The Children First Partnership Hub (CFPH) operates as a single point of contact for members of the public and professionals who are seeking advice and information, and/or who want to make a request for support for a child or young person in Wigan who may be in need of help or protection. The CFPH has three core functions:
The front door for statutory social work intervention by Wigan Children’s Social Care; An Early Help Hub, where children and families who are not deemed to be in need of statutory support are offered advice and guidance, signposting, and/or referrals to services within the council or in the community that are best placed to meet their needs;
An Information Sharing and Advice Hub, where multi-agency partners are able to access advice and guidance around possible contacts, and requests for information are responded to in a timely way, which is proportionate to each agency’s involvement in a child and family’s life.
We know that most families in Wigan cope well with the demands of family life, most of the time. However, when circumstances change, or a family’s usual support networks become unavailable to them, some families will need extra support to keep their children safe and well.
Only the minority of Wigan families at any given time will require that support to be delivered at a statutory social work level. Possible outcomes of requests for support into the CFPH includes:
- Advice and guidance, to the referring agency and/or the family;
- Referral for support within the community and voluntary sector, or other appropriate service;
- Referral for an Early Help Assessment and potential support from one of the targeted early help services;
- Referral for a statutory social work assessment.
Early help
Working Together 2023 states:
Early help is support for children of all ages that improves a family’s resilience and outcomes or reduces the chance of a problem getting worse. It is not an individual service, but a system of support delivered by local authorities and their partners working together and taking collective responsibility to provide the right provision in their area. Some early help is provided through “universal services” such as education and health services. They are universal services because they are available to all families, regardless of their needs.
Wigans Early Help and Prevention Partnership Strategy outlines our approach to early help alongside our universal offer through our Family Hubs.
Early Help is a framework that Wigan developed to meet children’s needs. It addresses needs at level 1, 2 and 3 of the safeguarding threshold. The process involves delivering a strengths based Early Help assessment. This enables professionals to work alongside families to identify strengths and areas that they need to develop. Following an assessment, an action plan is developed and this is reviewed on a regular basis until outcomes have been achieved.
Early Help is embedded in a thresholds of need document. The Children’s Trust and WSCB (external link) oversee Early Help's delivery and advocate this framework for all partners. These partners deliver support to children and young people at Level 1, 2 and 3.
Schools have been granted access to the Early Help Case Management System known as EHM and this enables them to check if an Early Help is currently open on a child and to start a new Early Help episode and complete Early Help paperwork. Partners that do not have access to the system have the option to contact the team for early help checks and to send a completed paper version of the Early Help documentation to the team where it will be added to the system on their behalf.
REACH Safeguarding Adolescent Service
- REACH is a service name chosen by Wigan young people, encompassing various teams within Wigan Children’s Social Care who support older children who are facing vulnerabilities and challenges
- Teams include the Youth Justice Team, Youth and Community Team, Complex Safeguarding Team, and Staying Together Team (Edge of Care)
- The overarching goal of the service is to ensure young people are safe, achieve their potential, and have a strong support network.
Target Groups
- Children (10-17) in the youth justice system or at risk of anti-social behaviour
- Children at risk of or experiencing criminal/sexual exploitation
- Older children needing additional support, such as those in care or experiencing bullying
- Older children (12+) on the edge of coming into care due to significant harm outside the home.
Support Offered
- Youth Engagement: Youth groups to build confidence and voice opinions
- Volunteering and Community Support: Linking young people with community opportunities
- Youth Justice: Supporting young people who have been in trouble with the police
- Victim Support: Helping victims of crime with resilience and restorative justice
- Harm Outside the Home: Support for those experiencing exploitation or radicalization
Volunteering Opportunities with REACH
Contact Information
- Complex Safeguarding Team: 0161 856 5959
- Other Teams: 01942 487100
Children in care
Resources for professionals working with Children Looked After (CLA)