Workforce and resource pressure is hampering multi-agency help for families, a report from inspectorates behind joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) warns.
Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have released a report stating that the lack of health, police and social care resources has caused early help for families to dwindle.
Quality and delivery of support for children and families was assessed as part of JTAIs carried out across five local authority areas to see how health services, schools, police and wider services support children and families. Early help was found to be effective in areas where leaders worked with partners and local communities to create accessible services, however local partners were not as engaged in delivering services.
The study also found that there were well-trained and knowledgeable early help workers from a range of agencies supporting families, but they felt as if the situations they were dealing with were highly complex and above their level.
