Welcome to the latest edition of the Early Help Newsletter. In this edition you can find information on the relaunch of Early Help in Shropshire and the work undertaken to transform the service, a new video from the Family Information Service which explains how the service can help families, and dates for the Understanding your child from toddler to teen groups and Sleep Tight workshops starting in September.  

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 Kate 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

At the end of the summer term we held our launch event, where together with partners across health, education and the voluntary and community sector we came together to celebrate the new Shropshire early help strategy, which aims to give children, parents and carers the right help at the right time, and to share our recent transformation work, which has includes

• Engaged with families and young people in Shropshire to find out what they need from an Early Help service and create a new Early Help Strategy
• Created an ‘Early Help Front Door’, a single point of contact for anybody to access the service or make referrals easily and quickly
• Improved accessibility for families with special educational needs and disabilities
• Made improvements to the assessment process for Early Help, reducing the time it takes for support to be put into place
• Developed an ‘integrated teams’ approach so professionals who work with families in different organisations can work together regularly and consistently, to find the best outcome for a family more quickly
• Increased the number of families receiving targeted support
• Revamped the Early Help webpages to ensure they accessible for both families and professionals.

Next steps include making Early Help even more accessible in community and family hubs all over the county, along with partners in health and the voluntary and community sector.

Kirstie Hurst Knight, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for children and families said:-

“Early Help is at the forefront of our transformation ambition, and the service is now in a strong position to help the families of Shropshire thrive, now and in the future.

“Our community partners and local voluntary organisations have played an important role, and will continue to be a vital link between the service and our unique communities.

“Thank you to everybody who took part in surveys, focus groups and engagement sessions. The insight of our local families was key to the successful Early Help transformation and will continue to inform our plans to develop, commission and deliver the right services and support that meet the needs of children, young people and families in the right place, at the right time.

“We look forward to the next steps of the project, making Early Help even more accessible as part of our family and community hubs offer this summer.”

Visit the early help Early help website to find out more about Early Help in Shropshire.

Exciting news!

Here at the FIS we have been developing a new video which explains exactly what we do and how we support families. This video can be shared with families and staff to introduce the FIS service and the support available, so they understand how we can help. The video is less than 2 minutes long so please take a moment to watch it – and do share with families and colleagues.

Get to know the Family Information Service video

Early help are again hosting meet and chat sessions for families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Please share with all families you think would benefit from chatting all things SEND with colleagues from education, health and care and Shropshire Parent Carer Council (PACC).

The dates, times and venues are…

• Raven House, Market Drayton Family hub - Tuesday 17^th September, 1pm to 3pm
• Bridgnorth Youth Centre, Bridgnorth Family hub - Tuesday 15^th October, 1.30pm to 4pm
• Meole Brace Primary School, Family Drop-in - Thursday 7^th November, 9.30m to 12pm

The Parenting Team at Shropshire Council offers a variety of services to parents/carers as well as professionals.

Our GROUPS – Understanding Your Child from Toddler to Teen – are delivered over 10 weeks to parents/carers. These are either delivered face to face in venues across the county or live virtual, using Microsoft Teams. Further information can be found on the Shropshire Family Information Directory.

A wide range of online COURSES are available to access as and when parents/carers and professionals would like to through the following link inourplace | Solihull Approach – Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin | inourplace

Professionals can access our free TRAINING offer, all based on the Solihull Approach. For further information please contact the Parenting Team on 01743 250950 or email parenting.team@shroopshire.gov.uk

The latest dates and venues of the Understanding your child groups starting in September have been released by the Parenting Team and can be found on the Family Information Service Directory.

The groups encourage parents and carers to identify the most important issues in their relationship with their child and to reflect on why things sometimes go well and sometimes do not. It is about looking at what they are already doing well and building on that to make it even better. It is then easier for them as a parent to identify how to work together with their child.

The group aims to:

• Promote understanding of children’s behaviour within the context of how a child develops
• 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.

