The latest news
Supporting Families Practice Team
Our team of Senior and Families First Coordinators are available to provide support in all aspects of the Families First Assessment as well as offering support with non open cases and can offer discussions on any queries around Early Help support.
If you’re facing any challenges or need further advice and guidance, please don’t hesitate to contact them. They can help you with a range of issues, including:-
- When and how to initiate a Families First Assessment
- How to complete the Families First Assessment and Action Plan & Review forms
- Ensuring the strengths and views of the whole family including the voice of the child and young person are embedded into the process
- How to create the Team Around the Family - What service to be involved
- Ensuring that Early Help Module tools and processes are used effectively, and with timely reviews
- How to progress the Family First Episode effectively
- Complex cases including those stepped down from Children’s Services
- Follow-on bespoke training in all areas of the Family First Early Help process
- Support you to understand the Family First Episode and Team Around Family process
- Support can be provided by telephone, email and/or one-to-one visits (see contact details below).
- We can attend and facilitate review meetings/Team Around the Family meetings in any of the following circumstances:
- The Key Worker is unfamiliar with the Family First process i.e. new to the process
- The Key Worker is struggling to draw together the relevant professionals
- The Key Worker has concerns around the case.
Below are the contact details for all districts:-
Broxbourne & East Herts & Welwyn/Hatfield
Senior FF Coordinator: Mandi Tsamados
Tel: 01992 555808 Comnet: 25808
mandi.tsamados@hertfordshire.gov.uk
FF Coordinator: Charlotte Saggers
Tel: 01438 843070 Comnet: 53070
charlotte.saggers@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Dacorum &St Albans
Senior FF Coordinator: Helen Whyman
Tel: 01438 844746 Comnet: 54746
helen.whyman1@hertfordshire.gov.uk
FF Coordinator: Sarah Ellis
Tel: 01438 843119 Comnet: 53119
sarah.ellis@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Stevenage & North Herts
Senior FF Coordinator: Suzanne Paisley (Mon – Wed) / Holly Turl (Wed – Fri)
Tel: 01438 843519 Comnet: 53519 / Tel: 01438 843794 Comnet: 53794
suzanne.paisley@hertfordshire.gov.uk / holly.turl@hertfordshire.gov.uk
FF Coordinator: Jackie Brewin
Tel: 01438 844982 Comnet: 54982
jackie.brewin@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Watford & Three Rivers & Hertsmere
Senior FF Coordinator: Shelly Cook
Tel: 01438 843383 Comnet: 53383
Shelly.cook@hertfordshire.gov.uk
FF Coordinator (Mat. Leave until Sept 24) : Jacky Reynolds
Tel: 01438 844097 Comnet: 54097 jacqueline.reynolds@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Countywide
FF Coordinator – Georgina Lusby
Tel: 01438 844269 Comnet: 54269
georgina.lusby@hertfordshire.gov.uk
More information on Families First Assessments and the Early Help Module can be found here: Early Help – information for professionals and partners (hertfordshire.gov.uk)
Introduction to the SEND Local Offer website’ – webinar
The Local Offer website lets parents, young people and professionals know what special educational needs and disabilities services are available in Hertfordshire, and who can access them. There is so much more than that, too.
A friendly face from the Local Offer team will take you through what’s on the website and how you can use it to find the right services and support.
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer
No need to register, just copy and paste the below dates in your calendars:-
(For professionals) Thursday 11 January 2pm – 3pm Click here to join the meeting
(For professionals) Tuesday 16 January 10am – 11am Click here to join the meeting
(For professionals AND parent carers) Tuesday 16 January 8pm – 9pm Click here to join the meeting
A quick note: The Local Offer website is different to Short Breaks (SBLO). We won’t be going into detail about SBLO.
