Welcome to the latest edition of the Early Help newsletter. In this edition you will find exciting news about three new Solihull Approach courses for practitioners covering Trauma, Brain Development and Attachment.
There’s also information on a new neglect practitioner support pack and the latest newsletter from the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership.
Targeted Early Help are recruiting for three Family Support Workers, there's also vacancies for Youth Support Workers, and a vacancy for Autism West Midlands, and you can find links on these roles and how to apply.
If you have information on your service area you would like to share in the next early help newsletter, please email Kate.Bentham@shropshire.gov.uk or if you know of a colleague who would also like to receive this newsletter they can also email to be added to the distribution list.
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Whether you think a child, young person or family needs some support, or you are worried a child might be at risk of abuse or neglect, there is only one number you need – 0345 678 9021. From this number you will receive the support you need to get the right help at the right time to strengthen families and safeguard children. |
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Exciting news! Shropshire Council has purchased a Multi-User licence for 3 Solihull Approach online courses, FREE to all professionals working with families in Shropshire.
- Understanding Trauma
- Understanding Attachment
- Understanding Brain Development
This is a fantastic opportunity for professionals to access CPD whenever and wherever they would like, and it supports teams to become trauma informed; attachment aware and neuro development aware. Details and the access code are in the image below.
The Neglect Practitioner Support Pack, has been developed to help staff and volunteers recognise and take action to prevent harm as a result of child neglect. Please remember that the purpose of the Neglect Screening Tool within the Support Pack is to assist professionals in making a judgement as to how to tackle the neglect of a child in Shropshire. It IS NOT a referral into Children's Social Care.
 Shropshire Council have this week, awarded DfE grant funding to groups, organisations and individuals in the county, who are delivering a high quality and exciting programme of holiday activity and/or enrichment opportunities, over the summer for children and young people (aged 5-16).
The funding is intended to subsidise free places on new or existing holiday programmes for children and young people who are eligible for free school meals. In Shropshire, there are more than 5,500 children and young people registered to claim benefit related free school meals.
The aim of the DfE funding holiday activities and food programme, campaigned for by footballer Marcus Rashford, is to make holiday activities as accessible and inclusive as possible.
Providers will be offering a programme of enrichment and physical activities, a nutritious meal and food education.
The summer HAF programme will provide fantastic opportunities for all our children and young people regardless of circumstance, to engage in exciting activity during the holidays, socialise, learn new skills and have fun in their local community.
We understand some of you are already providing activity over the summer or have been approached by another organisation.
We would love your help in making the programme a success and reaching as many vulnerable children and young people as possible:
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To distribute the promotional postcards about the HAF scheme to the families who are on Free School Meals or who are the most vulnerable - we know that not all families do sign up to Free School Meals but their children will still benefit from accessing the free holiday activities so please do use your discretion wisely to target those most in need. The postcards will for the most part be delivered by the School Library Service or may come to you in the post.
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To nominate a member of staff as a HAF champion within your school to enable us to communicate effectively with you and to channel all information through that key contact. Please email programme@shropshire.gov.uk with the name of the key contact.
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To distribute the ‘What’s On Guide’ to summer activities and HAF Voucher Code to those same families. The Voucher Code will need to be quoted to the provider when booking the selected activities. Copies of the ‘What’s on Guide’ will be sent to schools and will also be available online through the Shropshire HAF website.
The activities in the holiday programme can also be available to any child or young person not eligible for free school meals, who can pay to attend.
For more information please email haf.programme@shropshire.gov.uk or visit www.shropshire.gov.uk/haf
We are looking for 3 Targeted Early Help Family Support Workers to support children, young people and families in South Shropshire. The role of the Targeted Early Help Family Support Worker (TEHFSW) is to support families at all stages, from pregnancy through to families with older teenagers, and could include young people up to 25 with an additional need or disability.
The successful candidates will work directly with children, young people and their families to promote, strengthen and develop the potential of parents/carers and their children to manage the challenges they face. This will include direct work through centre based targeted activities, school and home visits They will be the Lead Professional for families, coordinating a whole family approach of support to ensure that families get the right service at the right time.
The role is varied and challenging, the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate previous experience of working with families and young people, requiring additional support and be able to appreciate the challenges families and young people can face. Candidates with experience of working with teenagers will be particularly welcome.
In addition, the successful candidate will be experienced in multi-agency working, have resilience and good judgement, excellent communication and problems solving skills and be adept at using IT to manage their casework.
We are recruiting to 3 posts to be based in either our Bridgnorth or Ludlow family hubs. We are happy to discuss part time or full time contracts, to make up a total of 2.5 FTE roles.
