Children's services consultation draws to a close - Last chance to have your say!

Available online at www.buckscc.gov.uk/earlyhelp the consultation seeks feedback on proposals to bring early help services together and a new way of supporting families earlier to prevent them needing help from social care services in the future.

Proposals for a new service outlined in the consultation focus on helping children and families, in a joined up way earlier, to ensure small problems don’t get bigger and too difficult to manage. From money worries, parenting tips, behavioural issues right through to support with mental health and domestic abuse, the proposal is to work with families to tackle all of their problems at the same time.

A new Early Help service would bring together all the services that currently support families in this way, to be one service with teams of family workers based in the local community. This will allow workers to reach out to children and families to work with them at home or in places they are most comfortable.

Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Warren Whyte said: “We’re here to support those children and families who need us the most. We know that our current early help services like children’s centres are not as effective as we would like them to be in supporting the most vulnerable children and families as early as possible.

"We need to change that. We can’t continue to provide services for all when there are other organisations that provide this type of family support widely across the county. Our tax payers need to have confidence in how we are spending money wisely on those who are most in need. "Developing a new early help service is about targeting services for children and families in a better way to those who need help the most, joining up services and having a flexible service that reaches out to where families are.

I continue to encourage people to have their say in these last few days and help us shape the very best services for children and their families for the future.”

For further information please contact: Katherine Walker, on 01296 3824