Early Help
Edgbaston &
Northfield
Connecting families to the support and services they need
Early Help is not a single service but a way in which professionals, communities and families can work together across Birmingham to improve a family’s resilience and reduce the likelihood of a problem worsening.
Working together across Birmingham, we want to quickly and effectively connect families to the best local support, improving the lives of children and families in Edgbaston & Northfield.
Early Help could…
include debt support, guidance on school places, emergency food provision, how to support an emerging learning difficulty or advice on breastfeeding. It could be a youth intervention that helps a young person get involved in a positive activity or emotional support that prevents a mental health problem from developing.
Early Help also…
builds on a family’s strengths and interests and offers positive, practical support to help manage complex issues and challenges.
Gateway Family Services is the voluntary sector lead for Early Help in Edgbaston & Northfield. Our Gateway Family Services & Early Help teams work across both localities supporting children, young people and families through:
Sharing information and connecting people to local services, community groups and activities (making it easier for people to get the support they need near where they live)
Providing families with direct support and guidance through face-to-face interventions, telephone, email and social media
Strengthening community capacity to support Early Help through training and Early Help Assessments
Ensuring that families can access local support within their local communities
Connecting families to extra support specific to their needs, for example, SEND support
If you need help
We work closely with Birmingham Children’s Trust, Birmingham Forward Steps, schools, nurseries, the youth service, health, faith communities and active local organisations. If you are a family in need of support or a professional looking for additional support for a family, then please complete a Family Connect Form or contact the team.
How can we help ?
we can support your family in lots of different ways
Challenges at school
Parenting support
Health and emotional wellbeing
Housing + Debt advice
Domestic abuse
Getting back into work or training
Connections to the local community, meeting new people
Special Needs and Disabilities
Case Story:
Coming Together and Going Home
Often, clients’ stories aren’t easy to tell, but they tell them because they know their story will help them and others like them.