The latest news
Early Help System Guide - your feedback is needed!
Your help is needed to complete a short survey:-
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities published the Early Help System Guide (EHSG) in 2022 to help local areas with their self-assessment to support the refresh of their early help strategies and their future plans for early help. The assessment has subsequently been moved over to the Department for Education (DfE) to lead with all upper tier local authorities.
The assessment is undertaken in collaboration with all partners to inform future plans alongside the current Supporting Families outcomes framework.
We have been provided with a template with a set of questions that need to be given consideration. The results of the assessment will be returned to the DfE at the beginning of July and will be used locally to prioritise further developments of our early help offer and to ensure that our Early Help Strategy is kept up to date.
To help us with this assessment, we would be grateful if you can consider the questions in this survey.
Please answer only the questions that you feel are relevant to your service and leave any that are not relevant blank.
Survey Link: https://surveys.hertfordshire.gov.uk/s/IJX0QL/ All questions are optional.
The closing date for completion is Friday 7 June 2024.
Right Care Right Person - Escalation Process
Concern for welfare calls to police – reminder of escalation process
Hertfordshire Constabulary is reminding partners of the escalation process (below) in relation to calls to them about concerns for the welfare of individuals.
At the start of April, the force, in collaboration with partners across health, social care and the voluntary sector, launched the Right Care Right Person (RCRP) approach to concern for welfare calls.
You can find out more about RCRP on the constabulary’s website.
This involves police call handlers assessing each request for attendance and deciding whether officers should respond or if another agency would be better equipped to do so.
Chief Superintendent Nev Hanks from the constabulary’s control room said: “We’ve had a positive start to this process and are keen to continue working with our partners as RCRP progresses.
“As part of this I would like to remind you of the escalation process that is in place should you disagree with a decision for police not to attend your call.
“If you feel unhappy with the rationale for non-attendance, please ask at the time of the call for it to be escalated to an inspector for review. This will allow us to look at the decision again and come back to you.
“I would encourage all partners to not hesitate to use this process if they’re unhappy with a decision as this will enable us to further scrutinise our decision making and ensure we’re getting it right for all those involved, including and most importantly the individual concerned.”
In addition to this escalation process we are dip sampling our concern for welfare calls to evaluate and scrutiny meetings will be taking place with partners.
Asking the right questions about parental conflict
1 in 5 couples in a relationship are classed as being in distress, parental conflict, which is frequent, intense and poorly resolved can place children at risk. By seeing the signs and asking the right questions you can make a difference and improve lives.
Hertfordshire's Family & Health Services Commissioning team have commissioned the following video for all professionals working with families to ask the right questions to identify parental conflict.
Can we ask you to please share this video clip with your teams and colleagues: Noticing parental conflict? Ask the right questions
For more information on support available to parents, carers and professionals visit Relationship support for parents | Hertfordshire County Council
First Steps ED : Free workshops for families
Please help spread the word about First Steps ED's four-week programme offering free online workshops for parents, carers & older siblings, who are supporting a young person with their body image, disordered eating and/or eating disorders in Hertfordshire.
It's called First Steps ED Skills for Carers. Sessions are delivered online (via Zoom) and following the first session, the team will close the group to ensure that the parents and carers in attendance can develop a positive peer group through the entire four-week programme.
To find out if workshops are available in your area and/or how you can get involved in upcoming workshops here: Skills for Carers - First Steps ED
Supporting CYPs and families whilst they’re waiting for a service
Hertfordshire’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services* (Herts CYPMHS) encourage children and young people to access support for their emotional wellbeing and mental health early - as soon as their needs emerge. Herts CYPMHS system has made significant investment into increasing early help services in order to support this.
As a result, more children and young people are accessing help now than in previous years and whilst there is a wide range of support available for them, some will experience waiting times. There are support services with open access and no waiting times that we encourage children, young people and families to utilise whilst waiting e.g. digital support services with an instant chat function and self-help resources (With Youth (for ages 5-18) including Lumi Nova (for ages 7-12) and The Sandbox (for ages 10-25).