Further information on the Bridgnorth post and the Ludlow post can be found on the Shropshire Council website.
The Youth Support Worker role is a varied and interesting post and we are looking for someone with experience of working in a support role with children and young people. The post holder will be responsible for providing advice and guidance around personal and social development through informal education opportunities, within schools and local communities. The Youth Support Worker will work as part of a team and with other partners, including providers in the statutory, private and voluntary sector, to develop and deliver a model of support for local young people.
The post will mainly be street- based work. We are looking for dynamic, creative people who can think on their feet and are confident in engaging with hard-to-reach young people.
The successful applicant will need to work daytimes, evenings and some weekends- the role requires flexible working.
We welcome applications from newly qualified graduates who have studied on a Youth Work related course
Applicants for this position must have proven experience of working with young people.
For an informal discussion about the post please contact sian.makin@shropshire.gov.uk or phone 01743 250657
To apply for this job please visit the Shropshire Council website
Autism West Midlands have a vacancy in their team to deliver autism support in Telford at the Adult Autism Hub and support the development of future AWM services in Telford. (25 hours per week)
This role will suit someone who has experience of supporting autistic adults and experience of working in a multi-agency team.
More details at this link. For an informal chat please contact Hilary McGlynn - Operations Manager Community Services on hilarym@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Autism West Midlands is working with a group of organisations including Shropshire Council and Shropshire NHS to map services that support children with neurodevelopment conditions and/or their families.
Neurodevelopment (ND) conditions include Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia (DCD), and sensory processing disorder (SPD). Difficulties requiring support that may result from a ND condition include anxiety, sleep problems, communication/learning difficulties social interaction or behaviour issues.
Please complete this survey if your service/group supports children with undiagnosed or diagnosed neurodevelopment conditions, and/or their families.
Your service may support a wide range of children and not be specific to ND conditions, but children with ND conditions and families may be benefiting from your support.
Complete the survey here.
The last financial year has been quite a different and very challenging year for everyone. However, we are very proud to report that the Parenting Team, alongside our partners across Shropshire, have successfully continued to support parents and carers through the Solihull Approach.
Here are some numbers…
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6 virtual Understanding Your Child groups have been delivered from November 2020 until March 2021. Groups had to be suspended from March 2020 due to the pandemic, but the first successful trial of a virtual group ran in November 2020. We have been able to deliver further virtual groups since then, some in partnership with schools.
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136 parents and carers have attended virtual clinic appointments
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886 clinic appointments were attended in total
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100% of parents reported an increase in confidence in understanding and managing their child’s behaviour, after completing an ‘Understanding Your Child’ group
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1226 parents have registered to access any of the on-line courses. This compares to 323 in the previous year.
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8 online courses for parents/carers are available for free, including one for teenagers:
- Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby
- Understanding your baby
- Understanding your child
- Understanding your child with additional needs
- Understanding your teenager’s brain
- Understanding my brain
- Understanding pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby: for women couples
- Understanding your child’s feelings – taster course
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3 online courses are available for free for all professionals working in Shropshire
- Understanding Trauma
- Understanding Attachment
- Understanding Brain Development
132 professionals have accessed virtual Solihull Approach Foundation Training and Enrichment sessions
What parents have said about the groups and clinics:
‘I am a more confident person’
‘I’ve noticed both myself and my sons’ father are working better together’
‘I feel that my Son and I have a closer relationship as I take more time to try and see things from his perspective’
‘I am more positive about things’
‘I've learned to be much more patient, listen to my children, work things out with them’
What professionals have said about our training:
‘Really useful training for people working with children. supports a better understanding of children's behaviours.’
‘A brilliant training session with lots of insight into both my role and being a parent.’
If you would like more information, please get in touch with The Parenting Team on 01743 250590 or email Parenting.team@shropshire.gov.uk
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The beginning of June saw national Carers Week. We wanted to share with you a story on the life and experience of a younger carer, written by one of Shropshire’s Young Carers.
"Being a young carer isn’t necessarily easy or hard. It was a lot harder growing up because I found that people were more judgmental than understanding. Having cared since I was little it was the norm and it still is now. Being a young carer is a lot more difficult than some people would think it is, some carers can have more demanding physical work, and some can have more mental work….it differs from person to person. In my situation, I definitely did a lot more when I was younger because as a kid I definitely had more time than I do now where school is a lot more demanding. To a young carer, in their thoughts, they might not seem to be doing much but just being with the people you care for alone is caring and depending on people’s situations that can be really difficult.