Chrysalis Centre are Inspiring Change
Chrysalis Centre is a ground-breaking programme of interventions to break the cycle of domestic abuse making victims, families and communities safer. This is achieved by challenging underlying abusive behaviours and providing education and support to enable healthy, safe and positive relationships. Central to the role of Chrysalis Centre is the effective screening of referrals to understand causation factors, including Adverse Childhood Experiences, substance or alcohol dependencies.
Working across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, the Chrysalis Centre brings together a range of professionals from healthcare, criminal justice and behavioural change experts to introduce clinical, behavioural and support interventions to achieve positive and potentially life affirming futures.
Find out more:- Chrysalis Centre
Download the leaflet here
Migration to Universal Credit from Feb 24!
The DWP have confirmed that tax credit claimants in Hertfordshire will start to be invited to switch to Universal Credit (UC) from February 2024. Up to now, UC was triggered by a change of circumstance or someone claiming voluntarily. From February, DWP will be sending out ‘migration notices’, giving people 3 months to make their UC claim before their tax credit ends. The only people who will be exempted from managed migration at this stage are those who are getting income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Where managed migration is already in operation, only 73% of those eligible to switch to UC have done so, losing an average £300 a month each, so it’s important to encourage people to respond when they get their migration notice.
For more information about UC, managed migration and the ‘transitional protection’ that is supposed to stop claimants from losing income when they switch, contact the Money Advice Unit adviceline on 01438 843444 (comnet 53444) or moneyadvice.unit@hertfordshire.gov.uk
News from Services for Young People
Parents and carers get support and guidance with emotionally-based school avoidance at Hemel Hempstead Young People's Centre
Services for Young People (SfYP) is working in partnership with the St Albans and Dacorum Delivering Special Provision Locally groups (DSPL 7 and 8) to offer a series of drop-in support sessions for families dealing with the impact of emotionally-based school avoidance.
Emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA) describes reduced or non-attendance at school by a child or young person due to emotional, mental health or wellbeing issues.
Support for home educated young people
SfYP offers ongoing youthwork projects specifically designed to address the unique needs of home educated young people, including those who are experiencing emotionally-based school avoidance. The projects are welcoming and inclusive, providing the opportunity for young people to socialise and get support, learn skills for managing their emotional wellbeing, resilience, confidence, teamwork skills and goal setting for the future.
Young people can also drop into to SfYP young people's centres where qualified Advisers and Youth Workers provide information, advice and support on a range of subjects.
SfYP supports White Ribbon Day and 16 Days of Activism
SfYP was proud to support this year’s campaigns against gender-based violence. Its work with young people helps them to develop healthy relationships and challenge harmful attitudes to create a safer future for everyone.
SfYP has developed a range of youth work programmes to help young people stay safe, which are delivered in our projects across the county. These empower young people to recognise and develop healthy relationships, understand allyship, and challenge harmful gender norms and inequalities.
New Neurodiversity Support Hub
We are delighted to let you know about the launch of The Neurodiversity Support Hub. Following a pilot phase, we are excited to be able to roll this out across Hertfordshire thanks to funding from both Herts County Council (HCC) and the NHS. The Hub has initially been funded until the end of March 25 and ADD-Vance have been commissioned to run the Hub, which is open Monday - Friday 9am-1pm.
The Hub is staffed by experts by experience, they can answer any questions to do with Neurodiversity, however big or small, or just be a listening ear. Please note, no diagnosis is required to access the support and the helpline is open to parents, carers and professionals.
The Hub can be contacted by phone on 01727 833963, with an answerphone facility for out of hours or by email at support@add-vance.org
Please share this information with your parents/carers/staff and colleagues.
We also have some new digital webinars which parent, carers and professionals can access on demand. Initially we have webinars on Understanding Autism, Understanding ADHD, Navigating the SEND world and Navigating the SEND world post 16. Over the coming months we will be expanding this offer to include several other topics. They can be accessed here SEND documents and resources (hertfordshire.gov.uk)
If you have any queries or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact me or alternatively you can contact the project team on hct.hertsneurodiversitytransformation@nhs.net
The feedback we have received so far has been fantastic, here is a small sample:
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I was stuck in a moment where I didn’t know which way to turn. Your helpline saved me today and put me in the right direction, made me feel less alone and has given me hope. thank you, I feel stronger just by knowing what to do next.
