Family Liaison and Early Help

Family Liaison-Safeguarding Officer and Mental Health Lead.

Mrs Katie Large 
K.large@clsdurham.co.uk
0191 388 2328

My name is Mrs Large, 

I am the Family Liaison and Safeguarding Officer here at Chester le Street CE Primary School.

My role is to provide pastoral support to both children and families. In addition to liaising with children and families in my day to day role within the school I also work with outside agencies and charities in order to support the families at school and build community links through key events such as coffee mornings and school fairs.

Part of my role is to monitor attendance, as attendance in school is integral to children making progress in their learning. I work closely with the School Liaison Officer, Mrs Sabourne to support families with attendance for more complex issues.

I am also part of the School Safeguarding Team alongside Ms Butler and Mrs McKay.

I am here to help with any personal worries or school related issues. If you have any concerns, please come and talk to me about it.  I am available for chats, drop-ins, and appointments.  I can be contacted on the above email or phone number. So please do not hesitate to get in touch for any reason. If I cannot help within the first instance I can support and signpost you to someone or an agency that can help. 

Early Help Offer

At Chester-Le-Street CE Primary School we pride ourselves on our strong relationships with parents and carers. We ensure that we take the time to build relationships with them all and subsequently our parents feel comfortable in talking to us openly. This allows us to provide support to the parents/the whole family, the child/children.
My role is to support families, children and young people within our school community to overcome difficulties and build their resilience so that problems do not escalate. I support children and families to thrive, live and engage happily in their communities.

If school or family identifies any emerging issues I will arrange a meeting with parents/carers to discuss the issues and offer advice, signposting and any interventions or groups that may be of help to them. 

These include but are not limited to

• Parenting Groups to help you support your child, their needs and behaviour
• Children's Groups specifically for emotional wellbeing and anxieties
• Help reducing parental conflict 
• Domestic Abuse Support
• Supporting your Child's Health
• Fussy Eating Workshops
• Supporting your Pregnancy 

Should you need further support and with permission I am able to complete a Durham Early Help assessment. 

This will formally identify with parents/carers the main concerns that school or the family has, and identify next steps and actions to improve things for the child/children and their family. 

Other professionals such as the Health Visitor or School Nurse may be invited to such meetings where appropriate. Where it is known that children have siblings at other schools/settings, representatives from these schools/settings may also be invited to attend. Other professionals as appropriate, could also be invited. 

The aim of this process is to ensure the concerns are addressed and the situation improves for children. As such, follow up meetings will be held. Where the concerns identified have been addressed, in consultation with other professionals and parents/carers the early help process can finish. 

If through this process, concerns remain or are not being addressed, a referral could be made to Durham First Contact Service where their thresholds are met.
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55116 family hubs activity and programmes guide.pdf