The latest news
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.
In addition, you can find out further information below:-
Family Lives offer a variety of on-line workshops, courses and advice articles such as Understanding Children's Behaviour (online workshop), Understanding the importance of communicating with teens (article), parenting courses (online), Bullying on social media (article), and online forums for parents and carers to connect and share experiences. Download the Summer programme here.
Supporting Links
NEW course dates added for our popular Talking Families Course.
Online on Zoom, Thursdays, 9.45 to 11.15am, 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th June, 3rd & 10th July 2025
This course is FREE to parents with children 0-11years old, who live or go to school in Hertfordshire
The course covers:
- Manage challenging behaviour with consistency
• Encourage positive behaviour
• Build your child's self-esteem
• Set and maintain boundaries
• Respond to tantrums and difficult feelings in children
• Develop a strong parent/child relationship now and for the future
Parents can book by calling 07512 709 556 or email bookings@supportinglinks.co.uk (we will need to speak to you to confirm your booking) Please quote Course ID: 757
Professionals can refer parents through the same routes.
Still spaces available: Who's In Charge
The Intensive Family Support Team in North Herts and Stevenage are preparing to run the next Who’s In Charge group.
Please see this flyer and this link for more information Whos In Charge - Working with : Child to Parent Violence & Abuse
Group details
Location: The Pod at Northfields Infants and Nursery school, Burley, Letchworth, SG6 4PT
Duration: Weekly on Wednesdays (not during half terms) for 8 weeks
Meet and Greet: Wednesday 14th May 2025 (for one hour 10-11am)
Session dates: Wednesday 21st May - Wednesday 9th July 2025
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Please can you go through the outline of the group with parents/ carers and submit this referral form by Friday the 2nd of May 2025 at midday to allow us time to collate the referrals and make contact before the group starts.
Please feel free to ask myself or Beth if you would like to know anything more.
We look forward to receiving your referrals.
Denise & Beth
Bethan.robertson@hertfordshire.gov.uk Denise.Masawi@hertfordshire.gov.uk
Who’s In Charge facilitators.
Capacity for new referrals - For Baby's Sake
For Babys Sake is Whole-family response to domestic abuse working individually with parents committed to co-parenting their unborn baby.
A Therapeutic programme delivered by highly skilled practitioners underpinned by a range of therapeutic models and in-depth, ongoing training.
Meaningful, trusting relationships consistently guarantee engagement and crucially, provide the framework for the deeper, therapeutic exploration that allows parents to understand the impact of their own parenting & childhood experiences
The quality of the relationship is the single most important factor for achieving successful outcomes and the Trauma-informed approach – encouraging unresolved trauma to be explored & processed to make sense of the emotions/feelings connected to the events within a ‘recovery framework’
Criteria
- Pregnancy, ideally 28 weeks or earlier
- Both parents willing to engage, although parents do NOT have to be together or in a relationship.
- There is DA in the relationship
- The mother resides in Hertfordshire.
For Baby's Sake currently has capacity for referrals in Hertfordshire and referral is by an online link,
Direct link to refer
Or any questions please contact Steve Gibbs 07702 537074
Referral can be self-referral or any professional working with the family.
Free and confidential Gambling Support
Health in Herts are running a campaign to help anyone affected by gambling, either if you are struggling personally or affected by someone else's gambling. They offer confidential support and useful resources available here:-
There is information on the support services in Hertfordshire, national support services and self help options.
Webinar: Safeguarding Students from Gambling Harm
Children and Young People Now have teamed up with Ygam to bring you a webinar designed for educators, school leaders, and professionals in the education sector about the latest insights into young people and gambling, the growing risk posed by online influences and highlight the blurred lines between gaming and gambling.
Young People and Gambling: What Schools Can Do to Improve Safeguards
Gambling is becoming an increasingly hidden risk for young people – often blurred through gaming, social media, and peer pressure.