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I was feeling especially low and unsupported as a neurodivergent parent with neurodivergent kids. The call was such a life-line and the practical resources emailed to me afterwards are very useful. All in all, your service has kept me going during a particularly difficult time. Thank you.
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Amazing support. I was lost without L’s help, experience, advice, and support. I felt overwhelmed and now feel very supported and have direction. I felt I was heard and had the time and space I needed and could speak without being judged and ask anything. This service is incredible!
Parenting SEN children when Separated - Family Lives online groups
Family Lives are delivering the below online groups, funded by Herts County Council, for parents/carers who live in Hertfordshire.
All our programmes provide support, information and resources to parents/carers and adult family members so they can help their child reach their full potential as well as access to the wraparound support provided by our helpline, live chat and website.
Parenting SEN Children when Separated
Parenting SEN Children when separated’ 6-week programme is specifically tailored to help separated parents navigate the complexities of co-parenting and provide the best possible support for their SEND child. This is a valuable opportunity to enhance co-parenting skills, support children’s development and build a strong foundation for the future.
Monday 8, 15 & 22 January 2024 (SPACES STILL AVAILABLE)
7.00pm – 9.00pm
MS Teams
Thursdays 11, 18 & 25 January and 1, 8 & 15 February 2024
7.00pm – 9.00pm
MS Teams
Mondays, 29 January, 5, 12 & 26 February and 4 & 11 March 2024
7.00pm – 9.00pm
MS Teams
Who can attend:
- Separated parents raising children with SEND.
- Parents seeking guidance, support, and strategies for co-parenting SEN children more consistently.
- Parents wanting to create a positive and supportive environment for their child’s development.
To book a place please click here for our online referral form Reducing Parental Conflict Parenting , or for further information please call 0204 522 8700 / 0204 522 8699 or email services@familylives.org.uk
Within My Reach
Within my Reach 8-week programme is for specifically designed for parents living together or apart, who are facing conflicts and struggling to find common ground in raising their neurodiverse child. This is a valuable opportunity to enhance relationships, strengthen parenting skills and create a more harmonious home environment
Two courses will be delivered MS Teams over 8 sessions on the following dates :
Tuesdays & Thursdays 27 & 29 February, 5 & 7 March, 12 & 14 March and 19 & 21 March 2024
7.00pm to 9.00pm
Via MS Teams
Wednesdays & Saturdays 28 February & 2 March, 6 & 9 March, 13 & 16 March and 20 & 23 March 2024
Wednesday 7-9pm & Saturdays 10am-12pm
Via MS Teams
Who can attend:
- Parents who are experiencing conflicts and challenges due to the neurodiversity of their child
- Parents who want to improve communication and build stronger partnership in parenting and coparenting their neurodiverse child.
- Parents seeking guidance, support, and practical strategies to navigate the unique challenges of raising a neurodiverse child.
To book a place please click here for our online referral form Reducing Parental Conflict Parenting , or for further information please call 0204 522 8700 / 0204 522 8699 or email services@familylives.org.uk
Cost of Living Support
Hertfordshire County Council have put together a very helpful page with a range of marketing materials and content to help you promote support for residents during the rising cost of living.
Whether you interact with the public in your day job or as a volunteer, we understand how important it is that you can direct residents to trusted sources of help and advice in Hertfordshire when needed.
Find out more here:- Cost of living toolkit | Hertfordshire County Council
Contraception Champion Scheme
We are delighted to be launching a ‘Contraception Champion’ scheme. This is a Hertfordshire County Council led initiative for frontline practitioners and professionals across a wide range of organisations and services. Our aim is to encourage conversations with residents and service users that promote contraception and good sexual health and signposting to contraception and sexual health services. We will be working with local Sexual Health service providers to provide information, updates, and training around sexual health in Hertfordshire.
