Welcome to the latest edition of the Early Help Newsletter. In this edition you will find out about our youth services young people survey – for young people to help inform what youth services should look like in Shropshire. There’s also new information on the SEND Local Offer on neurodiversity, lots of learning from various research and dates of up and coming training, as well as dates for understanding your child/teen including those with SEND, and sleep tight workshops.
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.
‘By treating our children and young people with respect, love and trust and with the right amount of encouragement we can inspire them to dream big, build relationships and connections that matter and together with kindness and a sense of belonging we can do great things.’
Children and Young People’s vision statement
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Whether you think a parent 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.
Shropshire’s Early Help youth support team have launched their youth survey. The survey will form part of the development to create a youth offer for young people in Shropshire and asks young people how they feel about the local facilities and services in their local area. Having a good youth offer which meets the needs of young people in their communities, can reduce issues such as anti-social behaviour, exploitation and substance misuse.
Having a Youth Offer will help the us to re-connect young people with their communities making sure there are sufficient leisure time and personal and social education opportunities for young people to engage with.
The deadline to feedback on the young people’s survey is Friday 1 December.
Please encourage as many young people as possible to take part in the Shropshire Youth Survey
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As part of National Youth Work Week which took place recently, our Early Help Youth Support team launched a new Instagram page.
Give them a follow and join them for a taster of what Shropshire Youth are about, and keep up to date on their work to support young people in Shropshire. Scan the QR code to follow, or click Shropshire Youth on Instagram.
Shropshire’s SEND Local Offer has introduced a new section on neurodiversity. Often the term neurodiversity is used in the context of autism and ADHD and refers to the natural differences in the way our brains work. Some people’s brains simply work in a different way.
You can find out more about neurodiversity and the support available to parent carers and children and young people here.
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We are delighted to announce that bookings for the Shropshire Winter / Christmas HAF (Holiday Activities & Food) Programme are now open.
Shropshire Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to run an exciting holiday programme this Winter, Shropshire HAF (Holiday Activities and Food).
From 21st December 2023 to 5th January 2024, eligible children and young people are invited to take part in a range of fun activities, happening at over 40 holiday clubs from across the county.
Watch the Winter HAF promo film to find out more: https://youtu.be/IGBBj0_cRTA
What’s On Guide & Timetable of Clubs is available on the Shropshire HAF webpages Activities and events | Shropshire Council
Lots more information about the programme is available on the Shropshire HAF webpage, including eligibility Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) | Shropshire Council
For further information please contact Shropshire HAF Co-Ordinators, Alexa Pugh and Sarah Morris Email: HAF.programme@shropshire.gov.uk
The Joseph Rowntree has recently published their latest Destitution report, the fourth in the Destitution in the UK series. The latest study reveals approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children. This is almost two-and-a-half times the number of people in 2017, and nearly triple the number of children. You can read their report here Destitution in the UK 2023
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There is a real and growing concern of how many young people find it ok to share inappropriate images online. It is leading to so many becoming vulnerable to potential exploitation, blackmail and harm from a young age, leaving a lasting digital footprint. If you share it, you are involved.
Please share the attached informative wall poster that serves to reinforce online safety practices and encourages open conversations among parents, caregivers, and colleagues on this sensitive issue. Please do not hesitate to print and display this poster in prominent areas, where parents, caregivers, and colleagues often pass by. Its presence can serve as a constant visual reminder of the significance of online safety. Also, feel free to extend the impact of this poster by sharing it on your social media channels.
There are lots of useful resources for parent carers on the Safety Net website, guides to live streaming, gaming, social media, fake news and influencers.
Shropshire Council are currently reviewing several SEND services and are engaging with the SEND community to gauge their views.
As well as seeking the views from the SEND community, we also want to reach out to practitioners and organisations to communicate the current position on these services and to seek their feedback.
