The council is seeking residents’ views to help shape early help services in the borough.
An eight-week consultation was launched on 1 February asking people for their opinions on a range of options to develop and improve early help services to achieve the best outcomes for families in need of support.
The consultation, which runs until 27 March, will help shape more detailed proposals which will be considered by councillors later in the year.
The council is keen to hear people’s views on options aimed at ensuring services are closer to families, better tailored to meet the needs of children and young people of all ages, and are more focused on the whole family.
These include plans to build on work testing new ways of working that are already being piloted in some parts of the borough.
These pilots have already shown some positive results from more integrated working, including better coordination of work with partner organisations to make sure services are delivered in the right places, to the right people, at the right time.
As part of the consultation, the council is also asking people for any thoughts or suggestions they may have on alternative ideas.
As well as an online questionnaire seeking people’s opinions, there will be six consultation events hosted across the borough to gather people’s views, as well as a series of focus groups with a range of service users to help understand their views in depth.
Councillor Reuben Thompstone, Chairman of the Children, Education, Libraries and Safeguarding Committee, said: “This consultation includes some very important options for exploring how we can find new ways of improving and better targeting early help services for families, including children’s centres and youth services.
“These include options aimed at ensuring families receive quicker, more straightforward and coordinated services, building on some of the very encouraging work already being carried out.
“There are a number of ways people can get involved and give us their views and opinions, and I would like to encourage as many people as possible to take the time to take part over the coming weeks.”
More information on the consultation, details of the consultation events, and access to the online survey can be found on the engage website.
Residents with questions on the consultation, can email, telephone 020 8359 2724 or write to:
Early Help consultation
Strategy and Insight Team
Family Services
2nd floor
Building 2
North London Business Park
Oakleigh Road South
London
N11 1GN