My family, compared to other families, I would say is understandably different. I don’t find that my friends do as much as I do with my siblings and I’m definitely closer with my family because of my caring role. I found that through the stages of growing up caring really has made me a lot more mature and grown up compared to my friends and I have a lot of knowledge about things that could help in the future. Caring for me has been like a life lesson because I know how to care for myself and other people so it won’t be a surprise in the future.
I also found, growing up, other families did not understand what it was like to live with disabled siblings. In public, people would be, and are still, very judgemental because of the way my brother and sister act; they don’t have the capability to understand and would rather judge. A lot of comments can be quite hateful, I was bullied from the very start of primary school all the way up to year 7 because I would not hide the fact my siblings were disabled, and I was proud to be myself. It was a big learning curve but at least I’ve been myself all the way.
Something I would like people to know is that caring isn’t just a breeze. At points in life you need a serious break, just to do absolutely nothing and relax. Sometimes there will be good days where we can be the average family, however people should also understand that it is not there place to judge the way that someone cares and to always be kind to everyone because people never truly know what people have to go through every day."
You can also read Jessica’s story, which appeared in the Shropshire Star this month and the role Crossroads Together plays in the lives of young carers.
If you or someone you know is under 18 years old and looking after someone who has a disability, illness or is elderly and frail please contact Crossroads Together and have a chat with Simon on 07801 576326 or email: Simon.Jones@crossroadstogether.org.uk
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My name is Anita Foster and I have just become the Young Carers School Project Worker for Shropshire Young Carers.
I have been working with children in the charity sector for the past 20 years and it has given me so much enjoyment and fulfilment. Part of my job will be to visit schools and support Young Carers, and hopefully to identify more in Shropshire. The aim is to share good practice, provide relevant tools and training, and to celebrate the great outcomes that the schools achieve for young carers. I also hope to get schools involve with The Young Carers in School Award. This award is being run by The Children’s Society and The Carers Trust.
I look forward to working with everyone involved in Early Help in the near future.
If you want to contact Anita, please message her at Anita.Foster@crossroadstogether.org.uk
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Covid-19 has caused major interruptions and delays in child health services. The Public Health Nursing Service is in the process of restoring services and this article details current service provision. They are embracing the opportunity to increase the use of digital technology and are continuing to resume some of the home visiting element of the service
Restoring Services - 0-5 years
New Birth Visits – parents will be offered a new birth visit before their baby is 14 days old. They are currently offering home visits in line with COVID guidelines. Health Visitors are now in uniform and will be wearing PPE.
6-8 week contact – parents will be offered either a home visit or clinic appointment for the 6-8 week contact with a Health Visitor. This will be inline with COVID guidelines.
1 and 2 years development contacts – parents will receive an Ages & Stages questionnaire and a health questionnaire, by post to be returned to the Public Health Nursing Service. Then depending on the results they will either have an email or telephone call about their child’s results.
Restoring services - 5-19 years
School Drop ins: School nurses are now able to facilitate school drop ins for young people to access for their own health and well being needs. Social distancing measures are adhered too, and PPE is worn.
National child measurement programme: The service is not yet able to undertake this element fully at present, if a parent is concerned about their child’s health or weight please contact the service to discuss.
Eye health: It is recommended that a child has their vision checked in reception year or at any time a parent has a concern about their child's vision. Please contact a local optician to discuss or book an appointment (parents will not have to pay for the sight test.)
Family Nurse Partnership
Have continued to offer the licensed programme throughout the pandemic to young parents under 19 years of age. If you know someone who pregnant and under 19 please contact them to see whether they would be eligible for this service provision.
Emotional Health & Well being practitioners
The service has dedicated professionals who can support and sign post for emotional health and well being of both children and for parents/ carers during the antenatal or postnatal phase of their parenting journey
Youth Voice for Nature is an environmental forum for young people aged 17-21. The project promotes greater collaboration, representation and involvement of young people in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Join them online for a meeting in July.
There are many pressures in our lives that can sometimes feel overwhelming and lead us to feel sad, depressed, anxious, confused or struggling to cope. It can often be helpful to talk through these concerns with a trusted person, others who have been through similar experiences or to be able to use creative outlets to express emotions.
Togetherall is a new online offer for Shropshire residents and health and social care staff working in Shropshire providing opportunities to do this in a safe and anonymous digital environment.
This is an online community for anyone aged 16 and above to share experiences about their mental and emotional health in confidence, offer peer to peer support, utilise creative tools and is accessible 24/7 with trained professionals always available.
There are also options to participate in a range of free self-guided courses to do at your own pace covering topics such as managing sleep problems, stopping smoking, stress and worry, social anxiety and anger management as well as access to self-assessments and resources to help people look after themselves, take control and feel better.
Find out more here.