Life can be difficult when children have sleep issues. Our aim is to support families to get a better night’s sleep by using a behavioural approach to sleep and work in partnership with families, as we know that they are the expert on their children.

This 5 week workshop aims to support parents and carers to make positive changes to their child’s sleep patterns.

Workshops provide parents and carers with the opportunity to meet other families in similar situations and to gain tips on how to support a better night’s sleep for them and their child.

The latest dates and venues of the Sleep Tight workshops starting in September have been released by the Parenting Team and can be found on the Family Information Service Directory. 

Shropshire Youth Association are running a new weekly social group for parents up to the age of 25. Starting at the beginning of the Autumn term in September.

They will run every Tuesday from 11am – 1pm, term time only running from The Lodge, Upton Lane, Monkmoor, SY2 5RR.

A light lunch will also be provided.

For further information please contact Lee Overton at Shropshire Youth Association on 07741 885025.

Please share with any parents you are supporting.

Looking for exciting Summer Holiday events in Shropshire?

Look no further than our Family Information Service Directory!

We've gathered the best events going on in and around Shropshire that are sure to make this summer the most memorable one yet! Whether you’re seeking outdoor adventures, workshops or a great family day out, we have something for everyone!

Visit our Directory to find out what's on this summer.

A Lead Professional is a person, usually a professional such as a teacher, school support staff or health visitor, who is the single point of contact for a family when working in a Team Around the Family way. They will identify others who can help the family and reduce their need to tell their story multiple time.

The Lead Professional is usually the person who will undertake an Early Help Assessment with the family. They will work with the family to develop a unique Family Plan, which will identify different roles people have to support the family to achieve their own goals.

The Lead Professional will organise and co-ordinate Team Around the Family meetings, ensuring the child and their family understand what is happening at each point of the process. They will include their voices where absent, or unable to attend and encourage participation in decision making about what happens next.

Identifying a Lead Professional where problems first start to emerge is a really important element of more effective early help, so please do read the additional information on our Practice Guidance here: https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/media/42fjbiw4/practice-framework-redesign.pdf

Contact: the charity for families with disabled children reached out to parent carers to discover what professional support they would have found most beneficial.

Here’s a short video of what they shared: Parent advice for practitioners: Tips for supporting families of children with additional needs.

Parent carers said:-

• Signpost to support groups and charities
• Don't assume parents don't work
• Start with something positive
• Avoid jargon
• Make sure the whole team is 'SEND educated'

The Shropshire SEND Local Offer has lots of information and advice to signpost parent carers too, and the Contact website has advice and information about concerns a family might have about raising a child with additional needs. 

They also run a free helpline and offer a Listening Ear support service. They produce a range of email newsletters and parent guides available to download or order. 

Actio is a collaboration between Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and PACC (Shropshire’s Parent Carer Forum), which aims to improve activity opportunities for children and young people with SEND in Shropshire, and which also manages and commissions All In Short Breaks for Shropshire Council.

The new video looks at how and why children and young people can become All In members, and how Actio can support a child's wellbeing and explore new activities. 

 You can watch the new video on Actio’s website. 

Shropshire Youth Association are running a new social club for young people aged 18-25 who have additional needs and disabilities.

Starting at the beginning of the Autumn term in September, they will run every Tuesday from 6-7:30pm, term time only, from The Lodge, Upton Lane, Monkmoor, SY2 5RR.

For further information please contact Lee Overton at Shropshire Youth Association on 07741 885025.

Please share with any families and young people who would benefit.

The Armed Forces Outreach is designed to provide help and support to all military personnel, veterans, and their families.

Working with many of the service charities and organisations the outreach assists and facilitates to ensure that current and former military personnel have access to the right support.

This can be as simple as attending the various outreach locations for social engagement, to information, advice and guidance around housing, benefits, physical and mental health, and employment.

