionals and sharing information, to ensure our families specific needs are identified and that they are referred and signposted to the right services.

Successful multi-agency working can improve the impact of support provided for vulnerable families.  We recognise the benefits of multi-agency working as we know it can help ensure families do not go unrecognised.

To find out more about Early Help in Cheshire East please follow this link

Extra and Family Help Support

All families receiving support will have a ‘Lead Professional’. The Lead Professional is the main person that works with the family and keeps them updated, and they are responsible for holding meetings bringing everyone together, recording discussions in assessments and plans, and making sure the plan is working for the child/ young person.   

Extra and Family Help support involves:

• Assessing what support families need: The Lead Professional will complete an assessment with the family to understand what is going well, what people are worried about, and what support the family needs to achieve their goals.  
• Creating a plan and checking how well it is working: The Lead Professional will support the family to create a plan that works for them so the family has the support and help they need. Everyone will check that the plan is working so we know that we will get to our goal.