Joint Strategic Needs Assessment: early help

The national reviews and programmes have informed how services are delivered locally to best meet the needs of children, young people and families, in the context of increasing demand and risk.

A new locality-based approach within Buckinghamshire Children’s Services has recently been implemented which aims to streamline the support for children and families and improve their experience of accessing services (both early help and statutory services). The model will in time create a whole-system approach to support for children and young people where local needs and pressures are understood and met through multi-agency collaborative working within communities.

A mature early help system, that includes the contribution of partners and voluntary and community sector resources, will recognise the fluidity of threshold, and the dynamic needs of families, stepping the right services in for families at the right stage. Preventative activity will be coordinated, tailored and targeted, through the Partnership, to ensure it reaches families at the earliest point.

The development of Family Hub networks is a key priority, and partners are collaborating to develop these across the county. Partners are working together to develop an effective and sustainable offer, building on best practice, local need, and family feedback.

Update 14 October 2026: The Buckinghamshire Family Hub Network brings together organisations that support children, young people and families across Buckinghamshire. Partners include Buckinghamshire Council, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, voluntary, community and faith organisations, social enterprises, schools, colleges and early years settings.

The Network launched in November 2023 and now has more than 215 partners.

Together, partners help families find and access support as early as possible. Support is available through the Buckinghamshire Family Information Service and Family Hub Network delivery sites across the county, including:

• Family Hubs
• health services
• schools, colleges and early years settings
• voluntary and community organisations

By working together, the Network makes it easier for families to find the right help, at the right time, and in the right place.