Care Leavers' Christmas Appeal

Young people who have grown up in care may not receive gifts at Christmas or have any family to spend the day with. Following the success of previous Care Leavers’ Christmas Appeals, colleagues can once again help make a difference to our young people by donating vouchers.   

Support for Dads webpage

We are pleased to announce the launch of the “Support for Dads” webpage containing a wealth of information and details of where to go for advice, guidance and support aimed at dads, stepdads and male carers.

Please promote to your networks and channels using the link and QR code below and by displaying the poster in public areas, where applicable.

Live link: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/familiesfirstdads

QR Code, below and please download the poster to display in your public facing areas.

                            

 

 

HAPpy camps are back this winter!

Hertfordshire County Council is once again launching its free winter activity camps for children and young people in Hertfordshire.

Fully funded holiday activity camps return for the festive break, providing eligible children and young people with the chance to meet friends, learn new skills and enjoy nutritious food.

The HAPpy programme, 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, is running approximately100 activity camps with nearly 9,000 free places from 21 December – 3 January 2024.

At the sessions, eligible children and young people can enjoy free food, free sports and free craft activities. They will also receive advice on nutrition and cooking skills to enhance their health and wellbeing.

Ask your school office if you haven’t already received your code and your child is eligible.

Free places can be booked via the Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership’s website

 

News from Services for Young People

Over 150 Hertfordshire young people are recognised for their outstanding achievements

Services for Young People (SfYP) celebrated the resilience, determination and compassion of 157 young people from across Hertfordshire at their four Young People’s Awards events during National Youth Work Week.

The Young People’s Awards events are an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of some of the young people who have been supported by SfYP over the previous academic year. They highlight the positive impact that SfYP Youth Workers and Advisers have in enabling young people to overcome barriers and fulfil their potential.

• Read the full story with images, quotes and feedback

Hertfordshire Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Survey 2023

SfYP is working in partnership with Public Health Hertfordshire to deliver this annual survey which captures the health and wellbeing needs of young people aged 11-19 in the county. The results will be used to help plan future services which meet the needs of the young people of Hertfordshire.

• Read the full story and see how to complete the survey

Supported Internships give young people the skills they need for long-term employment

Supported Internships are for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 16-25. Supporting the transition from education to employment, they equip young people with essential skills and workplace experiences to prepare them for adulthood and the world of work.

SfYP is raising awareness about the difference Supported Internships can make to the lives of young people and how employers can benefit from hiring young people with SEND through a series of online events.

• Get full details of the events here

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:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Mondays, 4, 11 & 18 December 2023 and 8, 15 & 22 January 2024

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

 

Herts Haven Cafes new drop in

A new Herts Haven Café is opening at the Quaker Meeting House in Hemel Hempstead from 9 November. It is following the same drop-in support model of the Herts Haven Cafés for 10-18 year olds which opened in the summer (July 2023).

The new Hemel Hempstead Café is open on Thursdays (starting 9 November: 3.30-8pm) and Saturdays (starting 18 November:12-5pm) replacing the original Café which was launched in South Oxhey. Sadly the South Oxhey Café ended on 2 November due to lack of attendance predominantly. Hertfordshire Mind Network who host all the Cafés hope the new location will provide even more young people with opportunities to easily access drop-in emotional wellbeing support.

Like Stevenage and Watford, the Hemel Café provides a safe and welcoming drop-in space for compassionate face to face emotional and mental wellbeing information, as well as support and guidance from trained workers, without the need for a referral. Young people can also access digital emotional and mental wellbeing support services, speak to other people who may be experiencing similar things and also gain a better understanding about ways in which they can keep themselves emotionally and mentally well.

You can download the flyer and help us to share details of the Cafés with young people who you think might benefit from this fantastic new service at this new venue. Please contact: cyp@hertsmindnetwork.org if you would like some printed copies to be sent out to your organisation.

Find out more, including the opening times and locations here.

 

Coats for Kids

You may be interested to hear about a scheme local to Stevenage called Coats for kids.

Laura who runs Coats 4 Kids accepts donations of children's coats and then they are redistributed to families in need. Periodically Laura has drop in sessions where people can go and collect a coat, there is no criteria, no charge and no referral needed.

The scheme covers Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth, Stotfold and surrounding areas and you may wish to access the scheme to support the families you are working with.

If you would like to make a donation of a coat/s you can do so by dropping off at either Hitchin, Stevenage and Baldock fire stations or at the Intensive Family Support Team Office (please call 01438 845005, to arrange a time). 

Alternatively, you can contact Laura via the Facebook group if you have any questions, would like to make a donation or access the service.

Herts Young People’s Health and Wellbeing Survey 2023

Please help us to promote the Hertfordshire Young People's Health and Wellbeing Survey 2023. The survey runs until Wednesday 20th September and you can view the promotional leaflet here.

The Objectives of this survey are to:

1. Enable young people to share their views and feedback on a number of issues
2. Provide secondary schools with useful data on their pupil population, including trend data over time
3. Provide commissioners and a range of agencies with useful data on the Hertfordshire young person population, including trend data over time
4. Enable effective commissioning and service delivery that meets the needs of Hertfordshire young people

In 2022, 73 schools (11,155 young people) participated in the survey. Schools fed back that they find the data very useful in demonstrating impact to Ofsted and in monitoring the issues faced by their pupils and supporting them.

Survey content

The survey contains questions on a number of issues including:

• Mental health and wellbeing
• Drugs and alcohol
• Healthy eating and physical activity
• Relationships
• Safety and Bullying

A range of agencies from across Hertfordshire, alongside professionals in education settings, and young people themselves, have been instrumental in advising on the content and format of the survey.

Survey link: www.hertshealthevidence.org/yphws

Completing the survey

Pupils will select their school from a dropdown list (young people who do not attend a school are also able to participate), and the survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete on a computer, laptop, tablet or mobile and is anonymous.

Once the survey closing date has passed, the Health Intelligence team will analyse the results.

If you have any questions about the survey, please email yphws@hertfordshire.gov.uk

 

 

Healthy Mouths in Hertfordshire

Dental decay is the most common oral disease affecting children and young people in UK. Although largely preventable, nearly one quarter of under 5s in England have tooth decay and estimated costs to the NHS for under 5’s is approximately £7.8 million annually for hospital admissions and tooth extractions.

In Hertfordshire, our Healthy Mouths programme is focused on improving the oral health of vulnerable under 5’s through distribution of an oral pack to encourage tooth brushing and healthy eating.  An age-appropriate toothbrush, toothpaste, 2-minute timer and information leaflet, provide vital support for vulnerable families to help maintain good oral health for their children.

Healthy Mouths is a partnership with the Hertfordshire Family Centre Service (Family Centres and Health Visiting) through mandated development checks, key Family Centre networks and distribution through participating foodbanks.

Since the start of the programme in 2021, we have successfully distributed over 9000 oral health packs to vulnerable Hertfordshire families.

If families you know are struggling with their child’s oral health, they can contact their local family centre for advice  Find your local family centre in Hertfordshire (hertsfamilycentres.org)