Information for parents and carers

As a result of the Children Act 2004 and the Every Child Matters: Change for Children agenda, services for children, young people and families, throughout the country are changing and improving. This approach is based around offering support to families at an earlier stage from locally-based services with a range of professionals working together effectively.  This page is for parents and carers who want to find our more about how we are helping children in Ealing.

What do the changes to Children's Services mean for me and my child?
The government's aim is for every child and young person, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to:

In order to achieve this, the way children's services are run and delivered across England are undergoing a big transformation.

There are lots of different parts to the Every Child Matters – new assessments and joined-up services and new ways of working that you may come across over the next few years.

The foundation of these changes is early intervention, which means helping to support families and meet the needs of a child or family at the earliest possible stage. 

We understand that the problems children and families have often cannot easily be defined as a specific concern such as a health problem or a behavioural problem. The needs of a child or family are often complex and cannot be resolved by one agency alone. All the different agencies (including schools, hospitals, police, social services, charities and youth groups) who work with children and young people in Ealing are working together more effectively to better meet these needs.

We have set up a number of working groups as part of Ealing's Children's Trust where representatives from each of the different agencies work collaboratively, sharing ideas and resources, in order to address the needs of children and families more effectively.

Please visit the links below to find out more.

Common Assessement Framework
If you need extra support for your child, having a Common Assessment across health, education and social care needs may help.  The Common Assessment looks at the whole picture, rather than one element of concern, to identify your child's needs. An action plan can then be developed bringing together people from appropriate backgrounds to provide support.

SAFE - Supportive Action for Families in Ealing
The SAFE service is a new service which can help you and your family with any concerns you may have and try to resolve issues before they reach a crisis point.  This service can help families earlier usually before a referral to social services may be needed.

Children with Disabilities
Services for chidlren with disabilities are provided by a multi-agency service, ESCAN (Ealing Service for Children with Additional Needs).

Family Services Directory
The directory can help you find out what is on offer for you and your family in your local area.  The contact details of all the services are included, so when you have found what you are looking for, it's easy to get in touch with the right people.

Useful links
Useful sites to visit for further information.