Conference to examine what works for early help amid cuts to services

Early Help: Innovation and Impact will take place on Tuesday 24 September at the Hallam Conference Centre in central London.

The conference will also examine in the effect of growing levels of poverty and increasing need on services and look at what leading research highlights as best practice for supporting families.

Key topics will include:

• The future of family help - what we know so far

• The role of systemic practice in early help reforms

• Early help in the early years

• Early help for children at risk of violence

• Support for children of prisoners

• Multi-agency working

• Supporting refugee children

Delegates will hear keynote speeches from Matthew Dodd, head of policy, public affairs and communications at the National Children’s Bureau on what is family help and why is it so important?

Gail Gibbons, head of change for children’s services and health at the Youth Endowment Fund will lay bare the prevalence of youth violence and children and young people’s experiences of violence in England and Wales. Delegates will learn about the types of early intervention that can reduce the risk of youth violence, and policy and system changes which could make a lasting difference.

The conference is designed for a range of professionals working with vulnerable children and families including senior managers across children and young people’s services, commissioners, early help teams, charity chiefs, policymakers, early support coordinators, Supporting Families teams, mental health practitioners and academics.

View the entire programme for the conference here.