Who can be a Contraception Champion?
This scheme is open to frontline practitioners and professionals in Hertfordshire, including from Children’s Services, Health, Education, and adults services including social care, drugs and alcohol etc.
A Contraception Champion is a practitioner who:
- Pro-actively has conversations that promote good sexual health and the use of contraception through their role working with residents and service-users.
- Signposts residents and service-users towards local contraception and sexual health services.
- Promotes key prevention messages to all sexually active men and women, highlighting how individuals can reduce their risk of catching or passing on HIV, an STI, or risking an unplanned pregnancy.
- Engages with training and learning and development opportunities on an ongoing basis to enhance their knowledge related to contraception and sexual health.
The Contraception Champion scheme does not:
- Expect you to give clinical information and advice around sexual health or regarding specific forms of contraception, beyond the training you have received within your specific role.
- Replace your individual organisation’s Learning and Development programmes or training, including for clinical or specialist sexual health or healthcare staff, which remains the responsibility of individual organisations.
What support is available?
- ‘Ask me about Contraception’ champion guidance.
- Initial resource pack, including badge.
- Training opportunities related to contraception and sexual health.
- Newsletter with relevant information, service provision and updates.
How can I sign up?
You can sign up here:
Download the leaflet here
Nessie Early Help Parenting Support Service
NESSie offer free parent/carer workshops aimed to help parents/carers in developing a positive and more confident approach to support their young person, whilst offering a chance to gain peer support, useful strategies, and practical tools.
- Topics covered may include, but are not limited to:
- Anxiety and building resilience,
- self-harming behaviours,
- school avoidance,
- bereavement and loss including divorce and separation,
- disordered eating,
- supporting a child or young person who is gender questioning,
- managing meltdowns
- Parent Support line: 07932 651319 (open Thursdays 9am-12noon or by appointment)
- Private moderated Facebook support group
- 1-1 targeted brief support sessions, and peer support groups
- ‘Drop In and Chat Coffee Mornings’ where parents/carers can discuss anything and everything
Learning & development
HSCP Learning & Development Programme
HSCP provide a wide variety of learning programmes and workshops across Hertfordshire to develop skills for safeguarding children, young people and adults.
We use this page to give you some quick links through to the HSCP learning programmes:-
Recent 7 Minute Briefings
My Baby's Brain courses for professionals
You can now book onto our redesigned ‘My Baby’s Brain’ full day courses for professionals working with young children and parents:
My Baby
’s Brain introduces practitioners, who work with children aged 0-3 years old, to the key principals of neuroscience and how they can help parents, children and babies form strong attachments that will encourage healthy development.
My Baby’s brain has been redesigned and will now be delivered virtually over one day. We are also offering Deep Dive Webinars to delve into topics such as shame even further! The following trainings are available:
- My Baby’s Brain Universal (Strand A) – 1-day virtual training for practitioners delivering universal support to children and families in the early years e.g., Health Visitors, Midwives & Family Centre workers.
- Thursday the 18th of January 2024 at 9.30am-3pm
- Monday the 5th of February 2024 at 9.30am-3pm
Link to book your place: Strand A Registration Link
- My Baby’s Brain Universal (strand B) – 1-day virtual training for practitioners delivering targeted services to children and families e.g., Family Safeguarding and Specialist Services, Family Centre practitioners & specialist midwives.
- Tuesday the 23rd of January 2024 at 9.30am-3pm
- Monday the 12th of February 2024 at 9.30am-3pm
Link to book your place: Strand B Registration Link
- My Baby’s Brain Deep Dive Webinar: ‘Beyond shame: developing a positive sense of identity’ - for practitioners who work with children aged 0-3 years old and their families that have already completed My Baby’s Brain training (strand A or B).
