Help and Support

"Sometimes asking for help is the bravest move you can make" – Carrie Fisher

Our School’s Early Help Offer

At St. Thomas' we believe that a child’s well-being and success are rooted in strong, supportive connections between school and home. We understand that children and families can often face challenges that impact their well-being, learning, and day-to-day life. To support our community, we provide an Early Help Offer, which aims to identify and address concerns early, providing families with the tools and resources they need to thrive.

What is Early Help?

Early Help is about ensuring that children, young people, and their families receive the right support as soon as challenges arise. This proactive approach can prevent difficulties from escalating and create positive outcomes for everyone involved.

How We Can Support You

As part of our Early Help Offer, we can assist with:

• Emotional Well-being: Supporting children and families through challenging times.
• Parenting Support: Offering advice and strategies for managing behaviour, routines, and other aspects of family life.
• Education Support: Addressing concerns about attendance, learning, or engagement in school.
• Signposting Services: Connecting you with specialised support services for issues such as housing, financial challenges, or mental health.

How Does It Work?

If you feel your family might benefit from Early Help:

• Contact Us: Speak to a member of our pastoral or safeguarding team or your child's teacher.
• Assessment: Together, we’ll complete an Early Help Assessment (EHA) to understand your family’s needs.
• Personalised Support Plan: We’ll work with you to develop a plan that focuses on your family’s strengths and helps address the challenges you face
• Ongoing Support: We’ll review progress and adapt the plan as needed, working in partnership with you and, where appropriate, other services.

Working with Families

Our Early Help Offer follows the Working Well with Children and Families Guidance and is a partnership between school, families, and external services. The process is:

• Voluntary: You’re in control and choose whether to engage with the support offered.
• Confidential: We handle your concerns with sensitivity and discretion.
• Family-Centred: Your input is key to shaping the support we provide.

Specialist Support

When necessary, we may involve or refer to services such as:

• Lancashire Early Help
• Local Family Hubs
• Mental health organisations
• Social care services
• Housing or financial advice agencies

Our school Mental Health Lead is Mrs. Fishwick and our Pastoral Teaching Assistant is Mrs. Harrison. 

We are committed to working with families to create a nurturing, supportive environment where every child can succeed. If you’re facing challenges or simply want to talk about the support available, we’re here for you.