Early Help Review Specialist – AR

Early Help Review Specialist

Client: London Borough of Harrow
Department: Children’s Services
Location: Harrow / Hybrid
Contract: 6 months
Start Date: September 2026
Assignment Type: Consultancy / Interim

About the Role

The London Borough of Harrow is seeking an experienced Early Help Review Specialist to undertake a comprehensive review of its Early Help and Youth Services.

The role will assess the current service model, identify strengths and gaps, analyse demand and performance, engage with children, families, partners and communities, and develop recommendations for a future Early Help and preventative Youth Services model.

The review will take account of the Families First reforms, SEND reforms, National Youth Strategy, NHS reforms and Integrated Neighbourhood Team developments.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish the project governance, review methodology, stakeholder map, engagement plan and reporting framework.
• Undertake a comprehensive review of current Early Help and Youth Services provision.
• Analyse JSNA data, SEND demand, Children’s Social Care contacts and referrals, repeat contacts, thresholds, complaints, audits and service performance.
• Review step-up and step-down pathways between Early Help and Children’s Social Care.
• Identify current strengths, service gaps, emerging needs and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead engagement with children, young people, parents/carers, schools, health partners, VCS organisations, faith groups, community safety teams and council services.
• Review Youth Services, community assets, voluntary-sector capacity, funding opportunities and partnership resources.
• Develop and assess potential future service delivery options.
• Consider staffing structures, governance, costs, partnership arrangements, risks and benefits within each proposed model.
• Develop recommendations for future Early Help and preventative Youth Services provision.
• Produce strategic reports and present findings and recommendations to senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Develop a practical implementation roadmap with SMART recommendations, priorities, performance measures and transition arrangements.
• Support the required Children’s Services governance and approval processes.

Essential Experience

• Significant experience within Children’s Services, Early Help or related local authority services.
• Proven experience delivering service reviews, transformation or service redesign.
• Experience developing future operating models and strategic recommendations.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret service, demand and performance data.
• Experience engaging with a wide range of professional, community and resident stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of Early Help and its relationship with Children’s Social Care and wider preventative services.
• Experience producing high-quality strategic reports and presenting findings to senior management or governance boards.
• Strong understanding of partnership working across local government, health, education and voluntary/community sectors.

Desirable Experience

• Experience of Youth Services and SEND.
• Knowledge of Families First reforms and wider Children’s Services reform.
• Experience of NHS/health integration or place-based working.
• Experience identifying funding and commissioning opportunities.
• Experience developing implementation plans following a major service review.

Key Deliverables

The successful consultant will be expected to deliver:

• Project initiation and review framework
• Early Help needs analysis and baseline assessment
• Resident, partner and community engagement findings
• Review of Youth Services and community assets
• Future Early Help and Youth Services options appraisal
• Draft recommendations and future operating model
• Final review report and implementation roadmap

Key Skills

Service Transformation | Early Help | Children’s Services | Strategic Review | Stakeholder Engagement | Data & Needs Analysis | Future Operating Models | Service Redesign