One of these services is the Shropshire Information Advice and Support Service offered to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SENDIASS). We have launched a survey to gather the views of parent carers and practitioners and strongly encourage you all to complete the survey and share with any families you are working with.
Click here to complete the survey SEND Information, Advice and Support Services Survey
Your feedback will help support our work in developing this service for the future.
The deadline for responses will be 6th December 2023.
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Ofcom has published new research exploring how children communicate online in the UK. The research uses a survey and interviews with 11- to 18-year-olds to look at children’s online experiences.
Findings include: 60% of 11- to 18-year-olds have experienced some form of potentially uncomfortable interactions/conversations when communicating online at some point in the past; including 13% who have been sent pictures or videos of naked or half-dressed people and 10% who have ever been asked to share these types of pictures or videos themselves; and for many potentially uncomfortable forms of contact, the experience often occurs within/during the first contact with the person or people in question.
The report also covers what platforms young people prefer to use to communicate and also how they expand their communication networks. You can read the research here Understanding online communications among children (ofcom.org.uk)
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Public Health Wales has created a handbook to support professionals with tackling adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and developing trauma-informed systems. The handbook sets out strategies and information on preventing and responding to ACEs, including child maltreatment and other stressful experiences within the first 18 years of life, such as exposure to family violence or substance abuse by parents or caregivers.
Read the news story: Strategies to prevent adverse childhood experiences are vital, says new handbook for professionals.
Access the handbook: A practical handbook on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) delivering prevention, building resilience and developing trauma-informed systems: a resource for professionals and organisations
NSPCC Learning has published a podcast episode on early intervention and support for parents experiencing adversity. The two-part episode focuses on For Baby’s Sake, a service providing therapeutic and trauma-informed support to expectant parents who have experienced domestic abuse. The episodes discuss: the first 1001 days of a child’s life; how trauma affects brain development; and building trusting relationships between services and service users.
Listen to the podcast: Podcast: Supporting new parents through adversity
Visit YouTube for part one: Supporting new parents through adversity – part one
Visit YouTube for part two: Supporting new parents through adversity - part two
These 5 week workshops cover:
- Recognising the role of sleep hygiene to improve sleep
- Identifying causes of sleep issues and appropriate practical strategies to try
- Completing sleep diaries and identifying potential sleep issues
These courses are offered face to face and online
- Friday 12th January 2024 from 09.30am to 11.30am in Shrewsbury, venue to be confirmed.
- Friday 12th January 2024 from 12.30pm to 2.30pm Virtually via MS Teams
- Friday 23rd February 2024 from 9.30am to 11.30am in Shrewsbury, venue to be confirmed.
- Friday 23rd February 2024 from 12.30pm to 2.30pm Virtually via MS Teams
Please share with those parents you think would benefit.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if you have any questions: parenting.team@shropshire.gov.uk or give us a call on 01743 250950
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The Parenting Team will be delivering free Understanding Your Child and Understanding Your Child SEND groups from January 2024
These 10 week groups aim to:
- Promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of developmental issues
- Promote the development of parent/child relationship
- Increase confidence and self-esteem in both parents and children
- Give parents a strategy for repair when things go wrong
- Promote reflective, sensitive and effective parenting
The courses are offered face to face and online.
- Understanding Your Child SEND starts on Monday 15th January 2024 until 18th March 2024 from 12.30pm to 2.30pm in Shrewsbury, venue to be confirmed.
- Understanding Your Child starts Wednesday 10th January 2024 until 20th March 2024 from 9.30am to 11.30am Virtually via MS Teams
- Understanding Your Child SEND starts on Thursday 11th January 2024 until 21st March 2024 From 12.30pm to 2.30pm Virtually via MS Teams
Please share with those parents you think would benefit.
