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Early Help Services Directory

Find out what help the Early Years Services offers in Calderdale.

Updated: 30th January 2025

Family Support and Outreach Teams

Being a parent can sometimes feel like a very difficult job and we acknowledge that we all need a little support from time to time.

Sometimes it can be hard to ask for help, which is why we have a dedicated team that can work with you to develop a plan of support that suits you and your family. We offer practical, friendly advice to help you deal with any aspect of family life.

Parenting support is something available to all parents. Some of this work is in groups. Drop-in sessions or one to one with you in your home or the Children's Centres. For more information contact us.

Central Halifax and Upper Valley areas

We can offer support in English, Urdu/Punjabi, Czech/Slovak and Polish.

  • Phone: (01422) 434971 (Central Halifax).
  • Phone: (01706) 399976 (Todmorden).

North and East Halifax and Lower Valley areas

  • Phone: (01422) 251090 (North and East Halifax).
  • Phone: (01484) 386621 (Lower Valley).
  • Website: Sure Start.

Family Intervention Team

Support to families that are facing multiple problems and experiencing high levels of disadvantage. This can be identified where needs of a child meet Tier 4 or 5 on the Continuum of Need. The team use intensive tailored action with supervision and clear sanctions to actively promote change and work to help children in need to remain safely within their own homes.

A Key Workers' role is to 'grip' the family, the causes of their poor behaviour and the agencies involved with them, to deliver a more co-ordinated and sustained response. The service offers a 'whole family' approach which considers the needs of all family members and assesses the underlying problems driving the family's behaviour in order to identify which services need to be involved.

Contact

Parenting Programmes

We offer practical, friendly advice to help you deal with any aspect of family life. Parenting support is something available to all parents. For more information and to book a place, please contact your local Children's Centre.

Young Carers

Offers support to children and young people between 8 to 18 years, who care for someone at home. Young Carers support children and young people who are impacted by family members suffering from a range of issues including physical or mental health problems, learning difficulties, drug and alcohol issues or long-term enduring illnesses.

The service offers a wide range of support to the young person and their families, which includes:

  • Young Carers Assessments.
  • Group activities.
  • One-to-one work.
  • School support via drop-ins and a passport scheme and targeted group work.

Referrals should be made via the Early Intervention Panel for families who are currently engaged with services, we can accept self-referrals from those who are not. In order to make a referral, consent must be given by parents and there must be a diagnosis in the family. The young carer's assessment will identify any impact and make sure the correct support is offered.

For more about this, phone: 01422 261207.

Early Years and Childcare Team

Free and impartial service for parents and carers aimed at linking them with childcare and early education options in Calderdale.

Signposting service for parents and carers of children and young people aged 0 to 20 looking to access local support groups. Wide range of information leaflets available, please contact us for details. Advice on accessing the funded early education entitlements.

SENDIASS (Special Education Needs and Disability Information Advice Support Service)

This service offers information, advice and support, which is legally based, impartial and confidential. It is for parents of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It covers education, health and care needs for those aged 0 to 25 years.

Unique Ways

Supporting Families with disabled children.

Youth Justice Service

The Youth Justice Service is a multi-agency partnership which aims to prevent and reduce the risk of young people offending and re-offending and to provide support and rehabilitation to those who do offend.

Calderdale Youth Justice Service engages in a wide variety of work with young people (those under 18) in order to achieve their aims. The Service provides assessment and supervision of young people who have been ordered by the court to serve sentences in the community or in the secure estate. The Service will organise meetings (when possible) between offenders and victims to encourage apologies and reparation.

For more about this, please contact by email: YJSGeneral@Calderdale.gov.uk.

Young People's Service

This offers a range of service for young people ages 13 to 19 (or up to 25 for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities). It works to enable young people to develop:

  • Holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development.
  • Their voice, influence and place in a society. Also, to reach their full potential.

Police Early Intervention Team

Calderdale Police have an established Early Intervention Team that works with young people at risk or involved in offending behaviour, it aims to reduce the any further harm and provide education and direction to young people it supports.