Herts CYPMHS recognise that waiting for a service can be an uncertain and difficult time. They are listening to feedback and striving to provide children, young people and families with clear expectations, communication and support whilst they are waiting, by providing them with information about:
- What the service they are waiting for offers and what to expect.
- Risk assessments and how to get in touch if the situation changes and/or if they have any concerns in between contacts.
- Local resources and services available to help them whilst they are waiting e.g. the early help digital support services with instant chat and self-help resources (With Youth/Lumi Nova and The Sandbox), or the Herts Haven emotional wellbeing drop-in cafes, or the Mental Health Support Teams in Schools (MHSTs). Details of all these early help services and more commissioned services are on the Just Talk Herts website at: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/youthmentalhealth
- Other resources such as: YoungMinds and Anna Freud
- Who to call in a mental health crisis situation including HPFT’s 24/7 freephone helpline (SPA): 0800 6444 101/NHS 111 or Samaritans freephone: 116 123, 24 hours a day, every day for any age.
Herts CYPMHS system partners will continue adapting and developing their support whilst waiting, in response to the feedback and suggestions they receive from children, young people and families.
*Hertfordshire’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services (Herts CYPMHS) system includes commissioned mental health and emotional wellbeing services accessible for all children and young people in Hertfordshire.
Encouraging young people across Hertfordshire to get creative and express their emotions
Spring 2024 saw the return of Just Talk’s poetry competition, inviting secondary school aged young people across Hertfordshire to get creative and unleash their imaginations through writing!
There were no restrictions on style or content, participants were encouraged to explore the theme ‘The Power of Small’ in any way they felt meaningful.
Inspired by the recent Just Talk campaign, The Power of Small Changes, the theme shone a light on how small actions can make a big difference in people’s lives.
Just Talk is delighted to showcase the winning poems, alongside finalists’ entries, in a commemorative booklet that can be found The Power Of Small (justtalkherts.org)
Schools selected their top poems to compete, and judges had a tough job picking the winners. Thank you to everyone who took part, and we hope you enjoy reading the finalists' work!
Huge thanks to all our judges: Connor Fitzjohn (Watford FC CSE), Hayley Golding (Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust), Sam Arnold and Sarah Todd (Chats and Cuts).
For more information about Just Talk visit www.justtalkherts.org, and for regular tips and signposting for young people, and their parents/carers, follow Just Talk on:
Facebook: JustTalkHerts Instagram: @JustTalkHerts Twitter: @JustTalkHerts “
Talking Families Summer Programme 2024
Talking Families (run by Supporting Links) are still taking bookings for the final few places on the following events. This will be the last opportunity for parents to access support with us until the Autumn term:
Talking Families A 6-week online course.
For parents of children ages 0-12.
Wednesdays 8pm to 9.30pm,12th June - 17th July
Talking Teens IN-PERSON 6-week course
For parents of children aged 12-19
The Reddings Family Centre, Bushey
Wednesdays 5th June to 10th July, 7pm to 9pm
Talking ASD & ADHD: Tech use ONLINE workshop (663) online
Monday 17th June 7.30 to 9.15pm
Talking ASD & ADHD: Sibling Struggles ONLINE workshop (662)
Monday 10th June 9.30am to 11.15am
For more information can be found here: New What's On
Download a referral form
Family Lives Summer Programme
Family Lives are delivering 4 Online parenting groups and 2 online workshops (via MS Teams), funded by Herts County Council, in the Summer term for targeted parents/carers who live in Hertfordshire or who have a child attending a Hertfordshire school.
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.
Bringing Up Confident ADHD/ASD Children (6 weeks) - New dates to be confirmed.
A programme to help parents gain a comprehensive understanding of ADHD/ASD and learn strategies to improve life at home and at school
Sorting Out Family Arguments (6 weeks) - Thursday 23 May to 4 July from 7pm to 9pm online Via MS Teams
A programme aimed at helping sort out arguments between parents and their children and between brothers and sisters
Less Shouting, More Cooperation (6 weeks) - Monday 3 June to 8 July 9.30am to 11.30am online via MS Teams
A programme to help parents be more effective at getting their children to cooperate and listen to them
Getting on with Your Pre-Teen/Teenager is a 6-week course running from Tuesday 04 June to 09 July 7pm to 9pm online via MS Teams
A course to help parents understand and get on better with their teenage children, maybe there is an FFA/CIN/CP in place and need more support.