- Wednesday the 6th of March 2024 at 11am-12.30pm *Please note, content of this Deep Dive session is to be confirmed.
How to book your place: Those who have previously completed My Baby’s Brain training or are booked to complete strand A or B training will be sent a link via email to book a place on this training.
You can find further information and check out Frequently Asked Questions at My Baby's Brain - for Professionsals (hertfordshire.gov.uk) or email us at ehcommissioning@hertfordshire.gov.uk
My Teen Brain - online training
The Early Help Commissioning Team are pleased to announce the upcoming FREE My Teen Brain Online Training course for Hertfordshire practitioners. This 1-day CPD course is for those working with parents of teenagers and/or working with teenagers in Hertfordshire. It provides an opportunity to understand teenage brain development and the adolescent developmental process and consider both risk and resilience. It includes ideas and strategies for professionals working with teenagers and their parents to help them cope with challenging feelings and behaviour and to support young people in an emotionally healthy context. The day brings together the latest understanding from neuroscience and developmental psychology and the principles of The Nurturing Programme from Family Links The Centre For Emotional Health.
It you are interested in attending one of the dates later in the year, please email EHcommissioning@hertfordshire.gov.uk
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23rd January 24
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10am – 3pm
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29th February 24
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10am – 3pm
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19th March 24
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10am – 3pm
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Money Advice Unit Training Programme, Winter 2023
The Money Advice Unit Training Programme and booking form for WINTER 2023 is now available.
All the courses are free of charge but please note we will only accept bookings from organisations in Hertfordshire. Due to demand, we only allow a maximum of two participants from each organisation per course.
If you want to book for more than one person, please complete a separate booking form for each person.
Once you return the completed booking form(s) to us, the attendees will receive a booking confirmation email within 5 working days. Please check your junk folder as sometimes our emails go to the junk folder straight away.
View the latest edition of Herts Adviser.
Workforce Shadowing
The vision for Families First training and development is to create a skilled, confident and resilient multi-agency workforce that supports whole family working.
Workforce shadowing provides a great opportunity to find out more about other services, what they do and how they might be able to support you in your work. It also enhances communication across agencies and helps strengthen and develop professional relationships, building local networks.
If you would like to organise a workforce shadowing placement for either yourself or a team member please complete the form on this page stating the service you would like to shadow and the preferred district and we will match you to a shadowing opportunity.
The following services have offered to host shadowing opportunities in either in person or virtually:-
- Citizens Advice (Broxbourne/St Albans/North Herts)
- Childcare provision
- CGL
- Domestic Abuse Support
- Families First Panels Team
- Family Support Service, Family Centre
- Herts Mind Network
- Herts Sports Partnership
- MIND in Mid Herts
- ASB Team, District Council, Three Rivers
- Housing Support, District Council
- Intensive Family Support Team (IFST)
- Local School Partnerships
- Police
- Public Health Nursing
- Schools Early Years Provsion
- Specialist Adolescent Services Hertfordshire (SASH)
- Services for Young People
- Supporting Families Practice Team
Additionally, if you would like to add your service to the above list, again please email us with your contact details, service and district.
Familesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Please take a look at the page, bookmark and share with teams, where appropriate.
Workforce development (hertfordshire.gov.uk)
Suicide Prevention Training
The Suicide Prevention Network involves more than 20 organisations. Our vision is to make Hertfordshire a county where no-one ever gets to a point where they feel suicide is their only option.
Suicide Prevention Training Courses (suicidepreventionherts.org.uk)
Suicide Bereavement support
New upcoming dates for fully funded CDP suicide bereavement training, delivered by Harmless.