Join us for a free, expert-led webinar for educators and school leaders exploring how schools can play a vital role in protecting students from gambling-related harm.
Book here
Date: 7th May 2025
Time: 4:30 pm BST (1 hour)
This session will cover:
- The latest research on youth gambling trends
- Online influences: loot boxes, microtransactions & advertising
- How to integrate gambling harm awareness into PSHE & safeguarding
- Practical strategies to support at-risk students
- Working with parents & communities for a whole-school approach
Hear from expert panellists and gain the tools, confidence, and knowledge to tackle this rising issue head-on.
Support for revision and exam related stress:
April's Stress Awareness month is now over, but stress can affect people all year around, especially at this time of year for young people with exams looming. Revision and exam time can feel overwhelming, but there are things young people can do before, during and after exams to help manage their worries. Find advice and signposting from Just Talk Herts at: Exam and Revision Stress
In addition and in partnership with HCC, Togetherall can support people aged 16+ with clinically moderated, peer-to-peer support, 24/7 and provides a safe space to share concerns and learn coping strategies. Togetherall work in partnership with universities across the UK to provide students with Free Togetherall access. Through their website, Togetherall offer the opportunity for people to explore the community, either sharing thoughts or reading thoughts of others, access to resources such as self-help courses to expert articles, anonymous engagement where open conversations can be shared as much or as little as wanted and 27/7 support. Best of all, it's free to join! Watch a short YouTube video for more information.
Suicide Prevention and Postvention readiness pack
HCC Mental Health and Children and Young People Team are excited to launch a new resource to provide our Hertfordshire Community settings with mental health, suicide prevention and postvention information and support.
On Suicide Prevention day 2024 we launched the Suicide Prevention and Postvention Readiness pack for Education settings in Hertfordshire. A resource to help ensure that all education settings have the timely information needed, developed in collaboration with system professionals to support and fill the gaps, to aid education settings support the wellbeing of their school community, staff and pupils. Providing details on the available services, information and guidance for mental health, suicide prevention, and postvention in one place to access. This pack is hosted on the Hertfordshire GRID for Learning.
Following this, we have become aware of the need to develop a community version of this pack, to support the wellbeing of extracurricular and enrichment activity organisations working with young people, for example youth groups, grass root clubs and sporting establishments with information and signposting.
Incidents of suicide attempts and deaths are not something we have to deal with often, but unfortunately are a reality that have a profound impact on those close to individuals, as well as the wider community. Finding the correct information for support in the midst of an incident can be difficult as it is often spread across multiple websites, emails, and leaflets, making it more challenging for group leads to access. The community pack has been put in place to improve the support available to individuals to support their wellbeing when they need it.
Download the community version of this pack here.
Find out about the new body image group from First Steps ED for boys and men.
First Steps ED have introduced a brand-new four-week group workshop for 12–17-year-olds to help address the distinctive challenges that males face with body image.
Developed by staff and volunteers with first hand experience, each week will look at a specific topic: masculinity and expectations; social media, gym culture and diet culture. Find out more: Workshops & Support Groups for Eating Disorders | First Steps ED:
Don't wait - find self-help or early help now!
First Steps ED offer various free early help support options for 5–18-year-olds in Hertfordshire with eating disorders/disordered eating. This includes group workshops, one-to-one sessions, and easy-to-access self-help guided resources. Children and young people don’t need to be physically unwell due to their eating behaviours to ask for support – it’s always best to ask for help as soon as possible. Eating disorders can happen to anyone at any time. First Steps ED support is on hand for anyone regardless of ability, background or identity.
Find out more on their website: Services & Support | First Steps ED
Important service update: Herts Haven Cafes
Please see the message below from Hertfordshire Mind Network regarding the Herts Haven Cafes for children and young people, ages 10-18:
There are planned changes within our provision of Herts Haven Cafés that provide open-access drop-in spaces for children and young people across Hertfordshire to access support for their emotional wellbeing.
