Families First Dates for Your Diary!

Our next Working Together in Early Help events are taking place across the county in February 2025. We have a variety of presentations including CGL drug and alcohol support, OneYMCA/DASH, Young Carers, Reducing Parental Conflicting and the Target Parenting Framework, plus more.

Please join and share with your teams. You can book your place here: 

• BOOK: Thursday 6^th February 2025 10am-1pm Broxbourne Borough Council Chambers, Bishops' College, Churchgate, Cheshunt, Herts EN8 9XQ.
• BOOK: Monday 10th February 2025 10am-1pm Christchurch Baptist, Peartrees, 20 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1BW
• BOOK: Thursday 13th February 2025 10am-1pm Bowes Lyons, St George's Way, Stevenage SG1 1XY
• BOOK: Thursday 27th February 2025 10am-1pm Three Rivers Council, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth WD3 1RL

Download a poster for sharing here.

Monthly Families First Keeping in Touch Sessions

These sessions are an informal update on service news, training offers and parenting courses delivered by one of our service managers. Please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov..uk if you would like an invitation to join.

13 February 2025, 9-9:30am, via MS Teams

13 March 2025, 9-9:30am, via MS Teams

Join a Families First Induction day - ideal for new starters

We host Families First online Induction days 4 times per year, where various early help services give a 20 minute whistle-stop tour of their service and are attended by new internal CS staff and external partners. The next dates are:-

• 2 April 2025
• 25 June 2025

Please email: familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you have any questions on the above or would like an invite sent to you.

Families First quarterly district partnership meetings

In addition, many of you are regular attendees at our partnership meetings, which are a great way of keeping up to date with new services, updates and make connections. You can find out more about the groups here and email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you would like to join.

Families First Partnership Groups - Complete Our Survey

 

The survey remains open until Friday 31 January.

New support group for those not attending school

The Bridge Group is an 11-week programme for young people and parents where the young people are not regularly attending school. It is aimed at years 7 & 8.

The group got off to a good start this week, however there is still space for more young people. It is run every Wednesday, 1pm-2.30pm for 11 weeks and being held at Hatfield Hyde Cricket Club, Beehive Lane, Welwyn Garden City, Al7 4BP

 The sessions include:

• 2 x sessions on anxiety, worries and low mood facilitated by CWP practitioners
• Physical health & wellbeing co-facilitated with Herts Sports Partnership
• Neurodiversity co-facilitated with SPACE
• The future co-facilitated with Services for Young People

They will also be covering friendships, family, school/learning

You can find out more by downloading the leaflet. Or by contacting- Alison.Cowie@hertfordshire.gov.uk or Ruth.Coleman@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Help us promote the Young Carers Survey

We would like to hear from young carers and their families about the Young Carers Service.

Hertfordshire County Council arranges Carers in Hertfordshire to deliver Young Carers Services, we want to work with young carers and their families to understand what young carers want from a service and this survey is an opportunity for you to share your thoughts, needs, and ideas.

We understand that being a young carer is a unique role that brings strengths and opportunities as well as challenges and responsibilities.

Please share the links and QR code with any young carers and their parents that you are working with.

Young Carers Service Survey aimed at young carers aged 10-18

 

Young Carers Service Parent Feedback Survey aimed at parent and carers of young carers under the age of 10

 

Looking for FREE healthy lifestyle support for families and young people in Hertfordshire?

We know it can be tricky to get children to eat their vegetables, but we also know that getting more greens in at mealtimes can lead to a healthier and happier family life.

We run Beezee Families, a FREE heathy lifestyle programme that helps families across Hertfordshire discover the power of small changes together.

View our Parent Mail. It’s a FREE resource that tackles the biggest challenges faced in making healthy choices as a family. Please share it with parents and carers! 

Our Beezee Families programme begins the week commencing 20th January. Sign-ups are still open, so there is still time to join. Spots are available in-person and online! Alternatively, families can start their journey now with our Beezee Academy. Visit our website for more details.

The HENRY programmes will start week commencing 3rd February 2025 for which a flyer is also attached.

All our programmes are funded by Hertfordshire County Council’s Public Health team and FREE for families and young people in Hertfordshire.

• HENRY programmes support babies and young children to have a healthy start for a brighter future. Parents and carers of children under 5 years gain the confidence and skills to adopt healthier lifestyles, long-term.  A free creche is available throughout the 8-week programme! 
• Beezee Families is an award-winning 12-week programme for 5–15 year olds and their families. Our team of nutritionists focus on making small, sustainable changes around food and physical activity – and have fun while doing so! Families can also learn at their own pace for six months over on our Academy.  Alternatively, they can access our 1:1 support throughout the year. 
• Beezee Youth is aimed at young people aged 13-17. This 8-week programme is co-produced by participants and helps them discover practical strategies to improve their physical, mental and social wellbeing in a non-judgemental setting. Young people can learn at their own pace over on the Academy for six months, accessing content specially designed for them. 

Support is available in-person and online. Professionals can refer families and young people to these programmes, or families and young people can sign up directly. 

To find out more about free healthy lifestyle support available in Hertfordshire, you can: 

Call: 01707 248648 

Email: BZBinfo@maximusuk.co.uk  

Visit our website: https://hrt.maximusuk.co.uk/  

 

Puberty Suppressing Hormones - Government Update

Since 3 June 2024, temporary emergency restrictions have been in place preventing the use of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues used to suppress puberty as part of treatment for gender incongruence or gender dysphoria in children and young people under 18 years of age.

On 11 December 2024 the Government passed further legislation to maintain the restrictions permanently.