Those attending will benefit from the following learning outcomes:
- The magnitude of suicide bereavement
- Suicide loss as a unique form of complex bereavement
- ‘Complicated grief’, trauma, and other individual responses to suicide
- The wider impact of bereavement on those exposed to or affected by suicide
- The stigma and shame associated with suicide and bereavement
- Bereavement by suicide as a unique risk factor for suicide
- Responding to those bereaved by suicide, and how we can help to support them
- Key UK strategic guidance and research on best practice in shaping services to incorporate suicide bereavement support
- Postvention: what is means and why it matters
- A local service perspective: CHUMS work supporting those affected
Click here for more information, dates and booking details
Reducing Parental Conflict - One Minute Guide
Our HCC Commissioning team have created a one minute guide to Reducing Parental Conflict in Hertfordshire. It’s a really ease to digest document which explains what parental conflict is, how to identify it and what to do if you spot it. It also explains the training package available for the workforce.
Please do share with you teams and discuss at your team meetings so we can reduce parental conflict in Herts together.
Download the guide here
Help us promote the Families First Website
Our Families First Website is a great central resource for early help support for families and young people, with links to many services such as mental health support, Services for Young People, SEND Local Offer, parenting courses etc along with a link to the Herts Directory and the Families First professionals area.
We would like to encourage all partner agencies to help us promote the Families First website to parents and carers in Hertfordshire.
Campaign Tools:
Please add the web address to your own website:- https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/families-first/families-first.aspx
Or use the QR Code for direct link to the Families First homepage:
Download a QR code
Download a Families First Logo
Social media
Please follow Families First on Facebook and X (Twitter)
Suggested post
Image to post on your own social media channels, with the suggested text:-
"All families need help and support at some point, please visit the Families First Website to find out about support available in your area". https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/.../families-first.aspx
Poster:-
Please download our poster and display in your public facing space.
Thank you in advance for your support with this campaign.
Difference we're making
Families First - Performance Data Report
You may be interested to view our Families First Performance Data report for the period October 2022 - September 2023.
The report looks at Families First Assessments that took place within the period and highlights the presenting needs and outcomes broken down by district along with information about other support for families.
Amazing work worth celebrating!
The Children's Services Awards took place on 7th December and the following staff were nominated, below are some snippets from the nominations made:-
WINNER: Eve Righelato, Outstanding Individual Contribution
"Eve has risen to the challenge of supporting parents and children with empathy, kindness, creativity and perseverance. She has gone above and beyond to help keep children safe by working out of hours, often at short notice. She knows each individual child's lived experience. Children find her easy to relate to and to share with because she is genuinely interested in each one, knows how to ask the right questions to elicit meaningful responses. Her voice of the child work has been invaluable in ensuring families are supported by the right services. Not only does she go above and beyond to support families, her case noting is kept up to date; she follows advice and she is a great team player, always ready to help out colleagues too.
Thank you Eve, we love having you in our team!"
NOMINEE: Lauren Penrose received a nomination for Leader of the Year
"Lauren is an exceptional leader who has worked creatively and tirelessly to develop IFST to meet the needs of the families they support. She has achieved amazing results by doing the following:
- Leading by example - she will support frontline staff by sharing her knowledge and experience, even in hands on ways when necessary. She ensures she develops positive relationships with all staff in all the team, which is no mean feat!
- Developing the service - she has supported IFST to improve and standardise good practice across the county, to ensure families are not experiencing a postcode lottery. Part of the way she has achieved this is by bringing team managers together to develop a service wide vision, as well as giving us a forum to share frustrations and successes;
- Ensuring safe practice - Lauren is a dynamic, energetic leader, but she is also clear that our wellbeing is key to ensuring we don't burn out. She is a great believer in modelling good practice, and encourages us to have clear boundaries so that our teams do as well, for example turning phones and laptops off outside core hours!"
- Lauren shows determination and commitment in all she does and strives to have a positive impact on her workforce, often without the recognition she deserves
She is a font of knowledge and if she does not know she will find out!
