Early Help for families is everyone’s business
There are lots of organisations providing support for families in Oldham. A lot of these services are available to everyone. We also have some more specialised services for families who may have particular needs.
Services for everyone
You can find information about social groups, practical support or leisure activities on the Action Together website.
Families who have children with disabilities can find out about help available to them on our Local Offer page
Specialised services
There are a range of specialist services which support children and families with specific needs. This includes the targeted early help team, who work with children and families with multiple and complex unmet needs. They typically provide support where support from other services has not enabled change to be made, and the family need more targeted help.
Family Workers in the Targeted Early Help team provide help to families on a range of issues. They help families to identify their own strengths and to achieve positive outcomes for themselves. Targeted support is typically for 3-6 months.
Seeking support from targeted Early Help
Requests for support from Targeted Early Help are made through our online referral form
If you would like to discuss the most appropriate support for a child or family or have a concern about a child, please contact the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on 0161 770 7777 (Option 1, then Option 3).
Advice for professionals
The Safeguarding Children Partnership Continuum of Need sets out the framework for supporting families at different levels of need.
If you are seeking Targeted Early Help support on behalf of a family, please note that this requires their consent before referring.
Please complete a Family Help Tool with the family. This asks about both strengths and needs, and identifies what support the family want and could benefit from. It includes a consent form, and a simple Family Action Plan to record what the family and professionals have agreed to do to make things better for the child and family.
A completed Family Help Tool can be added as an attachment when making an online referral for targeted early help.
After completing the Family Help Tool, most professionals then hold a Team Around the Family (TAF) meeting involving family members and other agencies supporting the family.