We have also formed close links with several businesses, charities, and organisations across Shropshire, many of whom have signed the Armed Forces Covenant to demonstrate their support.

Email SAFCC@shropshire.gov.uk 

Web https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/armed-forces-support/

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) has published a blog post on the mental health consequences of school anxiety and emotional based school avoidance (EBSA) in children.

The blog discusses potential causes of school anxiety and EBSA and looks at the influence on: anxiety and depression; social isolation and loneliness; and low self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Read the blog: What are the mental health impacts of school anxiety and emotional based school avoidance (EBSA)?

NSPCC Learning has published a podcast episode looking at the voice of the child and its importance in social work practice.

Three consultant social workers from the NSPCC’s Quality and Practice team discuss: what we mean by ‘the voice of the child’ and why it is important; how to effectively capture the voice of the child and what barriers might get in the way of this; and how to make use of the child’s voice in practical work, including in meetings, assessments, interventions and record keeping.

Listen to the podcast: Podcast: The voice of the child in social work practice

Listen on YouTube: The voice of the child in social work practice

NSPCC Learning has published a new page bringing together safeguarding information for people working or volunteering with babies, young children and their families.

New and updated content includes: an introduction to safeguarding in the early years; recognising and responding to abuse in the early years; and safeguarding considerations when providing intimate care.

Visit the page: Safeguarding and child protection in the early years

The Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin, Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) listens to the experiences of women, birthing people and their families and brings together service users and service providers to plan, review and improve maternity and neonatal care ensuring that service user voice is at the heart of everything we do.

An important role of the MNVP is collecting and sharing the feedback from people that have used maternity and neonatal services in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and we have now launched our new MNVP Feedback Surveys that are focused on topics throughout pregnancy and postnatal care to help us drive positive change in all these areas.

Our new surveys focus on the following areas –

• Before your Birth (Antenatal)
• Birth
• After your Birth (Postnatal)
• Feeding your Baby
• Support Partners
• Neonatal
• Multiples
• Baby Loss

All surveys are anonymous and the feedback that you provide will be shared with all providers in the area offering maternity and neonatal care. All surveys can be found on www.stw-lmns.com/support-during-and-after-pregnancy

You can also contact the MNVP by emailing maternity.voices@nhs.net to discuss your experiences further or if you are interested in our volunteering opportunities.

It's important to celebrate the great work that is happening in early help. Here are some recent compliments we're received from some parents and children and young people. If your service wants to share similar feedback in the next newsletter please email them to Kate.Bentham@shropshire.gov.uk

You really helped me with getting my finances in order. We worked out a plan to pay water bill. We ensured the final electricity bill was for my ex so I could start a new plan with British Gas. You arranged for me to see DWP. I now have a budgeting book at home so I can work out monthly in goings and outgoings. I feel much better around my finances.

I have had a solicitor to work out proper contact for C with her dad and your visits and communication have supported this. It was very good to visit library with you for the first time as a family we have been back and B is doing the reading challenge. We have been to rhyme time and are attending the dogs trust event.

You has been fantastic. You listen and have helped me with so many things – Autism West Midlands, applying for Disabled Children’s Team, housing, supporting F with school, helping F to get to college, being there for F. It helped to have a family plan and have meetings with school and help mediate for me. Having you felt like I had a voice and I was listened to. This has helped me to become more confident and feel able to challenge to get the things in place for F.

Feedback from a mother and daughter fleeing domestic abuse

Your support has been really helpful when we really needed it the most. You gave me the confidence to move forward and protect myself and A by moving to a safe place. A is so much happier she is also sleeping better. I just want to say thank you for all the support you gave to both me and A.

Feedback from a young person

It's been a massive help having you. I now have a lot more confidence and I have been a lot more calmer. You listen to me and calm me. You helped me get to college and stay in school to get my GCSEs. I am even going to the prom. I'm looking forward to going to college and doing foundation and mechanics. You helped with this. You spoke to school and has helped me get help when I need it.