Early help

22. We believe that any child may benefit from early help and we ensure that all staff are alert to the potential need for early help for a child who:

• is disabled or has certain health conditions and has specific additional needs;
• has special educational needs (whether or not they have a statutory Education, Health and Care Plan);
• has a mental health need
• is a young carer;
• is showing signs of being drawn in to anti-social or criminal behaviour, including gang involvement and association with organised crime groups or county lines;
• is frequently missing/goes missing from education, care or from home;
• has experienced multiple suspensions, is at risk of being permanently excluded from school or college and in Alternative Provision or a Pupil Referral Unit.
• is at risk of modern slavery, trafficking, sexual and/or criminal exploitation;
• has a parent or carer in custody, or is affected by parental offending;
• is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for the child, such as drug and alcohol misuse, adult mental health issues and domestic abuse;
• is misusing drugs or alcohol themselves;
• has returned home to their family from care;
• is at risk of so-called 'honour’-based abuse, such as Female Genital Mutilation or Forced Marriage;
• is a privately fostered child; and
• is persistently absent from education, including persistent absences for part of the school day.

23. We ensure that all children who disclose that they have taken an overdose go to the Emergency Department at the nearest hospital to be checked by a medical professional in line with the TWSP Procedure for the management of overdoses, involving children within schools and colleges.

Young carers

24. Legislation defines a ‘young carer’ as ‘…a person under 18 who provides or intends to provide care for another person (of any age, except where that care is provided for payment, pursuant to a contract or as voluntary work).' A young carer might look after someone because they are sick or have a disability or mental health issues. Or, if a parent or family member has an alcohol or drug problem, they may be unable to care for themselves or anyone else.

25. We recognise the responsibilities of young carers are wide and varied but can include:

• practical tasks, such as cooking, housework and shopping;
• physical care, like helping someone out of bed;
• emotional support, including talking to someone who is distressed;
• personal care, such as helping someone dress;
• managing the family budget and collecting prescriptions;
• helping to give medicine;
• helping someone communicate, and
• looking after brothers and sisters.

26. Caring for someone can be very isolating, worrying and stressful for children. For young carers, this can negatively affect their experience in education. We recognise that many young carers will regularly miss school and that this can have a lasting effect on their life chances.

27. Our aim is to work with families and other agencies to identify young carers to ensure that their needs are assessed and where necessary supported. We will work with the Telford and Wrekin Young Carers Service to do this.