Please do not hesitate to contact us directly if you have any questions: parenting.team@shropshire.gov.uk or give us a call on 01743 250950
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Stay up to date with news and information for children, young people and families by following the Family Information Service and the SEND Local Offer on social media. There’s lots of information shared on a daily basis to support families in Shropshire, so why not give them a follow? If you have news and information you would like them to share about your service either tag them into your post or email ShropshireFIS@shropshire.gov.uk
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We have a had a busy Autumn Term and have been really pleased with the popularity of our face-to-face events which have all been fully booked. We have restarted doing coffee mornings and are currently investigating new venues across Shropshire to reach as many areas as possible where there is a need.
Early Help Drop Ins - Sunflower House, Shrewsbury –We’ll be attending the drop-in sessions once a month. The next date is 19th December. The drop-in sessions run from 9.30-12.30
Coffee/Tea and Chat
Join us for a free in-person session to meet members of Shropshire Families Autism West Midlands Team and other parent carers for a relaxed coffee and chat - you do not have to stay for the whole time. Please book a space so we know how many to expect. Hosted by our Autism Specialists, the session is open to parents and carers of children in the Shropshire Council area only. If you have any questions, please email shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk for further information please visit the Autism West Midlands website
WEEKLY Teams Advice slots
For those would like some online advice we are offering this virtually via video appointments. Teams works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please book via our shop. If the dates/timings of our online advice appointments are not convenient for you, please contact us to make alternative arrangements – scroll down for details
https://shop.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/collections/events/products/copy-of-online-autism-advice-and-consultation-sessions-shropshire-county
Virtual Support Group for Parents
Wednesday Mornings 10am-11am & Wednesday Evenings 8pm-9pm – 1st and 3rd Weds of each month (term time)
Our online support groups meet twice a month via Teams. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support. We recommend that you have attended an online advice appointment with a member of the team before joining group sessions (link above).
If you would like to join either of the support groups, please email the team here shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Autism Alert Cards will be available from November
https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/home/alert-cards/
Advice and support
We also offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents/carers and professionals can contact the team directly to arrange an appointment including face-to-face if preferable.
Shropshire office - 01952 454156
Weds, Thu, Fri - Emma Hegenbarth 07881109480
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu - Dawn Lewis 07706309382
Mon, Tue, Thu - Nicola King 07706337511
Mon, Thu, Fri - Kerry McLafferty 07900784186
Email shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Helpline 0121 450 7575
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A number of community drop ins have been established in the south of the county. These offer parent carers the chance to dop in, have a cuppa and get information, advice and support with:
- Housing Support
- Children's Health and Wellbeing
- Healthy Living
- Family Life
- Home Fire Safety
- Domestic Abuse
- Drugs and Alcohol
- Financial Advice
- And lots more!
To find out when and where the drop ins are taking place please visit the
Family Information Service Directory.
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Is your family struggling? Would you like some support but don't know where to start? Why not come along to an Early Help Family Drop In. You can chat to a range of services who will help you to access the support you need.
Services like:
- Early Help Family Workers (who can work with your family to provide support tailored to your needs)
- Parenting Support (for support around child development, behaviour, sleep and relationships)
- Services that can help with finance, housing, health, domestic abuse and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
The Early Help Team support families with children aged 0-19 years (up to 25 years for young people with special educational needs and disabilities)
They aim to make it easier for you to get help and support when you need it.
To find your local early help Hub, or Community Drop in please visit the Family Information Service Directory.
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The second edition of the Compass newsletter is now available on the Early Help website. This Newsletter will focus on data obtained from Quarter 2 (July-September 2023). The data reveals that Neglect, Family Dysfunction, and Domestic Abuse were the most common reasons for concerns being raised into Compass during this. The most common referrers were Schools, Individuals , and Health Services.
You can read the newsletter here.
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Spring Term 2024
Early Help Network Meetings are held every term in each network area. These meetings are free of charge to attend and are an opportunity for professionals from all agencies working with children, young people or their families to share information about services available or issues affecting families within the relevant network area.
