Family life can be rewarding, demanding and sometimes overwhelming. Difficulties with housing, finances, health, relationships, attendance or family circumstances can affect the whole household—and can make it harder for a child to feel settled and ready to learn.

At Waterloo, families can approach us for help before a difficulty becomes a crisis.

We will listen without judgement, consider what is already working well and help identify the most appropriate next step. Sometimes a conversation and practical advice will be enough. At other times, a family may benefit from coordinated support through Early Help or a Team Around the Family.

Asking for help is a sign of strength. It does not mean that you have failed as a parent or carer.

Who provides family support at Waterloo?

Family support is overseen by:

Mrs Sarah Maciver
Deputy Headteacher

Day-to-day family, attendance and Early Help support is coordinated by:

Mrs Sarah Evison
Pastoral Lead and Attendance and Early Help Lead

Mrs Maciver and Mrs Evison work closely with families, class teachers, the safeguarding team, the SENCO and relevant external professionals.

They can help families understand the support available, make contact with other services and coordinate help where several different professionals are involved.

What can we help with?

Families may speak to us about any issue which is affecting their child or making family life more difficult.

This may include:

• attendance or punctuality;

• morning and bedtime routines;

• managing children’s behaviour;

• family relationships or conflict;

• separation or changes within the household;

• bereavement, illness or loss;

• parental or child mental health;

• domestic abuse or concerns about safety;

• housing difficulties or homelessness;

• debt, benefits or financial pressure;

• access to food, clothing or essential items;

• school uniform or other school-related costs;

• accessing benefits-related free school meals;

• caring responsibilities;

• substance misuse within the household;

• a child’s SEND or health needs;

• social isolation;

• communication or language barriers;

• involvement with several different agencies; or

• a period of crisis or significant change.

Waterloo may not be able to resolve every difficulty directly, but we can help families understand their options and connect with appropriate services.

Practical help from school

Depending upon the family’s circumstances, we may be able to:

• provide information and advice;

• help complete forms or applications;

• support an application for benefits-related free school meals;

• help families access pre-loved uniform;

• discuss financial barriers affecting trips, residentials or participation;

• arrange accessible or translated communication;

• help families establish routines which support attendance;

• provide pastoral support for a child;

• arrange meetings with relevant school staff;

• signpost to community and voluntary organisations;

• make contact with health, housing or local-authority services;

• consider an Early Help referral; or

• coordinate professionals through a Team Around the Family.

Any practical or financial support is handled sensitively. Children will not be publicly identified or made to feel different because their family has asked for help.

What is Early Help?

Early Help means providing the right support as soon as a difficulty emerges, rather than waiting for it to become more serious.

It is not a single service. Schools, health professionals, Family Hubs, voluntary organisations and council teams can all contribute to Early Help.

Early Help may be appropriate when:

• a family is facing several connected difficulties;

• previous advice has not been enough;

• a child’s attendance, wellbeing or development is being affected;

• different services need to work together;

• a family would benefit from regular support from a practitioner; or

• there is a risk that problems will become more serious without additional help.

Early Help is normally voluntary. The family’s knowledge, views, strengths and priorities should remain central throughout the process.

Further information is available from Sefton Early Help and Family Hubs.

How does an Early Help referral work?

The process will usually begin with a conversation about:

• what is going well;

• what the family is worried about;

• how the difficulties are affecting each family member;

• what support has already been tried;

• what the family would like to change; and

• which people or services may be able to help.

With the family’s agreement, Waterloo can contact Sefton’s Early Help services or the Family Advice and Support Team.

Making a referral does not guarantee that a particular service or practitioner will be allocated. Sefton will consider the information provided, the family’s needs, service criteria and the most appropriate source of support.

The school will continue to work with the family while advice or a decision is awaited.

Team Around the Family

Where a family is receiving support from several people or services, a Team Around the Family may be established.

