HAPpy camps return for the Easter holiday - Help for families to have fun in Hertfordshire

HAPpy activity camps are returning this Easter, providing eligible children and young people with the chance to meet friends, learn new skills and enjoy nutritious food during the Easter break.

The HAPpy programme is funded by Hertfordshire County Council and the Department of Education (DfE) via the government’s Holiday Activity and Food programme and coordinated by Herts Sport and Activity Partnership and the Hertfordshire Community Foundation.

Children and young people who are in school years Reception to Year 11, who attend a Hertfordshire school and are in receipt of benefits related free school meals can attend the HAPpy Easter camps. Eligible families should already have been given their booking code from their school. Parents/carers who have not received the code should contact their school office.

Every camp is inclusive and able to meet the needs of most children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), provided the right information is supplied with their booking. There are also SEND-specific camps which are better for children with higher support needs.

Bookings open at 12pm on Thursday 13 March.  For further details of the programme, the camps available and to book places visit: https://bit.ly/ICBookHAPpy25

Schools will also give supermarket vouchers to families eligible for free school meals during the Easter holiday.

Families whose children are eligible for free school meals are now able to claim discounts in shops, sports clubs and children’s activities with a new Herts Card. For more info visit: Herts Card for those who receive free school meals | Hertfordshire County Council

Help for families to have fun in Hertfordshire

The Herts Card (previously known as the HAND card) is designed to support and benefit families of children with SEND across Hertfordshire and provides discounts and exclusive support.  Families of children and young people on Free School Meals are also now entitled to a Herts Card. 

You do not need to reapply if you already have a HAND account - you can access the new card by logging into your existing account.

Find out more about the Herts Card and where you can use it. 

Find out more about the Herts Card for those eligible for free school meals  

Check out Hertfordshire's Spring 25 Parenting and Relationship Courses

Please download the latest Parenting and Relationship Support Offer 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 .

We have listed a few of the current courses below, but please visit the Hertfordshire Directory for the full listing.

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Supporting someone after a suicide Attempt

Hertfordshire County Council has funded the development of a groundbreaking Carers Resource Guide, designed to support carers, families, and individuals affected by a relative's suicide attempt. This comprehensive guide has been created by Hector’s House, a renowned suicide prevention charity in Hertfordshire, and is potentially the first resource of its kind on a national level.

The guide was officially launched on the 6th of March and is now available for access. You can find it on the following webpages:

• Hertfordshire County Council: Supporting Someone after a suicide attempt  
• Hector’s House: Supporting Someone after a suicide attempt

Please note that the content of this guide includes sensitive subjects such as suicide. We encourage everyone to take care of their mental wellbeing while engaging with this material. For additional support, you can access our Mental Health Resource attached.

We believe this guide will be an invaluable tool in providing much-needed support and information to those affected by such challenging circumstances. However, it is important to remember that this guide does not replace professional support in times of crisis.

If you would like to join the Suicide Prevention Network Mailing list to be kept updated on our services and events, kindly complete the attached word document and send back to SuicidePreventionHerts@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Join a Hertfordshire Family Centre Service partnership network meeting

These meetings are a great opportunity to find out updates from the Family Centre Service as well as sharing updates from your service and networking with other professionals. Please find below the date and location of the next Hertfordshire Family Centre Service Partnership Network Meetings in your area. 

Dacorum (NEW, amended date)
Tuesday 3^rd June, 13:00 – 14:30
Little Hands Little Feet Family Centre, Douglas Gardens, Berkhamsted HP4 3PE 

East Herts
Wednesday 7th May, 13:00 – 15:00
Beane Valley Family Centre, Clappers Lane, Watton-at-Stone, Hertford, SG14 3QA

Hertsmere
Tuesday 27th May, 13:00 – 14:30
The BECC Family Centre, Furzehill Road, Borehamwood, WD6 2FD

North Herts and Stevenage
Thursday 15th May, 12:00 – 13:30
Bridge Road Family Centre, Woolenwick Junior School, Bridge Road West, Stevenage, SG12NU

St Albans
Wednesday 21^st May, 10:00 – 11:00 -11.30
Sopwell Family Centre, St Albans, Mandeville Drive, St Albans, AL1 2LE

Watford and Three Rivers
Wednesday 7th May, 12:30 – 14:00
Westfield and Littlebury Family Centre, Croxley View, Watford, WD18 6NS

Welwyn Hatfield and Broxbourne
Wednesday 7th May 13:00 – 15:00
De Havilland Family Centre, De Havilland Primary School, Travellers Lane, Hatfield, AL10 8TQ

“Support on a Page” for children and young people with SEND

We have been working on a series of service directories, 'Support on a page', to help professionals and parents navigate the services that are available to support their child or young person’s educational needs. We recognise that knowing where to go for different types of support can be confusing, so these directories provide clear, accessible and concise information to help find the right level of support.