Read More here

Reducing Infant Deaths Linked to Unsafe Sleeping Practices

Over the past two years, Hertfordshire’s Safeguarding Children’s Partnership, along with local health and family services, has been working to reduce unexpected infant deaths during co-sleeping. This collaboration has led to the development of the ‘Health in all Policies’ (HiAP)safer sleep framework, which provides detailed guidance to help reduce these tragic incidents. You can find a summary page online at A HiAP framework for Safer Sleeping. Please email dee.debruin1@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you would like a full copy for more detailed guidance.

Early years providers in particular, are identified as key players in disseminating Safe Sleeping messages to parents and carers you may see in the course of your work. We are particularly concerned about families dealing with bed poverty. Bed poverty includes broken and damaged beds that a family cannot afford to replace, sharing of beds and rooms, sleeping on the floor, or being unable to wash and dry bedding. All infants under the age of 1 years old should always have their own sleeping environment, even if a parent chooses to co-sleep with the infant.

How you can help:

• Use both routine and opportunistic appointments to discuss safe sleeping practices with families.
• Ensure all frontline staff complete recommended training on safer sleeping, ideally on an annual basis, through resources like the Lullaby Trust
• If you identify risks of unsafe sleeping situations or bed poverty, refer families to you trusted resources e.g. their local Family Centre Service, or the Lullaby Trust has lots of information and advice.

By incorporating safe sleeping messages into your interactions, you can significantly influence parents’ and carers’ decisions, helping to create safer sleeping environments for infants.

Thank you for your support in keeping Hertfordshire children safe.

Hertfordshire Parenting and Relationship Courses Spring 2025

Please download the latest Newsletter which will provide you with information and details on Parenting Courses and Relationship Support offer. Please can you ensure you cascade to your teams. If you have any questions please email CSStrategic.Partnerships@hertfordshire.gov.uk .

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Families Feeling Safe have been successful in receiving further funding from HCC to run workshops which are free to attend and open to all parents in Hertfordshire. The first workshop ‘All Feelings Matter’ can help parents and carers learn more about:

• Why all feelings matter for everyone.
• How feelings, thoughts, and behaviour link together.
• Recognising physical and emotional feelings, including anxiety and anger.
• Ways to support healthy emotional development.
• The stress response system and '3-Part Brain' concept.
• The importance of feelings and the Protective Behaviours process.

Please click here for the poster….

This workshop will be run on

21st January 9.30am – 11.30am and 7.00pm – 9.00pm for mums, dads & carers also 23rd January 7.00pm – 9.00pm for dads and male carers

Health & Wellbeing Board - Survey

To support the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWB) in receiving feedback on progress towards health and wellbeing outcomes in the Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2026, Hertfordshire Public Health is gathering the views of local organisations on the following health and wellbeing topics:

• Eating Well
• Moving More with Others
• Income, Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Healthy Place-Making

We are inviting service providers (including front-line professionals), commissioners, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations and others of any size in Hertfordshire to complete a 10-minute survey to share their perspectives.

Please click here link to get started

We would be very grateful if you could either complete this survey on behalf of your group, service, team or organisation, or forward to relevant organisations within your network. You are welcome to complete the survey from the same group or team should you provide multiple services.

The survey is open until Friday 24^th Jan 2025.

 

Introducing the Phoenix Programme

The Phoenix Programme is a programme developed by Morgan Sindall Property Service (MSPS) to support female survivors of domestic abuse, rebuild confidence and develop skills to gain sustainable employment.

The programme will support those on their employability journey including an initial assessment of needs and aspirations followed by support with digital skills, CV preparation, mentoring, skills for work, work experience, interview preparation and managing finances.

MSPS will also provide guaranteed interviews for roles within the business and with supply chain partners. Developed in partnership with Addressing Domestic Abuse, a community interest company (CIC) and the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant (EDAC) the programme will be tailored to survivor’s needs.

Find out more by downloading a pocket guide and referral form here.

News from Services for Young People

New Duke of Edinburgh’s Award projects 

Services for Young People (SfYP) has just launched four new Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) projects across Hertfordshire. The new projects are being delivered by qualified SfYP Youth Workers and are specifically for young people who need additional support or would be less likely to access the DofE through traditional routes: those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), young people missing from education, home educated young people, and young people being supported by a social worker.

By creating an inclusive and supportive environment, the projects will ensure that all participants can benefit from the DofE experience, regardless of their background or abilities.

Get the full details and how young people can join here:

• SfYP Duke of Edinburgh’s Award projects

 

Young people with SEND have their voices heard on social media takeover day

Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who attend SfYP youth work projects were supported to share their experiences, creativity and views to contribute to the SEND social media takeover day on 3 December. A wide variety of creative content was shared on several Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust social media channels with the theme ‘This is Me’, including drawings, crafts, quotes, and videos which represented young people’s experiences and showed how they are contributing to their communities. The event enabled young people with SEND to get their voices heard and drive change in future service design and delivery.

• Read the full story for more images and quotes from the young people

St Albans Youth Council supports local foodbank with Christmas boxes

Members of the SfYP St Albans Youth Council came together to make a real difference in their local community by supporting the St Albans and District Foodbank at Verso Vineyard Church. Wanting to provide extra support to people using the foodbank at Christmas, the young people raised money to make Christmas boxes full of toys, essential food, toiletries, festive treats and gifts, all carefully packed and ready to be given to those in most need. Their efforts show the power of social action, and the positive impact young people can have when they come together to help others.

• Read the full story and find out how young people can get involved with their local youth council