Anxiety around ADHD Workshop – Friday 28th June 9.30am – 11.30am
Reducing Conflict Workshop – Thursday 11th July 7pm – 9pm
We accept referrals from professionals as well as self-referrals. Please click Referral Form for Family Lives Herts Parenting Groups and Workshops
for the online referral form.
You can also email services@familylives.org.uk or call us on 0204 522 8700 or 0204 522 8701 for more information.
HFL Education Summer Term Online Safety Newsletters
HFL Education are pleased to release two new summer term 2024 Online Safety Newsletters. Both newsletters feature a range of guidance, news, links and updates about online safety for all phases, with particular reference to the current situation, recent developments and concerns.
For Staff
The newsletter for staff includes reviews and details about:
- Sextortion – national crime agency alert
- Senso monitoring – now free for HFL supported primary schools
- Artificial intelligence in education
Please download your copy here.
For Parents & Carers
Our newsletter for parents and carers includes reviews and details about:
- Change in minimum age for WhatsApp
- SnapChat MyAI – a guide for parents
- Sextortion – what parents/carers need to know
Please download your copy here.
Both editions can also be downloaded from the HFL website and the Grid.
If you’d like any more information, please let contact the Wellbeing team at wellbeing@hfleducation.org or visit Online safety in schools | HFL Education.
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:-
Free Mental Health First Aid Training
As part of the ongoing response to the cost-of-living crisis, Hertfordshire County Council are funding free Mental Health First Aid Training for volunteers and staff at foodbanks, community spaces, faith and community groups. We are working with Hertsmere Borough Council who are helping to co-ordinate this across Hertfordshire so please do promote to within your localities.
The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses will be held across 4 days, with half a day on each of the allocated dates. The training will be on Zoom and you will need to attend all a full course to receive the MHFA accreditation.
COURSE 2: June 2024
Tuesday 4th June, 0930-1315
Thursday 6th June, 0930-1315
Tuesday 11th June, 0930-1315
Thursday 13th June, 0930-1315
COURSE 3: September 2024
Tuesday 10th September, 1300-1645
Friday 13th September, 1300-1645
Tuesday 17th September, 1300-1645
Friday 20th September, 1300-1645
COURSE 4: November 2024
Monday 4th November, 1300-1645
Thursday 7th November, 1300-1645
Monday 11th November, 1300-1645
Thursday 13th November, 1300-1645
To register for the course, please contact Viewpoint on info@hertsviewpoint.co.uk or 01707 386136.
Please note:
Places are limited, register as soon as possible!
Online course delivery across April, June, September and November
Course certificate sent via email once you complete the course and evaluation form.
Hertfordshire County Council know many people visiting community spaces and foodbanks require support and we will be offering a Resource Guide, marketing information, access to Togetherall and free Suicide Prevention Training as additional support to support those in need.
Download the leaflet here
Money Advice Unit Training Programme, Summer 2024
The Money Advice Unit Training Programme and booking form for SUMMER 2024 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 Herts Adviser here.
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
My Teen Brain
The Early Help Commissioning Team are pleased to announce the upcoming 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.
Please find below the booking link for you to reserve your place on to one of our courses. This training is a very popular course and is beneficial to the all practitioners who work with Hertfordshire children and families. If you are interested in booking on to the, please ensure that you ONLY book on to this course if you have the capacity to attend the training on your preferred day and for the entire duration of the session, which is from 10am – 3pm.
4th June - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/880240933327?aff=oddtdtcreator
11th September - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/880244504007?aff=oddtdtcreator
If you would like further information about the course or alternative dates, please email EHcommissioning@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Difference we're making
Families First - Performance Data Report
You may be interested to view our Families First Performance Data report for the period January 2023 - December 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.
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.
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.