We want to let you know that the Stevenage Herts Haven Café will be closed from Saturday 29 March 2025 with no further cafes planned for the area from that date. However, our cafes in Hemel Hempstead, Watford, and Ware remain open, with our Hemel Hempstead Café opening for an extra day each week on Wednesdays as well as Thursdays and Saturdays.
We are reaching out to those children and young people affected, to explain the situation and signpost them to suitable alternative support services.
If you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact us: You can call us on 0208 189 8400, email cyp@hertsmindnetwork.org, or visit www.withyouth.org
Learning & development
Families First Dates for Your Diary!
There are many ways to stay updated with Families First News, including events, webinars, induction days, and partnership meetings. Discover what’s coming up here
Monthly Families First Keeping in Touch Sessions
These sessions are a short 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.
- Thursday 15 May, 9am-9.30
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:-
- Wednesday 25 June 2025 via Teams
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.
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:-
Money Advice Unit Training Programme, Spring/Summer 2025
Please find attached the Money Advice Unit Training Programme and booking form for SPRING/SUMMER 2025.
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.
Our courses are done both online and face to face. Please see programme to see which you would prefer to attend.
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.
You can also download the April 2025 Herts Adviser
Families First Share & Learn: Prevent Programme
Learn more about how to spot and report radicalisation in Hertfordshire through Prevent.
We work with some of the most vulnerable people in society. Some of these vulnerable people can be exploited by extremists looking to radicalise individuals into terrorist ideologies. The HCC Prevent Programme Delivery Manager is holding a share and learn session for all staff about the Prevent programme. Prevent is the government initiative in place to tackle the ideological causes of terrorism, intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation and enable people who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate. Please join us:-
Date and time: Monday, 19 May, 1:00pm
Location: Online live streamed - Microsoft Teams
Duration: 45 minutes
Free professionals training - working with families to support healthy lifestyles
I’m writing to offer the Families First / Children’s Services teams some free training to your professional staff working with children and their parents/carers around the following topics:
- Fussy Eating behaviours in children
- Raising the Issue of Obesity with parents and carers
Training is delivered by our Wellbeing Coordinator and/or our Nutritionists and lasts around 90 minutes to allow for discussion and interaction, with groups of professionals in attendance either in person (best) or online. Download the poster here
Please do reach out to me in the first instance with any queries or if you wish to book something in!
We are very keen to help support professionals in their vital role in the communities we serve, and to help you guide and refer families to us.
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
(For professionals) Wednesday 23 April 11am – 12pm Join the meeting
(For professionals) Tuesday 29 April 2pm - 3pm Join the meeting
(for professionals AND parent carers) Tuesday 29 April 8pm - 9pm Register to join this webinar
A quick note: The Local Offer website is different to Short Breaks (SBLO). We won’t be going into detail about SBLO.
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 (drug & alcohol support)
- District Council, ASB Team, Three Rivers
- District Council, Housing Support, Broxbourne
- Domestic Abuse Support
- DSPL (Delivering Special Provision Locally) - All areas
- Families First Panels Team
- Family Support Service, Family Centre
- Herts Mind Network
- Herts Sports Partnership
- Home-Start (Watford & Three Rivers)
- 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
- Re-Intergration, Virtual School
- Schools Early Years Provision
- 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)
Step2Skills
Step2Skills - Find on-line and in-person courses for May here and June here: courses running such as Level 1 - Preparing to work in schools, Improving your skills in Microsoft excel, Level 1 in garment construction, Social media for business, Explore your sewing machine, Assertiveness and communication skills, Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint, Online job search and applications, Interview skills to name but a few.
Family Lives Summer Term Programme 2025
Family Lives Summer Term Programme 2025 can be found here.
