Early Help

SNAP Cymru are delighted to be working with the City and County of Swansea to provide family support across Swansea. This exciting service, key working with families across the county, helps children and young people to achieve the best possible outcomes.

How can we help?

Our Early Help Service provides children and families, with focused support when problems emerge.  The right support at the right time can reduce or prevent specific problems from getting worse, help identify risks and prevent escalation and the necessity of providing more intensive support later on.

We will help 

• build on the strengths of families to help themselves
• meet the needs of families to avoid problems becoming more serious
• ensure the voice and involvement of the child and family is encouraged and valued.

We will work with parents, children, young people and families as a whole, addressing issues that affect the wellbeing of the family as well as the child or young person. We aim to help families find positive ways through those problems to improve coping and build resilience and wellbeing for all.  We offer support at:

Stage 2.  targeted intervention when the needs of the child or young person cannot be met within their setting – i.e. above universal services open to all families, and

Stage 3.  If a child or young person’s needs are more complex or they have multiple needs.

The Early Help service works with children, young people and families where there are indicators of emerging difficulties or additional needs. These needs can include anything that affects the health, development, wellbeing and safety of children and young people, for example:

• Families where a parent/carer is experiencing mental health difficulties.
• Children with Additional learning Needs
• Children and young people experiencing stress and anxiety.
• Children and young people living with conduct and behaviour disorders.
• Children who have a caring role for another member of their family (young carers).
• families who may want parenting support and advice including routine and boundary setting.
• Support to ensure school attendance.
• Support with communication and conflict resolution.
• Support for children who are excluded, with managed moves or at transition.
• Support for families to communicate and participate fully
• Understanding their child’s condition and implementing supportive strategies.
• Key working support for families with children with complex needs
  Support  to step-up or down to appropriate help

How we help

SNAP Cymru’s Early Help team typically offers a range of support services tailored to individual circumstances and needs. Some common services include:

• Advice and advocacy.
• Signposting to universal or specialist services.
• One-to-one practical and emotional support for children, young people or parents.
• Parenting support.
• Support to understand rights and entitlements

The Early Help model encourages collaboration between those providing the service and the people using them. We support children, young people and their families to play a key role in prioritising positive change and in shaping their own plan with the aim of improving outcomes and avoiding crises.

How do I request Early Help for a child or family?

The service is available to Swansea families who have children 0 – 19 with emerging or additional learning needs or other barriers to their learning, development or inclusion.

Whilst most referrals are made from professionals families with complex needs can self-refer. A referral form can be downloaded from www.snapcymru.org/contact 

This referral form should be sent to early.help@snapcymru.org

Alternatively you can also submit an electronic referral from the SNAP Cymru website www.snapcymru.org/contact 

PLEASE ensure you mark this as a referral for Early Help.

We will acknowledge receipt of your referral and the family will be contacted within 5 working days.