The next start date of the Prince’s Trust TEAM programme will be starting on the 23rd of August 2021.
The TEAM programme is for 16-25 year olds who are unemployed. Joining the Princes Trust TEAM programme can give young people a better chance of moving into a job or further education and training. The programme will help them move forwards with their life.
During the programme young people will:
- benefit from passionate and professional staff who’ll provide them with mentoring support throughout
- develop work-related skills including: communication, teamwork, leadership, setting and achieving goals, managing feelings, confidence, reliability, job searching, and leadership
- get the opportunity to thrive and gain new experiences
- uncover hidden talents and improve confidence
- build social skills and meet new people
- achieve nationally recognised employability qualifications
- get two weeks work experience in something they’re interested in
- develop maths and English skills
- improve leadership skills
- enjoy a range of teamwork activities.
At the end of the programme each young person will receive the nationally recognised Prince’s Trust Certificate in Employment, Teamwork and Community Skills and during the scheme they will gain a range of new skills that are useful in the workplace, such as basic emergency First Aid and Food Hygiene.
All the equipment will be provided, and young people will also get help with travel expenses. It doesn’t affect entitlement to benefits either – if a young person is claiming Job Seeker’s Allowance they can continue to sign on although they must notify the Jobcentre that you are on the programme.
The Team programme was launched by The Prince’s Trust in 1990 and has since helped more than 153,000 unemployed young people turn their lives around, with three out of four young people supported by the Trust moving into work, education or training.
City of Wolverhampton College has been delivering the Prince’s Trust Team programme courses across the Black Country and Shropshire since September 2000 and to date over 2000 young people have attended schemes in Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell, Telford and Shrewsbury.
Want to find out more? Call the Prince’s Trust team on 01902 837134 or email princestrust@wolvcoll.ac.uk Young people can also apply online and then one of the team will be in touch to discuss the options.
The latest edition of the Shropshire Safeguarding and Community Partnership newsletter has been produced. The newsletter includes
- Their Covid-19 Learning Resource on Assessment Practice
- Multi-agency Learning Briefing on the Impact of Covid-19
- Updated information and video on what to do when there is a concern about the welfare of a child
- Information on the Neglect Practitioner Support Pack
- Training, Conferences, Webinars and Podcasts
- Information on National Hoarding Week (from 17th May)
- Information on Child Safety Week (from 7th June)
You can read the newsletter here.
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FREE Webinars for parents, carers and professionals running this term
NEW LISTING - Autism & The Teenage Brain 2nd July
NEW LISTING - Autism & Girls 8th July
NEW LISTING - Understanding Autism 13th July
For more information and to book see their events page.
Zoom Advice slots –24th June, 1st/15th July, 5th August
For those who would like some face-to-face contact we are offering this virtually via video appointments. Zoom works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please book via our shop. Telephone appointments are also available see below.
Virtual Support Group for Parents
Wednesday Mornings 10am-11am & Wednesday Evenings 8pm-9pm
We are running our weekly online support groups via the Zoom platform. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support.
If you would like to join either of the support groups, please email Gemma at gemmae@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Advice and support
We continue to offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents and carers can contact our small team directly to arrange an appointment please call:
Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri
Wendy Cowton - 07900784186
Weds, Thu, Fri
Emma Hegenbarth - 07881109480
Email - shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Helpline - 0121 450 7575
Young People registered with All In Short Breaks:
Zoom Together Fun sessions for 12 – 17-year-olds – 2nd June and 7th July 6pm -7pm
For more information and how to book visit click here.
Coming Soon…
Please note AWM and All in short breaks will be offering sessions every Wednesday during the summer holidays. These will be advertised and bookable on their events page.
Part of Shropshire Council's All In Short Breaks Service. Young people must be living in the Shropshire Council area and be registered with the council’s All In Short Breaks service to take part in these events.
DAD’s Group
We welcome Dad’s to come and join our online group. Come together to share ideas and advice with a member of AWM present. For more information on this group and to register please visit: https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/
We Are With You has launched the new 'Find the Right Moment' campaign. This public awareness campaign encourages open, positive conversations about drinking behaviour, and helps people 'find the right moment' to have an initial conversation with any loved ones they're worried about. They’re directing those struggling to have that conversation to alcohol services in their area or online services for further advice and support.
This campaign comes at a time when lockdown is easing and pubs reopen. New With You research has found that, as restrictions ease, one in four people in the UK are concerned about the impact of lockdown easing on their drinking habits. They also found that 1 in 10 (5.6 million people) are worried about the drinking habits of a partner, friend or family member. Despite the prevalence of these concerns, their survey indicates people remain reluctant to talk about drinking habits and reach out for support.
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