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Early Help Assessment Tool (EHAT) for families

The Early Help Assessment looks at the whole family and each child’s needs in their unique situation. The assessment allows the right professionals and service providers to coordinate support and help quickly to: 

  • identify needs and explore any concerns
  • address emerging multiple needs
  • promote early help services where additional needs are identified
  • create packages of tailored support
  • coordinate support and involvement through a named Lead Professional
  • share information effectively and appropriately
  • reduce the number of times a family needs to tell its story

The assessment can be completed with family input by a professional, such as a school teacher, health visitor or support worker.

Complete the Early Help Assessment Tool form

The EHA is a voluntary process and consent is required from the parent or carer to share it with partners or agencies. They can do this by adding a signature. 

The EHA needs to be reviewed regularly to check that progress is happening by everyone involved.

Before you complete an assessment

You’ll need to find out if:

  • an EHAT has already been completed or started and
  • there is a Lead Professional, or if Social Services are already involved 

You can contact the early team with any questions, by:

When to complete an Early Help Assessment

The assessment should always be undertaken in a sensitive and supportive manner. You will want to complete the assessment when:

  • you are worried about a behaviour, incident or information
  • you require more information to help you plan next steps to address an issue
  • the child, young person of family needs cannot be met by a single agency
  • a parent expresses concerns

How an early help assessment is handled

We use the LSCP Threshold document along with the London Child Protection Procedures and their associated threshold guidance. This helps us to:

  • assess the needs of the child or young person 
  • understand changing levels of need and, 
  • know when to make a referral for statutory assessment 

EHATs are usually started at Level 2 of the LSCP Threshold.

Suttons Targeted Early Help Service (TEHS)

If you are seeking support from TEHS, you can complete a CFCS referral form. You'll need to select a level of concern between 5-8. 

TEHS will support families that need a multi agency response at Tier 2 on the Threshold Guidance. Tier 2 families will need to be supported in at least three areas of the 'Supporting Families Criteria'.

You can visit the LCSP website for guidance and support if the family you are seeking support for does not:

  • need a multi agency response, or
  • does not have three identified areas of need

Training and support 

Schools 

In Schools, the early help Coordinator can deliver training to the children and young person’s workforce about the Early Help Assessment process.