Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Early Help Offer
Our Vision
Our primary aim is to identify needs early and to make sure that appropriate support is put into place. ALL staff recognise their role in ensuring safeguarding practices to ALL children at ALL times. We believe that information sharing and timely effective support can ensure that ALL children and families get a good start in life. Families need support from a wide range of agencies. We recognise that other agencies will be able to support families based on their specialised work. Therefore our role is often to signpost families to the resources that will best support their needs.
At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, we aim to work closely with our parents and carers, as well the special community in our local area, in order to provide the best outcomes for our children.
By working closely in partnership with families, we aim to provide support in a variety of ways. This may include signposting to external agencies or offering support within school.
Please speak to Mrs Cooper, Mrs Craig or Mrs Ali in school for support, help or advice or email enquiry@sacredheart-sch.net.
We aim to support you with help as soon as possible if we can to ensure the best outcomes for our children and families.
See the following websites for more information about Early Help in Birmingham:
- SEND Birmingham: Parents and Carers
- Birmingham Children’s Partnership: Resources – including a link to refer yourself for Early Help
TIASS informed School
We are proud to be a Trauma Informed Attachment Aware school. An Attachment Aware School is a place where resilience is promoted and where the most vulnerable children are able to recover from trauma.
This approach enables staff to notice, improve and value their skills in establishing brain-building relationships with children and young people.
Our school behaviour policy links closely to the TIASS approach and underpins that behaviour is very often a sign of an unmet need.
What is Early Help?
Identifying risks at the earliest opportunity: All staff are aware of the risks which may indicate the need for early help – this includes children who:
• Are disabled or have a specific additional need/needs.
• Have SEND.
• Are young carers.
• Are showing signs of being drawn into anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups.
• Are frequently missing or go missing from care or from home.
• Are at risk of modern slavery, trafficking or exploitation.
• Are at risk of being radicalised or exploited.
• Are in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health issues and domestic abuse.
• Are misusing drugs or alcohol themselves.
• Are privately fostered.
• Have returned home to their family from care
What we offer as a school
- Children are greeted each morning by a member of senior leadership team, pastoral team and class teacher.
- School open for all from 8.40am with time to settle and prepare for teaching and learning.
- Filtered water available throughout the day for hydration.
- A trauma informed approach. (approved TIASS school)
- Visual timetables reinforcing routines enabling continuity and familiarity.
- New nurture room in school and designated quite area in the playground.
- A broad and balanced curriculum with experiences to enhance learning and after school provision in sport, PSHE and education.
- Adapted teaching to meet the needs of all pupils.
- A celebration of each child unique characteristics and their successes.
- A safe space to champion to voice of the child.
- SEND Coffee mornings for parents.
- Regular workshops and events to support families.
- Support for families in financial difficulty by providing regular pre-loved uniform sales and food hamper donations.
- Signposting to services in the locality for support.
What sort of concerns might parents share with us?
A wide range of issues such as boundary setting, domestic abuse, mental health issues, housing concerns, financial worries and debts, morning routines, toilet training, managing screen time, bereavement and loss, cyber bullying- in fact any concerns which you are worried about and that might be having a negative impact on your child.
How will families be supported through an
Early Help Offer?
Children and families will be supported and reviewed through an Early Help Assessment format, which is currently the assessment process used by the Local Authority.
We can meet informally with parents/carers and children in the first instance and this can be followed by completing the Early Help Assessment (EHA) if required – the school can make this request for support but parents can make it themselves if they prefer.
Following our discussion and assessment, families may be supported by a range of professionals from within school and beyond. An initial meeting may be held with school staff or directly with external family support workers to look at what is working well, what needs to change and to agree some action that needs to be taken to help and support families. This will always be done with parents/carers consent. The lead worker arranges review meetings and is someone that you can speak to at any point.
Gaining children’s views, wishes and feelings is central to our Safeguarding policy, and the support team may also carry out some direct work with children completing a ‘wishes and feelings’ sheet to discuss any worries, good things and dreams for the future.
