Support for families and parents
We care about every child in our school and we want each and every child to reach their full potential. We have a range of pastoral support for both children and families, details of which can be found by clicking on the link below;
What support is available - click here
Worcestershire Children’s First
Early Help means providing support as soon as a problem appears, to stop it from getting worse. This could be at any point in a child’s life, from birth to the teenage years. Worcestershire Children First is responsible for the delivery of services to children and young people across Worcestershire.
Their vision is for Worcestershire to be a wonderful place for all children and young people to grow up. For further information please visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/worcestershirechildrenfirst/
Early Help Assessment and Guidance
What is an Early Help Assessment (EHA)?
The Early Help Assessment is a tool to assist any professional who is working with children, young people and families. It should be used where there are emerging welfare or well-being concerns. This is NOT a referral form but gives a framework to consider whilst working with a child or family.
Please click on the link below for further information.
Starting Well Partnership in Worcestershire
Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, Action for Children, Barnardo’s and Redditch Borough Council were delighted to formally launch the new Starting Well Partnership from 1st April 2020. Please take time to look at the website www.startingwellworcs.nhs.uk as this service is a key part of the early intervention and prevention offer in Worcestershire.
The partnership will enhance the support available to children, young people and families across the county, providing help during antenatal, post birth, and early years stages, and right throughout school life. Due to the current Coronavirus epidemic, the service will not be fully operational at this time, but will include Family Hubs in each of our local districts, and will offer family and parenting groups supporting all aspects of physical and mental wellbeing for children, young people and their families.
They will also work closely with schools and other community groups supporting young people and parents. The new offer includes a new Starting Well website which they are pleased to say is now live. It will be developed more over the coming months, but initially includes lots if information to support families during the current challenges as a result of Covid-19. There are also links to wider information on a range of issues, from infant feeding through to supporting a young person’s mental wellbeing.
Starting Well Services
The Starting Well Partnership have put together a letter which highlights services available to all families with children aged 0 to 5 years of age during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Worcestershire Children First Early Years and Starting Well Partnership have asked us to share this letter with our families and communities.
Starting Well Parenting Booklet 2020
The Parenting Team are working really hard to say in touch with our families and offer virtual support. Please click on the link below to access the Starting Well Parenting Booklet.
Starting Well Parenting Booklet 2020
Here2Help – support when you need it most
Here2Help is here for families self-isolating and unable to get support from friends, family or neighbours.
On the Here2Help website families can find resources to help with staying at home during Coronavirus as well as an online form they can fill out to request the support they need.
If the family does not have internet access, they can call 01905 768053 which is open Monday to Thursday, 9am – 5pm and Friday 9am – 4.30pm.
Here2Help will signpost callers to up to date advice and arrange volunteer support where required to help those who are unable to leave their homes as a result of needing to self-isolate.
The types of support available include:
- Collecting and delivering food and supplies
- Arranging emergency food support
Help collecting prescriptions- Help with other commitments such as pet needs
- Support for those who are feeling isolated
- Advice around money, benefits and debt
For more information visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help
Home Start
Home-Start Wyre Forest is open for business and able to accept referrals for families with children aged 0-18 years, living in The Wyre Forest, who may need some emotional support and befriending.
At present our volunteers are offering weekly support through phone and video calls, but this will return to face to face weekly visits to the home when safe to do so.
Home-Starts Psychology Service, Safe & Strong, continues to deliver therapy to adults and children who they support each week – again this is remote therapy from their Psychologist at present with a return to face to face sessions when guidance allows.
Pre-School and After School Family Groups will restart next year when it is safe to do so and run both term time and school holidays.
Families can contact Home Start directly, or school refer on their behalf, providing consent is given.
Please see referral form attached or ring Home-Start for a chat to find out more.
Looking after your mental health
Safeguarding your Mental Health during Coronavirus is exceptionally important. Please click on the link below to read the latest guidance from the government about safeguarding your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak.
Public Health England launches new Every Mind Matters campaign
Most families have experienced upheaval in their daily lives during the pandemic. With children and young people now back at school or college, the new Public Health England (PHE) Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign provides NHS-endorsed tips and advice to help children and young people’s mental wellbeing, and equip parents and carers with the knowledge to support them.
The new advice available on the Every Mind Matters website has been developed in partnership with leading children and young people’s mental health charities, including Young Minds, The Mix, Place2Be and The Anna Freud Centre.
It is designed to help parents and carers spot the signs that children may be struggling with their mental health and support them, and also provides advice that can help maintain good mental wellbeing. The site also provides tools to help young people build resilience and equips them to look after their mental wellbeing.
The new Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign will be supported through social media, radio and press activity, helping to reach audiences including parents and carers of children and young people (aged 5 to 18) and young people (aged 13 to 18).
Search Every Mind Matters for expert tips and advice to support children and young people with their mental wellbeing.
Mentally Healthy Schools resources to help schools rebuild and recover
Mentally Healthy Schools has created a set of practical resources to help make the transition back to school easier for everyone, and help the whole school community rebuild and recover.
The resources are designed to be social distancing-friendly and are suitable for all. They contain lesson plans for teachers, advice and guidance for parents, and simple activities for children to complete in class or at home.
Barnardo’s See, Hear, Respond
See, Hear, Respond is a service provided across England by Barnardo’s and other national and local community-based organisations in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
See, Hear, Respond, provides support to children, young people and their families who aren’t currently seeing a social worker or other agency, and who are struggling to cope with the emotional impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19). See, Hear, Respond will support from pre-birth up to 18 years of age and those with special educational needs under the age of 25.
See, Hear, Respond will contact every referral made, so no child is missed. Help is available in one or more of four ways:
| · an online hub of support and information
· online counselling and therapy · face-to-face support for those most affected and at risk of some of today’s most pertinent issues, such as criminal exploitation, and · helping children and young people reintegrate back into school |
You can access via the ‘See, Hear, Respond’ service self-referral webpage or Freephone 0800 151 7015.