Early Help & Support Services

At Clyst Vale Community College, we understand that children and families sometimes need extra support to thrive.

Early Help is a way of working together to offer that support as soon as concerns arise. 

Early Help can assist with a wide range of issues, including: 

Emotional & Mental Health 

Support for children and young people experiencing anxiety, low mood, or emotional distress 

Parenting programmes to help manage children's behaviour and emotional wellbeing 

Education & School-Related Issues 

Support with school attendance and engagement 

Help for children at risk of exclusion 

Advice for families navigating SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) 

Family & Parenting Support 

One-to-one family support for complex but non-statutory needs 

Parenting courses (e.g. Triple P, Strengthening Families) 

Support for first-time young parents 

Housing & Financial Difficulties 

Signposting to housing support services 

Help accessing benefits or financial advice 

Risky Behaviour & Safeguarding 

Support for young people involved in anti-social behaviour 

Substance misuse advice and services 

Sexual health education and resources 

Health & Wellbeing 

School nursing and health visitor services 

Social Inclusion & Activities 

Youth centres and positive activities (e.g. sports, arts, leadership programmes) 

Support for LGBTQ+ youth and those with SEND 

At Clyst Vale Community College, Early Help support is coordinated by Lisa Jones, our dedicated Early Help Coordinator. Lisa works closely with students, parents, and carers in a non judgmental way to understand individual needs and circumstances. The process begins with a meeting to discuss current challenges, Lisa is able to advise on a wide range of support agencies available with the locality and discuss with you whether an Early Help Plan would be helpful for your child and family.  If Early Help support needs are identified through the discussion you will be offered an opportunity to complete an Early Help assessment. This assessment helps to identify the level and types of support that may be beneficial. The windscreen diagram below illustrates the different levels of support. 

LEVEL 1 - UNIVERSAL: Personalized universal services available to all families, such as schools and GPs. 

LEVEL 2 -EARLY HELP: Additional needs met by universal and targeted services working together.  

LEVEL 3 -TARGETED HELP: Multi-agency approach required Early Help Multi Agency support plan.  

LEVEL 4 - SPECIALIST: High-level interventions involving statutory processes.  

Support That’s Centred Around You and Your child

Early Help support is designed to be child- and family-centred, meaning your views and experiences are at the heart of everything we do. Whether the challenges are at home, in school, or elsewhere, we aim to help you achieve positive outcomes.

Not every family or student needs support from multiple agencies. In some cases, the school, child and family can work together to provide the help needed. We aim to tailor our approach to suit your unique situation.

For families needing more coordinated support, we use Devon’s Right for Children system. This secure online platform allows professionals to share information safely and work together effectively. It helps us build a complete picture of your family’s needs and ensures that everyone involved is working towards the same goals.

Contact Us

If you feel that Early Help could benefit your child or family, please contact your child’s Head of Year or Lisa Jones, Early Help Coordinator jonesl1@clystvale.org at Clyst Vale Community College.