A programme of speakers will be arranged by our Locality Development Officers for the Term. Partner agencies in attendance are welcome to update everyone on services/support available within individual locality areas. A Padlet with presentation slides and any information shared by partner agencies during the term will be emailed to those who attended after each network meeting and to all those on our network database towards the end of the term.
All meetings during the Spring Term will be delivered via Microsoft Teams, due to possible inclement weather.
For sessions delivered via Microsoft Teams, professionals should have Microsoft Teams enabled on their laptops.
Central locality area (Locality Development Officer: Diljit McCabe)
Tuesday 30th January 2024 from 3.30 – 5pm via Microsoft Teams
Tuesday 20th February 2024 from 3.30 – 5pm via Microsoft Teams
North locality areas (Locality Development Officer: Dee Beckett)
NW: Tuesday 6th February 2024 from 3.30 – 5pm via Microsoft Teams
NE: Wednesday 6th March 2024 from 3.30 – 5pm via Microsoft Teams
South locality areas (Locality Development Officer: Charlotte Evans)
SW: Monday 29th January 2024 from 3.30 – 5pm via Microsoft Teams
SE: Monday 19th February 2024 from 3.30 – 5pm via Microsoft Teams
Networking Event for professionals/volunteers working with families in South Shropshire: on Monday 4th March 2024 from 3.30 – 5.00pm at Helena Lane House, Hamlet Road, Ludlow SY8 2NP. Please drop-in whenever you can during this time to chat with those providing services/support to families in the south of the county.
If you have not received an invite but would like to attend any of our Early Help Networking Meetings, please simply put the date/time in your diary and either put in the venue or copy the Teams link into your calendar so you can join the meeting. Alternatively, please email your name – agency – job title to Tracey Bowen, the Strengthening Families Training Administrator, tracey.bowen@shropshire.gov.uk and an invite will be forwarded to you.
For partner agencies/voluntary organisations working with families in Shropshire
(December 2023 – July 2024)
Brook Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool
Brook’s nationally recognised Sexual Behaviours Traffic Light Tool can only be used by professionals who have been trained and licensed to use the resource. We offer interactive, face to face, half day multi-agency training which provides us all with a shared language and allows for a multi-agency response to help professionals identify, understand and respond appropriately to sexual behaviours in young people. The training and accompanying Traffic Light Tool equip professionals to make consistent and informed decisions that neither stigmatise nor criminalise young people.
Participants will learn about healthy sexual development, understand key laws relating to sexual behaviour and gain knowledge on enabling robust and meaningful conversations around harmful sexual behaviours that cause concern.
All participants will receive a licence to use the Traffic Light Tool for 12 months, together with a hard copy of the tool to support their learning and a pdf of the tool for future reference. They will also have access to a digital version of the Tool and certificate upon completion.
- Wednesday 17th January 2024 from 9.30am to 1pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Tuesday 27th February 2024 from 9.30am to 1pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Thursday 14th March 2024 from 9.30am to 1pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Chronologies and Significant Events
If you work with families, understanding the importance of a good chronology is vital. This introductory session will enable practitioners from a range of agencies to:
- Understand what a chronology or record of significant events is (and isn’t) and the purpose of recording and sharing information
- Identify elements of good practice, including what is significant for that child or may constitute a key event
- Recognise how a chronology can help make links between the past and the present and how this may impact on the child
- Demonstrate the value of a chronology, especially where there may be no single ‘incident’ e.g. in families where there may be concerns around neglect
- Review a chronology template.
- Wednesday 28th February 2024 from 10am to 12noon at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Thursday 6th June 2024 from 1pm to 3pm at the Lantern, Shrewsbury
** New ** Complex Co-parenting: working with parents in conflict
Do you work with families where parents are unable to agree at all? Are you struggling to support them to work together to improve outcomes for the children? Are you unsure if what you are seeing is domestic abuse, parental conflict or parental alienation? Does the family feel that this way of behaving is just the way things are?
