Early Support in Bedfordshire

A way of children, families, professionals and voluntary agencies working together in partnership to co-ordinate services

What is Early Support?

Early Support is a simple and effective way to co-ordinate services for babies and young children with disabilities or complex needs, aged 0-5

Early Support keeps families at the heart of all decision making about their child

Early Support is the process by which families and professionals work together

How can Early Support help children and families?

Early Support provides valuable information for both families and professionals, including an Early Support Family Pack, information booklets on specific needs, Developmental Journals and information on local services

Early Support helps professionals to co-ordinate the sharing of information about the child’s and family’s needs

Early Support can provide a key worker to act as a single point of contact for both the family and professionals

What is a key worker?

A person, either a professional, friend, family member or volunteer who takes on the key working role. As the needs of the family change, the choice of a key worker can be changed too

Key workers improve the quality of life for families by reducing stress, giving better and quicker access to services and by making sure families have a say in the way these services are delivered

How can a key worker help?

By being the single point of contact for families and professionals and a link to other services

By offering information and support whatever the needs of the family

By providing emotional and practical support to the family as a whole

By listening to the family’s views and recognising their expertise and strengths in the care of their child

By arranging to visit or call regularly not just when there is a problem

By co-ordinating multi-agency Team Around the Child meetings and making sure that services are working well

What is a Team Around the Child?

A group of people working closely with the child or family

A team where the child and family are important and valued

A team who meet regularly to discuss the ongoing needs of the child and family

A way of sharing information to develop a Family Service Plan, an agreed set of next steps and action to ensure everyone is working together

How can I find out more about Early Support?

Contact the Early Support Co-ordinator (Julie Cronin) at;

Child Development Centre,

Hill Rise,

Kempston,

Beds, MK42 7EB on;

Telephone: 01234-310278

Email: