The Parenting Team will be delivering free Understanding Your Child and Understanding Your Child SEND – from toddler to teens - groups from September/October 2025

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

We are also offering free SLEEP TIGHT groups from September 2025

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

For the dates and venues please see the Family Information Service Directory - Information to help families in Shropshire

The September edition of the Family Information Service (FIS) newsletter is now out. In this edition you'll find information on:

• A new website for families called Best Start In Life
• Finding local childcare
• Finding local carer and toddler groups
• Information on how to drop in and talk to a health visitor
• Potty training, bowel  and bladder support
• Understanding your child/teen groups
• Sleep Tight workshops
• Autumn Meet and Chat SEND drop ins
• Coffee and chat drop ins
• Secondary school open days
• School leavers roadshow
• Free historical days out

The Parenting Help and Support Line are here for parents with a friendly listening ear and practical advice on everything from behaviours that challenge to sleep issues. No judgment, just support.

Call 01743 250950 Monday - Thursday, 9.30am - 4.30pm or Friday, 9.30am - 3.30pm or email: parenting.team@shropshire.gov.uk

It’s fair to say that all parents from time to time need some help and support with issues that impact on family life. There is help and support available in Shropshire through our Early Help coffee and chat drop ins – some of which are also stay and play sessions.

You can get free Information, advice and support on all aspects of family life, at our Family Drop-Ins.  You can chat, have a cuppa and see how we can help you with:

• Family life
• Parenting support
• Domestic abuse support
• Money worries
• Housing support
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• and much more

To find your local drop in please visit the Shropshire Family Information Service Directory

Information on the open access clinics run throughout Shropshire by Health Visitors has been updated. You can find out where they are and when they run by clicking on the Shropshire Family Information Service Directory

They offer parents the chance to get their baby weighed but also to access information, advice and support on a range of topics, including:

• Infant feeding and breastfeeding advice
• Child development
• Emotional health and wellbeing
• Parenting and local support groups
• Behaviour
• Sleep

Please promote these great clinics to parents who may benefit from attending. Parents who would like support but are unable to get to a session, can also get help by calling 0333 358 3654 or texting the team on 07520 635212.

Worried about your relationship or feel you’re arguing too much? Not all arguing between parents is harmful but when it’s intense or happens a lot of the time, there can be a negative impact on the children.

If your relationship is going through a difficult phase, you can find ways to argue ‘better’, resolve disputes and reduce conflict at home with our range of free courses, resources and apps. Have a look at the Getting on better pages of the Early Help website.

Ash Molloy, Family Relationships Coordinator has set up regular lunchtime drop-in sessions, delivered via Teams, which are available to anyone that works with conflicted relationships between parents.

You can drop into any session to discuss a family you’re concerned about or just come along to listen and learn.

If you’re confused whether you’re dealing with Parental Conflict or Domestic Abuse, we can unpick that, or if you’re just stuck and unsure how to move forward, support is available.

2025 drop-in sessions as follows:

• Wednesday 1st October – 12.30 to 1.30pm – click here to join the session​
• Wednesday 29th October – 12.30 to 1.30pm – click here to join the session​
• Wednesday 26th November – 12.30 to 1.30pm – click here to join the session​
• Wednesday 17th December – 12.30 to 1.30pm – click here to join the session​

If you would prefer a 1-1 with Ash to discuss a particular family, please email ash.molloy@shropshire.gov.uk  

The DWP, who fund the Reducing Parental Conflict programme, require us to provide data on the reach and impact of our training offer. We want to support you and your team to offer advice or practical help to parents in conflict.

Please complete the short questionnaire (link below) to enable us to understand your training and support needs, in the goal of reducing the impact of destructive parental conflict on children and young people.

Thank you for your time.

Reducing Parental Conflict Training Questionnaire for DSLs and Managers

Ash Molloy - Family Relationships Coordinator

As part of its Best Start in Life mission, the government have announced that funding has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three years.

Funded by the Department for Education (DfE), HAF provides eligible children and young people with free access to holiday activity during the three main school holidays.

The programme is aimed primarily at children and young people aged 4 to 16, in receipt of benefits related free school meals (FSM). Children meeting wider eligibility criteria can also access the programme.

Since 2021, Shropshire Council has successfully worked in partnership with organisations from across the county in the private, voluntary, and public sectors to deliver Shropshire HAF.

HAF has huge benefits for participants, including healthier eating and reduced food insecurity; increased physical activity; participation in enrichment activities and linking families to local services.

“We are delighted to hear this fantastic news, that funding for HAF is continuing. Thousands of children and young people have benefited from Shropshire HAF, taking part in a range of fun activities at holiday clubs across the county.