This brings the family and relevant professionals together around one shared plan. The team might include:

• the child and their parent or carer;

• Waterloo staff;

• an Early Help or family practitioner;

• health professionals;

• housing or benefits advisers;

• SEND professionals;

• youth or community services; or

• another service already working with the family.

The purpose is to avoid disconnected referrals, repeated conversations and several different plans.

Together, the team will:

1. identify the family’s strengths and priorities;

2. agree what needs to improve;

3. decide what each person will do;

4. identify a lead practitioner or main contact;

5. record the agreed support; and

6. meet again to review progress.

Support should be purposeful and reviewed regularly. When the agreed outcomes have been achieved and the family no longer requires coordinated help, the plan can be closed.

Waterloo can access Team Around the Family practitioners and work with Sefton’s wider Early Help arrangements to coordinate this support.

Family Advice and Support Team

Sefton’s Family Advice and Support Team (FAST) is the front door to its Early Help Service. Families can also contact the team directly if they believe they would benefit from support from an Early Help Worker.

Telephone: 0151 934 4545

Find out more about FAST

Families are welcome to speak to Waterloo first if they would like help making contact or explaining their circumstances.

Attendance and family support

Attendance difficulties are often connected to wider family circumstances. Our response begins with listening and trying to understand the barrier.

Support may include:

• help with morning routines;

• regular communication;

• pastoral support for the child;

• an individual attendance plan;

• support returning after illness or extended absence;

• liaison with health professionals;

• an Early Help referral; or

• a Team Around the Family meeting.

Support is provided alongside the school’s clear expectation that children attend regularly and arrive on time.

Supporting a child in school

Where family circumstances are affecting a child’s emotional wellbeing, we can consider appropriate pastoral support in school.

This might include a trusted-adult check-in, support with regulation, help with friendships or communication between home and the class teacher.

Support for disadvantaged families

We recognise that financial pressure and other forms of disadvantage can create barriers to learning and participation.

Waterloo works discreetly with families to reduce these barriers and ensure that pupils can access the curriculum, visits, clubs, residential experiences and wider school life.

Support relating to SEND

Families who are concerned about their child’s learning, communication, development or additional needs should speak to the class teacher, Early Years key person or SENCO.

Family circumstances or disadvantage do not automatically mean that a child has SEND. However, family information can help us build a complete picture of a child’s strengths and needs.

Consent, privacy and information sharing

We will treat family information with care and respect.

For Early Help and most family-support referrals, we will explain:

• what information needs to be shared;

• why it is being shared;

• who it will be shared with; and

• how the information will help.

We will normally seek the family’s agreement before making an Early Help referral or sharing information for coordinated family support.

However, staff cannot promise complete confidentiality. If information suggests that a child or another person may be at risk of harm, Waterloo has a legal and professional duty to follow safeguarding procedures. In these circumstances, information may need to be shared without consent to protect someone from harm.

Where it is safe to do so, we will explain this to the family.

Will asking for help result in a social-care referral?

Asking Waterloo for help does not automatically result in a referral to Children’s Social Care.

Many concerns can be addressed through school support, community services or voluntary Early Help. We will discuss the available options with you.

A safeguarding referral will be made where there is reason to believe that a child is experiencing, or may be at risk of, significant harm. The child’s safety must always come first.

Contacting Waterloo

You can speak to your child’s class teacher or Early Years key person, or ask to speak privately with Mrs Maciver or Mrs Evison.

Email: admin@wps.mvlt.co.uk
Telephone: 0151 928 4274
Address: Crosby Road North, Waterloo, Liverpool, L22 0LD

You do not need to explain private details to reception staff. You can simply ask for Mrs Maciver or Mrs Evison to contact you about a confidential family matter.

Concerned about a child?

If you are worried about the safety or wellbeing of a child, you can contact Sefton’s Children’s Help and Advice Team (CHAT):

Telephone: 0151 934 4013

Contact Sefton CHAT

Outside normal working hours, including weekends and bank holidays, contact Sefton’s Emergency Duty Team:

Telephone: 0151 934 3555

If a child or young person is in immediate danger, call 999.