Families with unresolved intergenerational trauma make up a high percentage of re- referrals to services, often described as the revolving door. To improve outcomes for families, agencies need to view family conflict through a trauma lens and explore traumatic events experienced during childhood and how this can have a negative impact on parenting and use constructive approaches to help parents co-parent effectively.
This course will help you to:
- Understand a range of co-parenting styles
- Differentiate between domestic abuse and destructive parental conflict
- Define parental alienation
- Understand the importance of reaching fathers
- Identify appropriate tools to use when working with parents.
- Thursday 1st February 2024 from 9.30am to 12 noon at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Wednesday 22nd May 2024 from 9.30am to 12 noon at The Lantern, Shrewsbury
- Tuesday 9th July 2024 from 9.30am to 12 noon at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Introduction to Early Help and Thresholds
Aimed at any professional or volunteer who works in Shropshire. Whether you are in a school, an early-years setting, health, housing, social care or the voluntary sector, if your work involves children and their families, this module will support you to see the benefits of partnership working and early help.
Early help covers a wide range of universal and targeted services, who are in a position to identify and support families and children who may be experiencing some low-level challenges and who would benefit from some support. The purpose of early help is to improve the life chances of children and families and benefit the wider community, whilst being innovative and cost-effective.
In Shropshire, the focus is on conception to early adulthood, because early help is not just about the early years but also about preventing adolescents and young adults from developing problems. We want every family to develop a cycle of positive parenting, relationships, and behaviour.
Early help is about talking to families and acting as soon as possible to tackle problems for children and families before they become more difficult to reverse. Early help also focuses on enhancing the capabilities of every parent to provide a supportive and enriching environment for their children.
- Monday 11th December 2023 from 12 noon - 2.30pm at Ludlow Fire Station
- Monday 29th January 2024 from 1pm to 3.30pm at Oswestry Fire Station
- Wednesday 7th February 2024 from 1pm to 3.30pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Monday 18th March 2024 from 10am to 12.30pm at Bridgnoth Fire Station
- Thursday 16th May 2024 from 1pm to 3.30pm at The Lantern, Shrewsbury
- Thursday 23rd May 2024 from 9.30am to 12noon at Market Drayton Fire Station
- Monday 1st July 2024 from 10am to 12.30pm at Ludlow Fire Station
LEGO Think Bricks
This session will offer a therapeutic coaching approach, designed to support children’s emotional well-being ....brick by brick! With full follow up support, an activities resource, and a LEGO Think Bricks resource kit for each delegate.
- Tuesday 5th March 2024 from 9.30am to 4pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Currently all sessions are FULLY BOOKED but please email tracey.bowen@shropshire.gov.uk if you would like to go on the waiting list for this training.
Reducing Parental Conflict: Introduction to Reducing Parental Conflict
If you are working with families, you are likely to interact with parents who share that they are discontented with their relationship or even display conflict or tension in their relationship, whether they are together or separated. Research shows that this has a detrimental impact on outcomes for children. This can be challenging – to help you with managing your response, this 2 hour interactive virtual session, delivered via Microsoft Teams, aims to support practitioners to build awareness and develop the confidence, knowledge and skills to work with parents to reduce conflict and improve outcomes for children.
All practitioners or agencies that have contact with parents either directly, or by working with their children, can play an important role in identifying and supporting the reduction of parental conflict. Underpinned by a solid evidence base, the session will raise awareness of how conflict may be damaging for children, why it can be hard to address and introduce some simple tools that can be used with parents to break the cycle.
- Thursday 11th January 2024 from 1pm to 3pm via Microsoft Teams
- Wednesday 20th March 2024 from 10am to 12 noon via Microsoft Teams
- Tuesday 14th May 2024 from 10am to 12 noon via Microsoft Teams
- Wednesday 3rd July 2024 from 1pm to 3pm via Microsoft Teams
Reducing Parental Conflict: building confidence and using resources
It can be difficult to identify parental conflict as often the focus is on a child’s behaviour and the quality of parent-child relationships. However, research shows that parental conflict has a significant impact on children’s outcomes, regardless of their age or whether their parents are together or separated. This new one day face to face course, aimed at practitioners who work directly with families, has been designed to help practitioners develop the skills to:
- understand and apply the evidence-base on parental conflict
- understand and identify parental conflict and provide appropriate support
- understand the concept of co-parenting
- start a conversation about healthy relationships when working with parents
- feel confident to use a range of tools and resources to support their interaction with parents and children.
