Early help and the role of the lead practitioner
Coordinating Early Help support is a collaborative, family-centred process that brings practitioners and families together to identify needs early, build on strengths and provide timely support before problems escalate.
Every family receiving Early Help should have a named lead practitioner who coordinates services, communicates with all involved, and ensures the family is included in decision making.
Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews have highlighted that, although families were receiving support through Early Help, there was not always clear and effective coordination of services. It was not evident who the Lead Practitioner was, resulting in agencies responding to the child and family’s needs in isolation rather than through a joined-up, multi-agency approach. The Lead Practitioner role is fundamental to effective Early Help provision, ensuring there is a clear point of contact for the family, coordinated planning and information sharing between professionals, and oversight of progress against identified needs.
Our Lead Practitioner page provides practical guidance to help practitioners understand the role and ensure support is delivered through a joined-up approach.
LSCP Training
New dates have been added to our training offer. Book your place today!
Introduction to Safeguarding
Online introductory training for people who are in regular contact with children and young people either directly, through work with their families / carers or through the setting in which they work.
This is seen as a minimum requirement for all people working within settings which work with or have regular contact with children and young people.
This course should be accessed through your own agency, however for agencies from the smaller third sector, voluntary or private sector (which do not have access to training within their own agency) this course is available via the LSCP.
Leeds Community Healthcare staff can access Introduction training in-house via their induction process.
For those practitioners working for key members of the Safeguarding Partnership (LCC, CSWS, Health Providers, Education, WYP), introductory training should be accessed through your own agency.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course participants will have:
- An awareness of the signs and indicators that a child is experiencing abuse, neglect or exploitation
- An awareness of the impact abuse can have on a child's development
- An understanding of the importance of being professionally curious and responding to concerns about a child
- The skills to recognise and respond to safeguarding concerns in an appropriate way
- An understanding of the importance of working alongside others, including family members and other professionals to respond to safeguarding concerns.
- A basic understanding of local and national guidelines, policy and procedure relating to safeguarding children.
It is recommended that people undertake Safeguarding Children & Young People Refresher Training every 3 years following completion of this training.
Trainer details
This training is delivered by the Leeds Safeguarding Partnership Business Unit.
Delivery
This session will be delivered live on Zoom and participants will need to attend the full session in a private space with no distractions.
This is an interactive session and in order for participants to fully engage we ask that the training is accessed via a laptop or PC only (no mobile phones or tablets).
Delegates’ videos and microphones should be switched on throughout the whole session.
Only one delegate per device and if accessing in the same room as a colleague please ensure headsets are used.
Preparation for the session
This course should be accessed through your own agency or organisation.
For those smaller third sector, voluntary or private sector organisations (who do not have access to training within their own agency) this course is available via the LSCP.
Introduction to safeguarding children training only needs to be completed once. We recommend that you update your safeguarding training every 3 years by completing Safeguarding Children & Young People Refresher Training.
Charging
There is a charge for all private organisation for attendance and non-attendance to training. Third Sector / not-for-profit agencies who have an annual turnover of more than £250k will be charged £50.
LSCP partner agencies, or Third Sector / not-for-profit agencies who have an annual turnover of less than £250k (voluntary, community, faith) will be exempt from charges to attend learning events. With the exemption of non-attendance as stated below.
All delegates from any agency will be charged £50 for non-attendance at the live session, so you will need to provide billing details when you register for the course. For further information see our Charging Policy.
Dates/Times
- Tuesday 15 September 2026, 9am to 3.15pm
- Tuesday 10 November 2026, 9am to 3.15pm
Book your place on Introduction to Safeguarding Children & Young People training
Working together to safeguard children and young people
This online multi-agency course is for any member of staff who is considered to be a lead professional for safeguarding or may be involved in multi-agency approaches to safeguarding children and young people in their organisation. This may include undertaking s47 (child abuse) enquiries, working with complex cases, or those who would regularly attend Initial Child Protection Conferences.
- Tuesday 3 November, 9am to 3.30pm Face to Face
- Thursday 3 December 9am to 3.30pm
Book your place on Working Together to safeguard children and young people
From the wider safeguarding sector
West Yorkshire Consortium Inter Agency Safeguarding and Child Protection Procedures
The procedures are updated twice a year. Included in June’s update were amendments to; Child sexual abuse in the family environment, missing children, Harmful Sexual Behaviour, suicidal behaviour and transitional safeguarding.
Full details of the updates can be found on the West Yorkshire Consortium website.
New resource: Rethinking domestic abuse in child protection
Research in Practice has published new strategic and frontline briefings from the Rethinking Domestic Abuse in Child Protection (RDAC) project, bringing together learning from a three-year research programme focused on improving responses to domestic abuse across children's social care. The resources encourage practitioners and leaders to move beyond incident-focused approaches and develop a fuller understanding of families' experiences, including the impact of poverty, housing issues, coercive control and other intersecting inequalities.
A key message from the research is that services often place disproportionate responsibility on non-abusing parents, while those causing harm remain insufficiently engaged. The briefings promote whole-family, whole-person and trauma-informed approaches, keeping children's experiences at the centre of practice while building trust with families and communities. They also highlight the importance of evidence-informed assessments, improved recording and data systems, and sustained support that reflects the wider context of family life.
The publication includes separate briefings for strategic leaders and frontline practitioners, alongside reflective case studies designed to support supervision, learning and team discussions.
Have your say on 2 DfE consultations
1. The Department for Education (DfE) is developing new statutory guidance that will directly impact how we share information to safeguard children.
This is a key opportunity to:
- influence how the new information sharing duty is understood and applied
- ensure the guidance reflects real-world practice and challenges
- help drive a positive culture shift across safeguarding partnerships
Take part in their consultation and share your views here.
The closing date is 14 July 2026.
2. The DfE are also seeking views on proposals to update Working Together to Safeguard Children, the Children’s Social Care National Framework, and the policy that will underpin the development of multi-agency child protection teams regulations.
This consultation includes proposals to:
- strengthen family help, including making better use of family networks
- improve multi-agency child protection arrangements for all children
- strengthen independent scrutiny and continuous improvement across safeguarding partnerships
- support more effective decision making across safeguarding partners
- develop multi-agency child protection teams
They want to understand whether the proposals are clear, practical to implement, and likely to improve outcomes for children and their families.
The consultation is now live on GOV.UK and closes on 4 September 2026.
From July to August, you are invited to attend consultation webinars, offering an opportunity to explore and better understand the consultation, alongside giving your views. See the LSCP website for full details and to book your place. Capacity is limited to 250 registrations per event, so please sign up early to secure your place.
Dates for your diary
Safe Sport Day, 8 August 2026
World Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September 2026