The team also provides universal education programmes to a number of Schools to ensure Children and Young People are fully informed of risks that might be associated with certain behaviours. The team works in Partnership with the Youth Justice Service to ensure a consistent approach is being delivered.

The Liaison and Diversion service

This service is an NHS England commissioned and provided by Wakefield Council. Its aim is to divert vulnerable people out of the criminal justice system and into the most appropriate services for them. This early intervention approach aims to prevent the escalation of behaviour to crisis point and reduce the likelihood of re-offending.

The West Yorkshire model takes a multi-disciplinary approach, with practitioners seconded in from partner agencies, such as:

  • The Women Centre.
  • WY police.
  • The Bridge project.
  • SWYFT.
  • HIMMAT.
  • Touchstone.

This brings a range of expertise to the team along with access to different systems such as mental health and policing records. Liaison and Diversion is a consent based service with referrals being made by criminal justice practitioners. Service users are case managed for up to 12 weeks with support including specialist assessment, liaison and referrals to services as well as 'hand holding' to appointments.

To contact the team based at Halifax Police station and The Dales (Calderdale Royal Infirmary):

Branching Out

This is a confidential alcohol and drug service for young people in Calderdale aged 10-21 years. Working with young people who are using alcohol, drugs or solvents at any level and those at risk of using substances.

Positive Futures

Working with 10-19 year olds that are involved in ASB and/or offending offering positive activities in groups and on a one-to-one level with young people. Offering a varied selection of activities across the borough including boxing, gym, fitness and swimming. Referrals can come from any young person, family or professional.

For more about this:

The Independent Domestic Violence Advocacy Service (IDVA)

Provide crisis intervention, advice and advocacy for anyone assessed as a high risk victim of domestic violence. The service provides short to medium term intensive support to victims including support through the criminal justice system and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC).

Calderdale Staying Safe Team

Calderdale Staying Safe Team offer support to all victims of domestic abuse who have been subjected to domestic abuse from an intimate partner or family member.

The service is free, confidential and non-judgement and is delivered by trained workers and volunteers to anyone 16 and above who live in Calderdale and has been affected by domestic abuse.

Support workers will assess the level of risk from an abusive partner/ex-partner and will work to develop an appropriate safety and support plan. Support is given both face-to-face and by phone. Support can be offered in some outreach venues, professionals can contact the office to discuss further.

Health Services

Community Midwives

Community Midwives offer universal services during pregnancy, birth and beyond. This is offered in a range of health care settings including GP clinics, Children's Centres. Offering specialist support for vulnerable women where required. Midwives work in partnership with services across Calderdale.

For more about this, visit: Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Maternity Services.

School Nursing

School nurses are qualified nurses or midwives who have done additional training and who can offer support and advice on a wide range of health issues. The service supports all children and young people aged 4 - 18 who attend a Calderdale school or who reside in Calderdale and are home-educated.

School nurses work across education and health, providing a link between school, home and the community. Their aim is improve the health and well-being of children and young people and reduce health inequalities. They work with families and young people from five to nineteen and are usually linked to a school or group of schools. Find out more:

Health Visiting

Health Visitors are qualified nurses or midwives who have done additional training and can offer support and advice on a range of health issues for children aged 0 to 4 and their families who are resident in Calderdale.

They aim to enhance health and well-being and reduce health inequalities through a proactive universal service. The health visitors offer six core contacts to all families:

  • Antenatal.
  • 10 to 14 days.
  • 6 to 8 weeks.
  • 3 to 4 months old.
  • Before one year old.
  • Between 2 and 2 ½ years old.

The team also run drop -in well baby clinics and support groups. In addition, the health visiting team will offer additional support around specific identified areas to support families. Also, to make sure that care is personalised to meet individual need.

Open Minds

For information, advice and signposting on emotional health and well-being services for parents/carers and professionals. This website offers relevant, clear information about services and support, both locally and nationally around emotional health and well-being. The site helps young people build resilience and capacity to self-manage.

