Who You Are & What You Do

• Your mission and values — what drives your work
• The specific services you offer (groups, one-to-one support, drop-ins, etc.)
• Your geographical area — exactly which postcodes/areas you cover
• Whether services are universal or targeted (anyone vs. specific referral criteria)

Who You Work With

• Age ranges of children you support
• Family circumstances you specialise in (e.g. domestic abuse, poverty, neurodiversity, looked-after children)
• Any exclusion criteria — who you can’t take on
• Capacity — how many families you can hold at once and current waiting times

How to Refer & What Happens Next

• Your referral process — self-referral, professional referral, or both
• What information they need to send you
• Response times and how families are contacted
• What happens if someone doesn’t engage

Your Credibility & Safeguarding

• Safeguarding policy and who your Designated Safeguarding Lead is — this is non-negotiable for statutory partners
• DBS checks for all staff and volunteers
• Your governance — who oversees the charity (trustees, board)
• Relevant accreditations, training, or quality marks
• Any Ofsted, CQC, or other regulatory history if applicable

Outcomes & Evidence

• What difference you make — data, case studies, feedback
• How you measure impact
• Alignment with local priorities (e.g. Early Help strategy, SEND local offer, Family Hub model)

Partnership & Information Sharing

• Whether you’re signed up to the local information sharing protocol
• How you communicate back to referrers — updates, closure summaries
• Attendance at professionals’ meetings, TAFs, or core groups
• Your relationship with the local Early Help or Family Hub system

Practical Details

• Opening hours and how to contact you
• Whether you’re free at the point of use for families
• Any waiting list or capacity pressures
• Languages spoken / interpretation available
• Accessibility of your premises