We have worked collaboratively with professionals, schools, and parent carers to produce this document and incorporated the feedback from various stakeholders. We would now like professionals to start using the documents and provide any feedback so that we can address any issues before we formally launch the resource to parent carers.

The documents are all hosted on this page of Local Offer and we ask that you share it with your team.

The specific directories can be found on each support page:

·                     Speech Language Communication Service Directory

·                     Learning Difficulties Directory Support on a Page

·                     Deafness and Sight Loss Directory Support on a Page

·                     Physical Needs Directory Support on a Page

·                     Behaviours that challenge

Please provide any feedback to SENDStrategy@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

Contraception Champion Scheme

The Hertfordshire Contraception Champion scheme is for all frontline practitioners/professionals across a wide range of organisations and services in Hertfordshire, including from Children’s Services, Health, Education, and adults services including social care and drug and alcohol services and the aim is to support and encourage conversations with residents and service users that promote contraception and good sexual health and signposting to contraception and sexual health services.

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.

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.

Download the Flyer here

How can I sign up?

You can sign up here: Sexual health (professional) | Hertfordshire County Council

Help families and young people with FREE healthy lifestyle support

Ready to help families and young people in Hertfordshire feel healthier and happier? Sign them up to FREE* Beezee healthy lifestyle programmes today.  

Refer today. 

Here’s a quick look at our Beezee programmes to help you find the right support. 

Beezee Families: A 12-week programme for 5-15-year-olds and their families. Led by expert nutritionists, we focus on nutrition, moving more and having fun! Families can join us in-person or online. We also have self-learning on the Academy and 1-2-1 support all year-round. 

Find out more: Beezee Families 

Beezee Youth: An 8-week tailored programme for 13-17-year-olds,which explores mental, social and physical wellbeing. There’s also content created specifically for young people on our Academy. 

Refer today: Beezee Youth  

HENRY: Parents and carers of under 5's can learn about making healthy habits early on, all while enjoying our free creche during the 8-week face-to-face programme. Or they can join us online! 

Find out more: HENRY 

 
*All our programmes are funded by Herts County Council.  

Training, workshops and masterclasses  

We also run workshops and masterclasses to help parents and carers tackle common lifestyle concerns, such as fussy eating. We also deliver training for professionals. 

For more information on any of our services, please get in touch! You can call us on: 01707 248648 or email us.  

Ollie Foundation introduces the Grief Café for Teens

The Ollie Foundation have recently had some funding approved to provide a number of Grief Café sessions for Teens. Please see below. 

We would be grateful if you could share this with families, students and your staff / pastoral teams.   

 💛 Grief Café for Teens 💛
A safe space for young people who have experienced loss

What is a Grief Café?

Losing someone you love can feel overwhelming, lonely, and confusing. A Grief Café is a welcoming space for teens who have been bereaved to connect, share (if they want to), and find support in a way that feels right for them.

💬 No pressure to talk – just an open space to be understood.
💛 Meet others who get it – because you are not alone.
🎨 Express grief in creative and meaningful ways.
🕯️ Learn how to honour and carry the memory of your loved one.

This is not therapy or counselling—it’s a space for connection, reflection, and support.

4-Week Programme

📅 Session 1: You Are Not Alone – Understanding grief & finding connection
📅 Session 2: Holding On & Letting Go – Exploring memories & emotions
📅 Session 3: When Grief Feels Heavy – Coping with difficult emotions
📅 Session 4: Carrying Their Light Forward – Creating meaningful ways to remember

You can book as many sessions as you like. You do not have to do all four. 

📍 Location: The Green House, London Road, St. Albans 

🕒 Time: 5-6pm 
📆 Dates:   16th, 23rd,  30th March and 6th April  
 £    Cost: Free

Join Us

Grief is a journey, and you don’t have to walk it alone. If you're a teen who has lost someone, you are welcome here.

📩 Sign up: Contact debi@theolliefoundation.org  

📱 Questions? Debi@theolliefoundaiton.org

💛 We see you. We hear you. We are you. 💛

If you are interested in attending or have any further questions then please get in touch with Debi.

IFST Focus Fortnight - Safe Sleeping

Our Intensive Family Support Teams partnered with our health colleagues to hold their second Focus Fortnight in March on the topic of Safer Sleeping, 

A Focused Fortnight is a dedicated two-week period during which the Intensive Family Support Team (IFST) ensures that every family receiving support gets targeted intervention in a specific area of need. The goal is to provide comprehensive and effective assistance by:

• Upskilling staff: Collaborating with partners to enhance staff knowledge and skills on the identified topics.
• Providing resources: Offering relevant materials to support the interventions.
• Prioritising discussions: Ensuring that workers focus on the area of need during their interactions with families.

• Information on abusive head trauma
• Airways - easy to read card
• Safer sleeping checklist
• Baby sleep patterns poster
• Safer sleep easy read card
• Safer sleep true and false cards
• Safer sleep conversation
• How to co-sleep more safely
• Safer Sleep For Babies
• Baby’s airway | The Lullaby Trust