Engaging Fathers: Are you including dads and male carers in all your work?

In Hertfordshire we recognise the importance of involving fathers in children's lives.

Introduction to the Local Offer webinars - new dates

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)  Tuesday 24 September at 10am - 11am  Join the meeting

(For professionals)  Wednesday 25 September 2pm - 3pm Join the meeting

(for professionals AND parent carers)  Wednesday 25 September 8pm - 9pm Join the meeting

A quick note: The Local Offer website is different to Short Breaks (SBLO). We won’t be going into detail about SBLO.

CYP Mental Health Services - Addressing Health Inequalities

Dear all,

We are part of a team made up of Commissioners, and Service providers who are looking at the wellbeing and mental health support available for children and young people in Herts. As professionals working with Children and Young People in Hertfordshire, we need your help to work together to reduce health inequalities and improve access for all.

We are working with our system partners to gather on the ground experiences, to understand who is accessing and more importantly who is not accessing Hertfordshire Children and Young Peoples Mental Health services and what we can collectively do to improve this. We have complied a survey and would appreciate your valued input.

The survey can be found here: Link to Professionals Survey    Deadline Date 30th September 2024

We understand that this is a quite detailed survey, but a thorough analysis is required to enable us to fully understand the barriers that certain groups face accessing emotional wellbeing and mental health support.  And then put actions into place to reduce health inequalities and increase access.

Further to this we are looking for CYP to form a focus group to discuss issues around health inequalities and mental health services.  If there are any CYP who are willing to be nominated, please can you send in their name and email contact details.  We are looking to have representation from as many different demographics and they do not need to be current or previous service users. Please email Sarah.Chandler1@hertfordshire.gov.uk for more info.

BeeZee September 2024 programmes!

BeeZee Bodies are delighted to confirm that, following the success of previous rotations, they’ll be running the group Beezee Families programme in 8 locations across Hertfordshire after the summer holidays, starting week commencing 23rd September 2024, timetables below.

Our HENRY 0-5s parenting support , our Beezee Families LIVE online group programmes, and not forgetting our year-round Beezee Families 1:1 intervention continues.

Please refer into our service, and if you’re not sure which programme is the right option either reach out to us first or let our lovely referrals team triage the family or teen appropriately.

Professional Referrals to Beezee programmes can be made in 4 ways:-

1. Call on 01707 248648
2. Via this link Refer a Client to Beezee
3. Email on beezee.bodies@nhs.net
4. Use the form on DXS/Ardens (health professionals only)

 

Self-referrals to Beezee programmes can be made in 3 ways:-

1. Call on 01707 248648
2. Via this link  where they can complete a very short form and we will contact them
3. Email us at bzbinfo@maximusuk.co.uk

Conflict between parents - free training for professionals

Evidence shows that conflict between parents can affect multiple outcomes for children, including emotional, behavioural, social and academic development. Parents in poverty or under economic pressure are more likely to experience relationship conflict. According to the latest DWP estimates, 12% of all children and 21% of children in workless families have parents in a distressed relationship.

HCC are commissioning OnePlusOne who have over 50 years’ experience in creating evidence-based resources to support the development of healthy relationships.

OnePlusOne provide digital resources that raise awareness of the impact of stress and conflict on children, giving parents the skills to cope with stress together and manage their conflict more constructively. Allowing parents to develop positive communication skills, so that they can parent co-operatively and work out solutions together.

The resources are split in to 3 modules aimed at:

• New parents
• Parents that are together
• Parents that are separated

To date 168 practitioners across the Families First Partnership have been trained in OnePlusOne, if you would like to access this training please see the details below.

All training is delivered online and held from 9:30 to 12:30

Each training has a capacity of 15 delegates

Follow the link below for your preferred training date to register your place and a link will be sent to access the training.

17th September 2024 9:30 - 12:30 book here  

16th October 2024 9:30 -12:30 book here

For further information please contact the project lead Nicola.Wilder1@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Diabetes Group for Young People

NHS Hertfordshire Talking Therapies have launched a new Living Well with Diabetes Group for young people (16 to 19 years old) living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) to support them with managing their emotional wellbeing.

This period of time can hold a number of transitions, which can be difficult to navigate whilst also living with T1D.  These transitions could include changing education settings, finding and starting employment and changes in health care providers, for example transitioning to adult services. 

The 6-week Living Well with Diabetes Group aims to support young people to manage low mood and anxiety that can be a result of living with T1D.  It gives attendees the opportunity to share their experiences with others in a similar situation and build a toolkit of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies to improve their physical and emotional wellbeing.