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 - Online
Thursday 15 May to 26 June
9.30am – 11.30am
Getting on with your Pre-Teen / Teenager - Online
Wednesday 4 June to 9 July
7.00pm to 9.00pm
Less Shouting more Cooperation - Online
Friday 6 June to 11 July
9.30am – 11.30am
Sorting our Family Arguments - Online
Tuesday 10 June to 15 July
9.30am – 11.30am
Anxiety around ADHD Workshop - Online
Date to be confirmed
Reducing Conflict Workshop – Online
Date to be confirmed
We accept referrals from professionals as well as self-referrals. Please click here Referral Form for Family Lives Herts Parenting Groups and Workshops for our online referral form or scan the QR code on the attached flyer
You can also email services@familylives.org.uk or call us on 0204 522 8700 or 0204 522 8701 for more information.
Difference we're making
Children's Services Awards 2025
At the end of March, the HCC Children's Services Award 2025 were held. Well done to all those nominated and congratulations to all the winners.
The recent CS Awards was a night to remember for Supporting Families, with our members being shortlisted in an impressive six categories. The event was a testament to the dedication and excellence of our teams, and we couldn't be prouder of everyone's achievements.
Steve Whitlam, Community Development Manager at Broxbourne Borough Council and chair of our Broxbourne Families First Partnership Group was shortlisted for Partner of the Year and our Intensive Family Support Team member, Collette Garland was celebrated for securing the Collaborative Worker of the Year Award, a testament to her exceptional teamwork and dedication.
Our other shortlisted nominees included:
- Michelle James for Unsung Hero
- Fiona Convey for Most Creative Colleague
- Lauren Samson for Inclusion Champion
- Denise Masawi for Inclusion Champion
- The Action for Inclusion Project (Collette and Rebecca) for Team Action and Impact Award
- Ruth Coleman and Alison Cowie with The Bridge for Innovation of the Year Award
We were incredibly proud of everyone who was nominated, shortlisted, and won. The reactions in the room and the recognition of their hard work and the impact of our services were truly heartwarming.
The evening also marked a significant milestone for Serena Yearwood and Henry Lee-Brenchley, who were celebrated for their fantastic achievement of 20 years of service. Their dedication and commitment have been invaluable to our organisation.
This was a proud night for Supporting Families, and it was just a small spotlight on all the amazing work you do. Thank you to everyone for your continued dedication and excellence. Let's Continue to Make a Difference!
Easter Funday Celebration: A Joyful IFST family Gathering
On the sunny afternoon of April 17th, our IFST families came together to celebrate Easter with a wonderful funday event from 1 PM to 3 PM. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and excitement as families participated in a variety of activities.
The event featured an Easter egg hunt, where children eagerly searched for hidden Easter eggs, and egg and spoon races that brought out the competitive spirit in everyone. Football games provided a chance for some energetic play, while the arts and crafts station allowed creativity to flourish. Temporary tattoos added a fun touch, and the array of delicious cakes was a treat for all.
It was lovely to see families enjoying the outdoors, mingling with their peers, and creating lasting memories. The Easter funday was not just about the activities, but also about fostering a sense of community and togetherness. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to relax, have fun, and celebrate the joy of Easter.
Upcoming E-safety session:
Join us for an informative face-to-face session on internet safety at IFST St Albans and Dacorum. This workshop, is held in collaboration with Herts Police, will cover essential topics such as social media, internet safety, and digital communication. Whether you're new to these concepts or looking to refresh your knowledge, this session will provide valuable insights to help you navigate the digital world safely. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your e-safety skills!
The e-safety workshop at IFST St Albans and Dacorum is scheduled for 7th May from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. Make sure to mark your calendar for this valuable session on internet safety! Please contact us to book on.
Families First - Performance Data Report
You may be interested to view our Families First Performance Data report for the period January 2024 - December 2024.
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
Case Study 5
This case study follows a mum who suffers from depression and anxiety. She was distrusting of professionals due to a negative experience with Children's Services in another local authority. Dad had recently moved out of the family home so she cares for her three children alone. Read more about the support the family received and the tools mum now takes forward in her parenting skills.
READ MORE
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.