From 1st April 2025 Children’s Services will be introducing a new Social Work Team.
The Access Help and Support Team (AHST) is a central point for all new concerns about children and young people. The service aims to get children and families the right support at the right time. The team will be responsible for all new child referrals into social work services.
Our aims:
To be a single, easy-to-find place where children, families, and professionals can ask for Social Work help or advice.
To offer helpful advice and guidance to make sure decisions about children and families are made with care.
To make sure families get the right support at the right time from the right services.
To endeavour to help children and families achieve better outcomes by acting quickly and providing the right kind of help when it's needed.
West Dunbartonshire Council and its partners embrace the principles and practice associated with Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) and The Promise
Who are the Access Help and Support Team?
We are a team of dedicated Social Workers who will carry out assessments of new referrals to Children’s Social Work, including Child Protection assessments.
We are open Monday to Thursday, 8.45 - 16:45 and Friday, 8:45 - 15:55.
If you have any questions, please phone us on 0141 562 8800, and ask for the Access, Help and Support Team.
Referrals received outside these times (inc bank holidays) will be actioned the next working day. If you require a response out of hours, please call Standby Social Work on 0300 343 1505.
To make a referral for a child or young person to the Access, Help and Support Team, please click here.