To access this group, individuals need to complete self-referral online: www.hpft-talkingtherapies.nhs.uk or by phone: 0800 6444 101.

NHS Hertfordshire Talking Therapies provide free support for individuals aged 16+ with common mental health difficulties like stress, low mood, and worry. The services are part of the national NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression programme. For more information, click here to view their ‘Who are NHS Hertfordshire & Mid Essex Talking Therapies?’ animation video or visit: www.hpft-talkingtherapies.nhs.uk.

 

 

 

Skills Pay the Bills and much more from Step2Skills

Step2Skills have launched an autumn campaign, centred around ‘Skills Pay the Bills’.

The campaign is designed to raise awareness of the Multiply Government-funded scheme, designed to improve the numeracy skills of adults in the UK.

Included in the campaign is a leaflet drop to Hertfordshire households (copy attached), with the opportunity to be entered into a prize draw to win a Tablet if the person signs up and attends a workshop between now and the end of October.

There are a range of workshops available to book onto, all designed with an underlying aim to improve understanding of key maths concepts.

More detail on the campaign, prize draw and the workshops can be found here: Skills Pay Bills (hertfordshire.gov.uk)

An option for work experience for those aged 16 to 25

A reminder of the FREE Team programme in Hertfordshire, designed for 16-25 year olds and delivered by the Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue's Youth Engagement team.

 

The 12-week personal development programme is recruiting now in Stevenage, North Herts, Hemel Hempstead and Watford with a start date of 16th September.

 

⭐️Gain new skills

⭐️Build Confidence

⭐️Meet new people

Step2Skills is proud to part-fund this programme, which has just celebrated ten years of helping young people across the county who have not been in education, training or work and have been supported on their journey to new skills and increased confidence.

Learn more about this and Step2Skills employment support options on their website: www.step2skills.org.uk/employmentsupport

Join a Step2Skills course this autumn

Schools are back this week!

The Step2Skills term kicks off soon so if there's a skill you're looking to gain or enhance, don't delay and book your place on a course or workshop today.

(The timetable for September is attached.)

www.step2skills.org.uk

 

News from Services for Young People

New youth councils for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Services for Young People (SfYP) is setting up youth councils across Hertfordshire for young people with SEND as part of Hertfordshire County Council’s Voices of Hertfordshire programme.

SfYP already provides youth work projects exclusively for young people with SEND and inclusive youth councils and participation groups across the county. In addition to these, SfYP is now setting up youth councils specifically for young people with SEND aged 11-25.

• Read the full story with for more details and how young people can get involved

Summer holiday activity programme has a positive impact on over 300 young people

Services for Young People (SfYP) ran an exciting three-week school holiday activity programme across Hertfordshire for young people aged 13 to 16 eligible for free school meals this summer. The programme provided a structured, supportive environment, aimed at promoting physical and mental health, with a focus on personal development and life skills.

SfYP Youth Workers played a key role in creating an inclusive and encouraging atmosphere during the programme, providing emotional support and helping young people overcome anxiety to join in and make new friends. They were sensitive to individual needs, helping young people to explore their thoughts and feelings, and providing tools to support their emotional wellbeing and build resilience.

• Read the full story with images and quotes from young people and parents

Go Wild at Hudnall summer sessions improve young people’s mental health 

The SfYP Go Wild at Hudnall project delivered free nature connection sessions at Hudnall Park throughout the summer. The sessions were for young people living with, or at risk of, poor emotional wellbeing and provided opportunities for them to learn new ways to improve their mental health while spending time outdoors in nature. The Go Wild at Hudnall summer sessions ran every week of the school holidays from 31 July to 30 August 2024. Young people could choose from three different types of session depending on their interests.

• Read the full story with feedback from the young people and parents

Access to All programme inspires Stevenage students to pursue STEM careers

The SfYP Access to All programme, part of the ‘Pioneering STEM Young Futures’ initiative, ran from September 2023 to July 2024. It made a significant impact on 50 Year 9 students from five Stevenage schools by preparing them for careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). The programme, which was funded and supported by Mission 44, involved a huge range of STEM careers activities, equipping the young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for their future careers.

• Read full story with images and quote from young people and schools involved

 

Nationwide call to surrender all zombie-style knives and machetes

You may be aware that from 24 September 2024, it will be illegal to own zombie-style knives and machetes as they will be added to the list of dangerous prohibited items already banned, including zombie knives, butterfly knives, Samurai swords and push daggers.