For more about details, visit: Open Minds.

Kooth

Kooth is an online counselling service delivered by XenZone which is available in Calderdale for young people aged 10 to 25 years.

Kooth offers a free, safe, confidential service for young people receiving counselling, advice and support on-line. Kooth is staffed by fully trained and qualified counsellors and available from 12pm until 10pm, 365 days per year, it provides a much needed out of hours service for advice and support.

For more details, visit: Kooth.

Time Out (Find your thing!)

These link up organisations across Calderdale who work with children and young people aged 5 to 19. this is to give them a space to be themselves, relax, socialise and do something they love, supporting positive emotional health and well-being.

Time Out has been co-designed by young people and delivered by the voluntary sector organisation Healthy Minds. It relies on the help and input of young people and provides opportunities to volunteer and be involved in the project.

It also runs courses and workshops, both in schools and outside of school hours, on topics relating to emotional health and well-being, such as stress, self-harm and self-esteem.

For more about this, visit: Time Out (Calderdale).

Noah's Ark Centre

Offers:

  • counselling/psychotherapy to young people aged 11 to 21.
  • One-to-one therapeutic play for children aged 5 to 11.
  • A structured programme called Rainbows for children aged 4 to 10 experiencing loss in various ways.

The centre accepts self-referrals over the phone, referrals from parents, schools and other agencies are also welcomed. Initial assessments for counselling are arranged promptly. Given that the young person wants counselling, they are matched with a suitable counsellor to start their therapy as soon as possible.

For more details, visit: Noah's Ark Centre.

LGBTQ+ yOUTh Service

The Brunswick Centre offers the following:

  • Regular informal group drop-in sessions in Calderdale. A chance to meet new people, make new friends who understand what you are going through.
  • A safe and confidential service for 13-19 year olds in Calderdale.
  • Additional one to one support, working directly with young people around their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. (11-19 year olds can be extended to 25 if the person has an EHA plan or has been in the care of the authority).

For more information or to make a referral, contact the Brunswick Centre:

Open Minds Partnership (CAMHS)

In Calderdale, this provides an evidence-based, comprehensive service to children and young people aged up to 18 years who are experiencing emotional and mental health problems. The service is provided by Northpoint Well-being Limited and South West Yorkshire Partnership Foundation Trust with the two organisations working closely together.

These two organisations work with commissioners and other providers to develop and implement the Thrive framework in Calderdale. The service offers direct work to children and young people and their families. This is done on an individual or group basis and offers mental health expertise across children's services. It provides consultation, training and advice to carers/families and other professionals.

The services are based in offices at Clare Road and Laura Mitchell Health Centre in Halifax. Appointments are offered in these bases and in a wide range of community venues across Calderdale, including children's centres, colleges, schools and GP surgeries.

For more details, visit: Open Minds (CAMHS).

First Point of Contact

The First Point of Contact is the single point of access for all Open Minds Partnership (CAMHS) referrals in Calderdale. All referrals come through this central point (other than those that present directly at A&E).

The service operates Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm and until 6.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesdays during Calderdale term-time. The service is normally staffed by at least two mental health practitioners, supported by the specialist duty workers.

The First Point of Contact acts as a triage point with two main functions:

  • To determine whether a CYP meets the criteria for assessment in CAMHS and will benefit from a CAMHS assessment and possibly intervention.
  • For those CYP who do not require CAMHS assessment, to signpost to a more appropriate service or provide advice that the family can use at home.

The service also provides phone consultation, support and advice and referral guidance to professionals in the Calderdale locality who have questions or concerns around the mental health/emotional well-being of children and young people. Referrers are encouraged to phone the First Point of Contact to discuss potential referrals before submitting a referral. The First Point of Contact has now started to take self-referrals from young people and parents/carers.

Referrals can be made online, by post or by phone. Open Minds Partnership – (CAMHS) 01422 300001.

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