Strengthening Community Bonds through Shropshire’s Early Help Initiative

(L to R) Stephen Dunn-Brown Senior PCSO, Emma Spenser Library Operations & Development Manager, Donna Ward Family Hub Development Manager, Melanie France Public Health Principal, Councillor Kirsty Hurst-Knight and Mandy Leek PCSO

Our Community and Family Hub at Bridgnorth Library had a visit from Councillor Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Portfolio Holder for Children & Education and local Police Community Support Officers (PCSO’s) on Tuesday 8 October to see the Early Help service in action.

Early Help is a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies working with children, young people, and families to address their concerns and provide necessary support.

Tuesday’s visit was a chance to highlight the work of this initiative as well as discussing ongoing integrated working and the opportunity to further develop this work with partners.

The Early Help approach is not limited to a specific team but unites professionals from various services to work holistically with families. By combining ideas and resources, Early Help aims to strengthen community relationships and ensure families in Shropshire receive the support they need in the right place for them.

Councillor Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Portfolio Holder for Children & Education said:

Our Early Help programme is integral to safeguarding children and promoting their well-being and it was great to see this valuable service for myself and speak to those involved.

Early Help is all about listening to families’ concerns and developing family action plans with the support of a lead professional.

This approach ensures that families don’t have to repeatedly tell their story but receive coordinated support from various services. The collective responsibility and shared accountability among our partner agencies make Early Help an effective system for addressing issues before they escalate.

Mandy Leek PCSO added:

Today a colleague and I visited Bridgnorth Library’s Early help clinics to find out what was on offer to young families.’

What an absolutely benefit to our town and the young families with babies within the town. We spoke to a few of the practitioners on hand who were giving out lots of helpful advice, 20 babies had been seen today for health and weight checks.

We are hoping to support this on a regular basis as I think our evolvement from an early age is beneficial in the roll we do within our communities.

For more information about the Early Help service click on the link here.