All delegates will have access to range of tools to use on the day to discuss with colleagues and take away to use in their own setting.
- Tuesday 19th March 2024 from 9.30am to 4pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Tuesday 11th June 2024 from 9.30am to 4pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
Using Assessments to support families in Shropshire
If you work with children and their families, it is very likely that you will be asked to complete an assessment of some sort. There is a plethora of assessment tools available to practitioners, some very specific and others with a more general focus, and it is important that practitioners feel confident to use the most appropriate assessment for the situation.
This course will help you to:
- understand why we complete assessments
- identify appropriate tools to use in a variety of circumstances, including genograms and eco-maps
- consider a range of assessment questions
- review and critique a completed assessment
- apply the Shropshire Threshold Matrix
- Tuesday 30th January 2024 from 9.30am to 4pm at The Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Thursday 9th May 2024 from 9.30am to 4pm at The Lantern, Shrewsbury
Using the Early Help Module of Liquidlogic to Manage an Early Help Episode
The Early Help Module (EHM) of Liquidlogic is the multi-agency case recording system for early help, targeted early help and the Strengthening Families outcomes. EHM will allow agencies to share information about families confidently, thus avoiding duplication and ensuring families get the right service at the right time. Additionally, EHM will link to both adults and children’s social care, with the aim of promoting a more sustainable and joined up way of working. Targeted Early Help will only accept a request for intervention through EHM.
Completion of this module will give you full access to EHM, the Early Help Module of Liquidlogic, where an Early Help episode can help multi-agency partners to record and share information securely.
PRE-REQUISITE Delegates must complete the Gateway to using the Early Help Module of Liquidlogic on Leap into Learning before booking onto this module and must attend this module within 3 months of completing the online Gateway training. The Gateway to using the Early Help Module of Liquidlogic is an introductory e-learning module for everyone who works with children, young people and their families.
- Tuesday 5th December 2023 from 10am to 12 noon at Market Drayton Fire Station
- Wednesday 17th January 2024 from 2pm to 4pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Wednesday 31st January 2024 from 1pm to 3pm at Ludlow Fire Station
- Thursday 1st February 2024 from 1pm to 3pm at Oswestry Fire Station
- Monday 26th February 2024 from 1pm to 3pm at Bridgnorth Fire Station
- Wednesday 6th March 2024 from 1.30pm to 3.30pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury
- Monday 11th March 2024 from 1pm to 3pm at Market Drayton Fire Station
- Wednesday 17th April 2024 from 9.30am to 11.30am at The Lantern, Shrewsbury
- Monday 22nd April 2024 from 10am to 12 noon at Ludlow Fire Station
- Wednesday 8th May 2024 from 9.30 top 11.30am at Oswestry Fire Station
- Thursday 6th June 2024 from 9.30am to 11.30am at The Lantern, Shrewsbury
- Friday 7th June 2024 from 10am to 12 noon at Bridgnorth Fire Station
- Wednesday 12th June 2024 from 9.30am to 11.30am at Market Drayton Fire Station
How to Book
Please book any places by using your Leap/Learning Pool account (can click into course titles for direct link to each course).
If you don’t have an learner account with us or are struggling to book through our booking system, please email your name, job title, agency and details of the course(s) and date(s) you wish to book to attend to Tracey Bowen, Strengthening Families Training Administrator email tracey.bowen@shropshire.gov.uk or call 01743 254370
Visit our webpage here for the most up to date free Early Help events and training sessions.
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