NOMINEE:- Penny Smith received a nomination for Leader of the Year
- Penny is hard working and motivated. Penny shares a lot of empathy towards her staff, and will always check in with them. Penny is funny caring and always on hand when needed.
- Penny is committed to her job, she will form the best professional emails, clear guidance and actions when needed.
Separately, Karina Saunders who is a Family Intervention Worker in the Welwyn Hatfield Intensive Family Support Team recently won a Children's Services You are a Star award:-
You Are A Star award, congratulations!
Read about Karina's good work:-
"Karina has been working with a family who have a young daughter going through treatment for cancer. The family also have a new baby and a middle child. They were desperate for support but at the same time were struggling to allow professionals into their lives. Karina has worked tirelessly over the summer holidays to take the middle child to and from clubs, enabling him to get out of the house and have fun with other children. When the daughter became ill following chemo, Karina supported the family in any practical way she could, for example taking them to visit her in hospital, using family budget to buy food basics for them so they didn't have to worry about that. As they have seen Karina's level of compassion for them, the parents have begun to trust her and open up about how much they are struggling and are allowing her to support them emotionally. The mother has shared how much she appreciates talking to another adult and has been able to enjoy those conversations. She has also spoken about starting to bond with the new baby, which she hadn't been able to before. I believe that this has happened due to some of the stress being taken from them by the work that Karina is doing.
Karina has certainly improved the lives of the family, even in the face of a very distressing situation. She has shown integrity by providing a first-class service, putting the family at the centre of the work, and going above and beyond to support them practically and emotionally. We are very proud of her!
Karina has been a fantastic example of a committed, compassionate and hard-working family intervention worker. This has not only benefited this particular family, but it inspires us all to do the same."
Families First Case Studies
Following on from a programme of Celebrating Excellence in Early Help sessions run in Children’s Services, which aimed to highlight the Families First approach and also included contributions from some of our partners, we are sharing some of the recent case below:
Case Study 1 - Intensive Family Support / Local Borough Council
Scene Setting
The Intensive Family Support team (IFST) began supporting this family of nine in Spring 2021.
As support got underway the third youngest child Tia* was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour and the family are struggling coming to terms with Tia’s diagnosis and her life expectancy of one year. Tia is 11 years old.
On learning of Tia’s prognosis and following discussion with Keech Hospice an Occupational Therapist (OT) appointment was arranged for the family’s home. This assessment identified that the three-bedroom home was not suitable for end-of-life care and was not suitable for adaptation as the access was too narrow and steep for a ramp.
The Family Intervention Worker (FIW) made contact with the local Borough Council’s Aids and Adaptions Team for support.
READ MORE
Case Study 2 - Families First Assessment
Scene Setting
This case study provides some insight into the journey of Fran* and her family. Fran is an eight year old girl who worries about her mum, she knows mum is different when she is with her drinking friends. Fran’s Mum has a diagnosis of unstable personality disorder and has previously used drugs and alcohol as coping strategies, she has been in a cycle of poor mental health and whilst their wider family network have been supporting Fran and her mother they sought out some external support via a Families First Assessment.
READ MORE
Case Study 3 - Employment Adviser/IFST
Scene Setting:
This case study provides some insight into the support provided to Sanz* from one of our Employment Advisers. Our Intensive Family Support Teams include Employment Advisers who provide tailored support in areas such as employability; taking time to understand skills and experiences, any barriers or challenges preventing employment, identification of any training to support employability, preparation of supporting statements and CVs and job search support, including mock interviews.
Our Advisers can also provide guidance on how to navigate the benefits system, including benefit entitlements and claims, as well as how changes in circumstances impact benefits.
They work in parallel with Family Intervention Workers. This case study summarises support given to Sanz, the mother, to support with employability and benefits.
READ MORE
Case Study 4 - Local Schools Partnership
Please share anonymised case studies highlighting how early help and partnership working has provided support to local families with us at familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk. Please ensure you have consent from the family.