Partnership Agencies

The HABS team is part of the Families First Agenda in Hertfordshire

What is Families First?

Families First is the term used in Hertfordshire for services that work together to support families who need extra help. These are also known as early help services.

We all experience difficulties at some point. Families First can help you find early help and information to prevent issues from getting worse.

If you need more help than your usual support network – for example your health visitor, school, doctor or family centre – we can work with you and your family to create a package of support.

Who is it for?

Families First is available to all Hertfordshire families with children under 18 (25 if they have a learning need or disability).

What help is available?

We can help with issues such as:

parenting
mental and physical health problems
drug or alcohol dependency
domestic abuse
school-related concerns – such as your child is not attending school
debt problems
risk of becoming homeless.

There are two types of help available:

Self-help – our website can signpost you to local services and online advice to meet your needs.

Families First assessment – a professional can refer you for an assessment, to see if your family might benefit from more intensive support, based on your family’s individual needs.

Supporting agencies in Hertfordshire offering advice and support to parents and families