Early Help and the Family Service

The Early Help Unit acts as a signposting and referral point for Early Help Services but does not directly deliver them.

Specific elements of this service include local Children’s Centres and the Family Service

Family Service

The Family Service provides targeted early help support for families with worries, concerns, behaviours and conflict to help resolve significant problems.

This includes direct support, advice, guidance and signposting:

  • To improve attendance or behaviour at school
  • To improve behaviour in the home
  • To the graduated family and parenting offer
  • In finding work, training or re-entering education having left school
  • For children missing from home or school
  • For homeless 16 and 17-year-olds, or those at risk of homelessness
  • To young carers
  • To kinship carers
  • For drug or alcohol misuse
  • For children and parents with a range of significant health problems
  • For emotional and behavioural development that does not meet developmental trauma and attachment team criteria

Referral criteria and process:

People can contact the Early Help Unit by:

Children’s Centres

A Children’s Centre is a place where local families with young children (birth – 5 years old) can go, enjoy facilities and receive support that they need, including family support and parenting, child development including speech, language and communication and support for new parents including breastfeeding support. The facilities and activities are designed especially for parents expecting a baby, or those with a child under 5 years old.

By April 2025 all of Nottinghamshire Children’s Centre teams will become Family Hub teams and the buildings will have new signs.

They will still provide a range of services for parents to be and families with children under the age of five, but will also help families with older children.

Go to the Nottinghamshire County Council website for more information