This guide is primarily for professionals involved in an early help response when, after concerns have been raised that a child may have been sexually abused, it is decided that:
- the child is not currently at risk of sexual abuse – either because the abuse took place in the past, or because the source of the risk has been removed – and the child feels safe, and
- the child and their family still need support, and
- the parent(s) have given their consent to working with early help services to address any support needs, or (for older children) the child has requested support.
It is also relevant to other professionals working with the child and their family as it explains what is needed when developing an early help response so children and their families can be told what will happen and what they can expect.
What is an early help or Family Help response?
Any agency working with a child and their family may decide that an early help response should be offered to them – or it may be that, once a child protection enquiry or multi-agency assessment has been completed, an early help response is considered an appropriate way to support the child and their family. There may also be an early help response if a child and their family have been supported through a child protection plan or a child in need plan, and it has been decided that this is no longer necessary but some continuing support and help would be beneficial.
The family will need to agree to an early help response being started.
An early help assessment will be undertaken, and will usually lead to an early help plan addressing the needs of the child, their non-abusing parents and other family members. It is essential that this makes clear the concerns about child sexual abuse, the impact on the child, their siblings and the whole family. The assessment and plan should address the current impact, and consider the future impact, of child sexual abuse and how this will be addressed.
The ‘team around the child’ (also known as 'team around the family') will meet to deliver the early help plan and review its progress regularly so that it continues to address the child’s safety and support needs. A lead professional (often an early help practitioner) will be identified, and will be responsible for ensuring that these actions are carried out.
In addition to the child’s parents and (depending on their age and developmental stage) the child themselves, the team around the child will comprise professionals working with the child. These may include, for example, the Designated Safeguarding Lead at the child’s school, the school nurse, their nursery worker, their health visitor; their GP, their counsellor, youth workers, and staff from relevant voluntary services. The current reforms to the child welfare system may impact on arrangements for early help support, but the core principles outlined here will remain important.
Families First transformation – Family Help
If the triage identifies a need for support rather than immediate safeguarding, or a decision is made following an investigation the family is in need of support, the family is referred to Family Help.
- A holistic assessment will be conducted that draws on information from multi-agency partners.
- A Family Help and Assessment Plan will outline the support that will be provided. These should be accessed and jointly monitored by all the agencies working with the child and family.
- The family will be assigned a single Family Help Lead Practitioner (FHLP), who may be a social worker or other professional, such as a family support worker or school lead.
- The FHLP will coordinate a multi-disciplinary team around the family, which may include domestic abuse specialists, mental health practitioners, or housing officers.
Family Help may be provided alongside child protection procedures and in some instances where children are in care.
How may the child be feeling?
A multi-agency assessment may cause the child to feel a complex range of emotions:
- They may feel relieved that action is being taken but could also be anxious about the involvement of professionals and what it means for their family.
- Common feelings include fear, embarrassment, concern about being taken into care, and vulnerability if the suspected perpetrator is still at large.
- They might worry about being blamed or causing distress to their family and may feel responsible for statutory agencies' involvement.
- Open conversations about their worries are important, as an impartial supporter can help them feel heard and supported.
- The child should feel the plan helps them move forward but may resent it if excluded or kept uninformed.
- Children highlight the importance of being treated as an equal, having professionals communicate sensitively, and feeling relaxed and supported.
“Sometimes you don’t want to say some things to your parents. [The social workers] do it for you so they do it in a nicer way and they know what to say.”
“If they treat you like a kid you resent telling them something, so you don’t bother, but if you’re treat like an equal then you want to share things.”
“They were trying to put things in place for my mum and dad to handle my behaviour but would go about it the wrong way. I was 14 at the time and she was like, ‘Right you need to tell her she has to be in at 7:30pm.’ No kids my age were coming in then. She was making things up like, she’d put a plan together and none of it was shown to my mum and dad and they had to go through with it.”
“They’d take me out to places, just so I’d feel a bit more relaxed. They were there when you need them.”
The early help assessment
The assessment should be carried out in partnership with the child, their non-abusing family members, and relevant professionals who know the child well.
- Follow the process outlined in your local guidance for early help assessments.
- Consider diversity and how personal characteristics might increase vulnerability and shape the response to child sexual abuse.
- Consider the context of the abuse – whether it is in the family environment or outside the home, and whether the child themselves has engaged in harmful sexual behaviour.
- Identify and address any communication needs, including needs related to language, learning disability or difficulty, physical disabilities, or neurodiversity.
- Talk to the child, ideally without other family members present, and consider their preferences for when and where to talk, and any barriers to them talking.
- Talk to the child's non-abusing parent(s) to better understand the circumstances, draw on their unique knowledge of their child, and explore their understanding of how the family works. Consider what support they might need themselves.
If a police investigation takes place during an early help assessment, the assessment should continue unaffected. The lead professional should stay in touch and share relevant information with the police officer.
If you suspect at any point in the assessment that the child may not be living in a safe environment, an early help response will not be appropriate – talk to your manager to determine whether the child should be referred (or referred back) to children’s social services and/or the police.
How can the plan best help the child and their family?
At the conclusion of the assessment, a plan will be developed in partnership with the family. The lead professional should ensure that the plan:
- explicitly acknowledges the concerns of child sexual abuse that were raised in the referral and/or the multi-agency assessment of the child.
- takes account of the context in which the sexual abuse took place.
- focuses on and addresses the child’s needs, and their family’s needs, arising from those concerns.
- has clear objectives – it should specifically state what needs to change, and how and when it will be reviewed.