Ahead of the new ban coming into force, please ensure any child you are working with, where you have concerns that they may be carrying or associating with others who are carrying one of these weapons, is informed of this change in law and advised that up until 23 September 2024, they can surrender such weapons, safely, legally and without repercussions at police stations across the county.

In Hertfordshire the police stations to which weapons can be surrendered are:

After 24 September 2024, anyone caught with a zombie-style knife, or a machete will have committed an illegal offence and will face prosecution.

Hertfordshire Intensive Fostering Scheme (IFS)

Hertfordshire County Council’s new initiative to support children into family homes, who would otherwise be cared for in a residential setting.

What is Intensive Fostering?

The intensive fostering scheme is being developed to provide safe and nurturing foster homes for children who would otherwise be cared for in residential children’s homes where it is felt that foster care can best meet their needs. Foster carers will receive ongoing support from a dedicated team, including a Fostering Senior Practitioner, Therapeutic Parenting Practitioner and two outreach workers.

The scheme has been developed with similar principles as the Mockingbird Family Model, whereby foster carers and the children in their care are linked together.

The scheme will consist of six fostering households, ideally experienced foster carers or new foster carers who can demonstrate that they have transferable experience and skills to care for children who meet the criteria for this scheme.

You can Download the leaflet to find out more information and please share with anyone you feel would be interested.

If you are interested in becoming an Intensive Foster Carer or want more general information about the scheme, please contact

Casey Bartlett
casey.bartlett@hertfordshire.gov.uk
07580 743 650 or
Kirsteen Wilshere
kirsteen.wilshere@hertfordshire.gov.uk 07580 711 048

Are you a ‘Breastfeeding Friendly’ business?

If you are a local business owner, or organisation, you can make a positive impact on breastfeeding mothers. Hertfordshire’s Breastfeeding Friendly scheme provides a simple yet effective way to show your support. By taking a few simple steps you can create a welcoming environment for breastfeeding mums and contribute to a new but growing health initiative in Hertfordshire.

What does it mean to be Breastfeeding Friendly?

Joining the Breastfeeding Friendly scheme involves a few simple steps.

1. Comfortable environment: Ensure that your venue is comfortable and accommodating for breastfeeding mothers. Simple adjustments like providing comfortable seating, maybe some privacy if you can, or just a quieter spot, can make a big difference to getting mums into your establishment.
2. Training and commitment: Affirm your commitment by signing our Breastfeeding Friendly pledge/policy and sending us a copy. Use the training tips online at hertfordshire.gov.uk/breastfeedingfriendly, to make your staff aware.
3. Display resources: Show your commitment by displaying our Breastfeeding Friendly resources, provided free of charge. Place a decal in your window, or sticker on your doorway, indicating that your establishment supports breastfeeding families. You will also receive posters and a certificate of participation to display.

Why is this important?

Breastfeeding has a wealth of health benefits for baby and mum, yet rates in England are among the lowest in Europe. By participating in the Breastfeeding Friendly scheme, you are contributing to a positive change and encouraging the best start in life for children.

If you’re ready to make a difference, and want to encourage more visitors to your venue, look at the Hertfordshire Breastfeeding Friendly website at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/breastfeedingfriendly for more information and details on how to join.

Let’s create a more welcoming world for breastfeeding families –
one business at a time!

 

Help us share the Healthwatch Hertfordshire

Healthwatch Hertfordshire has been commissioned by the Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board to explore public views and experiences of using online GP services and bookings.  

We want to speak to as many Hertfordshire residents as possible.

This will allow us to:   

• understand how people use online services to book GP appointments 

• explore what people tend to use online services for  

• identify how online services could be improved 

• and explore public experiences of using online services. 

We would be very grateful if you could share our survey, which can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HwHOnlineGPServices

Any questions please contact:-        research@healthwatchhertfordshire.co.uk

Supporting your Neurodivergent Child

Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS are delighted to share with you the exciting and new Supporting your Neurodiverse Child handbook that has been developed for Hertfordshire parent/carers and professionals.  The  Neurodiversity Handbook has useful resources, support and signposting on a whole range of things relating to Neurodiversity. 

The resource is accessible to all regardless of whether a young person has a diagnosis, and can be used at any point during a young person’s journey.

We would be very grateful if you are able to share this valuable resource with the parent/carers and professionals that you support and work with and feel free to email EHCommissioning@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you would like any further information.