Hundreds call helpline over school attendance

A specialist Nottinghamshire advice team offering advice and support to children and their families, has dealt with more than 1,500 requests for help in its first five months.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Mar 2014, 09:55 BST

Nottinghamshire County Council set up the Early Help Unit in September to act as the first point for children, parents, carers and agencies for support around issues such as parenting, school absenteeism and emotional health and wellbeing.

Once consent has been established to discuss the individual case, the team then puts the person in touch with the most appropriate people to help, such as the county council’s targeted support service, or children’s centre.

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Over a quarter of the calls they received were about school attendance concerns.

Mother Lisa Hutchings contacted the Early Help Unit in desperation a few weeks ago, seeking a resolution to an issue for her son at school.

Lisa said: “The advisor understood that problems do not occur in isolation, but form part of a wider picture and can often need input from a variety of different organisations to resolve.

“I was put in touch with the relevant agencies to support me and the issues are now being addressed. I hope more people get to hear about this service and its holistic approach as it has been very helpful.”

For more details contact the Early Help Unit on 01623 433500 during office hours or email: [email protected]

Related topics:NottinghamshireNottinghamshire County Council