Urgent concern
If a child or young person is in immediate danger, call 999.
If the child you are concerned about is at risk of immediate harm, call 0345 603 7627 and ask for the priority line. This number is open Monday to Thursday 8:45 am to 5pm, and Fridays 8:45am to 4:15pm.:
For out of hours or bank holidays, call the Emergency Duty Team on 0345 606 1212.
Before you start
Before you make a request for support, make sure you've already:
- completed an Early Help Plan or Shared Family Assessment
- checked to see if the family's needs could be met by one of the services in the directory of service
If you're not sure whether you need to make a request for support, call our consultation line on 0345 603 7627. We can talk through your case with you and make a decision on what you need to do next.
If you're concerned about the mental health of a child or young person, it may be useful to contact Southend, Essex and Thurrock Children's and Adolescent's Mental Health Service (SET CAMHS) in the first instance.
Make a request for support
You need to have the family's consent before you make the request, unless there is risk of significant harm.
It’s helpful for us to know about any previous intervention the child has had when requesting this level of support.
You'll need to give:
- your profession and contact details
- details about the child, including age, ethnicity, religion and disability
- details about those living in the home
- your concerns and who they relate to
- examples, giving as much description as you can
- details of the support the family have received
- what's going well and what needs to change
Complete the request for support form
Guides for completing the form
Read our guide for professionals (PDF, 294kB) or watch our video guidance on how to complete the request for support form.
You can also reference this example of a form completed by a professional (PDF, 340kB) to guide you.