Early help support for families

Early help plans

An early help plan aids a family to discuss and record their needs, strengths and goals. This leads to forming a plan to support them.

Read about putting together an early help plan on the Essex County Council website.

The plan should be shared with each family member and, with the family's consent, any other professional supporting the family.

Where there is more than one service working alongside a child and family, it is helpful to hold a team around the family meeting. This allows information to be shared and a joint early help plan to be started or reviewed.

TAF meetings

TAF meetings are any meetings your school holds with a family to address concerns and could include: 

• One Plan meetings 
• attendance meetings 
• alternative education meeting 
• meetings to support your pupils 

The TAF approach reinforces the Trauma Perceptive Practice (TPP) approach as a way of building a strong relationship with pupils/families. It addresses concerns at the earliest opportunity, to prevent an escalation of need later down the line such as: 

• school refusal 
• a decline in attendance 
• exclusion 
• a referral to Children's Social Care 

TAF meeting notes

Meeting notes are considered good evidence of a “support first” approach in cases where statutory legal intervention may become necessary. 

The notes will evidence the support offered did not result in improved attendance patterns or that unauthorised absence continued to be recorded for a pupil. 

For further support on TAF meetings or early help plans, visit advice on early help on the Essex County Council website or email TAFSO@essex.gov.uk