“HAF continues to be an important, high profile, and much needed programme for our communities in Shropshire.” Cllr Andy Hall, Portfolio Holder for Children and Education.

For more information on HAF in Shropshire click here

Please contact the HAF Programme Co-Ordinators – email: haf.programme@shropshire.gov.uk

Please see attached details of the Steer Clear initiative aimed to reduce serious youth violence and tackle knife crime amongst children aged 10-17. A range of delivery models are available including 1:1 support, group work and parent and professional support.

A new re-branded website has launched today which completely replaces Childcare Choices and is called the Best Start in Life Parent Hub (Homepage | Best Start in Life). Anyone who tries to access the old Childcare choices website, will automatically be redirected to the new website.

Best Start in Life is a new cross-government and cross-sector brand that will be used to frame all services, offers and support available that aim to break down barriers to opportunity and drive-up the numbers of children reaching a good level of development. While many of these will be focussed on the early years, the new brand will bring together wider offers for children and parents to deliver on the ambition in its broadest sense, from pre-natal services up to the end of primary school and beyond.

Government policy is not being altered, the offers for parents (e.g. working parent and 2-year-old offers) aren’t changing, and parents will still be able to access the same childcare information and eligibility checker previously available on Childcare Choices. The new platform, however, will offer an enhanced and more comprehensive experience for parents covering even more topics from pregnancy, through their child's journey to starting school and beyond. 

Parents don’t always know what they are entitled to or how to find out what is available locally. By using the new language and brand, it demonstrates the cross-sector collaboration and commitment to giving children the best start in life.  Furthermore, by linking to beststartinlife.gov.uk, parents will be more able to find out about and take up services that will make a difference to their child and their family.

Parental Education Growth Support (PEGS) are delivered their first in-person child-to-parent abuse conference – designed to bring together Child to Parent Abuse (CPA) professionals worldwide in person to share updates, policies, research and education focused on safeguarding.

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Venue: Shrewsbury Town Football Club

Breaking the Silence: A Multi-Agency Approach to Child-to-Parent Abuse and Safeguarding Conference is a significant full-day event that brings together researchers, policy-makers, frontline professionals, decision-makers, and campaigners from across the globe.

Hosted by PEGS, this is the first time the organisation is delivering an in-person conference – offering a unique opportunity to connect face-to-face, hear directly from expert voices, and participate in collaborative workshops.

The event will share the latest knowledge, policies, research, and best practices, focusing on how we can work collectively to improve support for parents, carers, and guardians affected by child-to-parent abuse.

It also provides valuable space for networking, discussion, and community building among those committed to safeguarding and systemic change.

CLICK HERE for PEGS Breaking the Silence Conference 14th October 2025 - conference info & to book a ticket

This FREE, 60 minute session is designed for all professionals in a position to support or signpost children, young people and adults in the Midlands. They will take place on:

Monday 29th of September: 1600 - 1700

Tuesday 30th of September: 1000 - 1100

Book your slot here.

If you can’t attend  there is a  Linktree  showcasing specific resources and services that aim to support suicide prevention and awareness.

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has published an evidence review examining the relationship between poverty and children’s involvement in crime and violence.

Focusing on studies from the UK and similar countries, the researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 published research papers.

Findings show: poverty was a risk factor, though the review could not establish that poverty caused youth crime and violence; neighbourhood deprivation was most linked to non-violent crime, while low income was most linked to violent crime; and boys and girls experience risk differently.

Read the report: Evidence review on poverty and youth crime and violence

Refuge has published a news story on domestic abuse experienced by young women and girls aged 16 – 25.

Data from its support service found that in 2024-2025 there were increases in domestic abuse, particularly involving psychological abuse, coercive control and physical violence, amongst this cohort.

Refuge calls for improved domestic abuse education in schools. 

Read the Refuge news story: Refuge reports rise in violent threats and strangulation among young people

See also on NSPCC Learning  It's Not Love: teaching resources about positive relationships

Multi-agency Training Opportunities for anyone working with or supporting children, young people or their families in Shropshire local authority area.

Domestic Abuse 

"Domestic Abuse always seems to happen behind closed doors and there is a societal view that it is not our issue to deal with. I am here to help people understand that this is not the case and we need to take action to prevent people dying. People have died in Shropshire and the learning from these case reviews has helped shape this training." Harriet McInnes, Domestic Abuse Training Lead for Shropshire Council

These three, half-day, face to face modules can be attended individually.

Coercive Control and Trauma Informed Practice

Increase your understanding around what coercive control is, the tactics that may be used by an abuser and how to adopt a trauma informed approach. 

Click here for further information including dates and costs and how to book

Domestic Abuse – empower and protect: building confidence in domestic abuse support

Increase your confidence in assessing and understanding the risk to victims of domestic abuse who you are working with and in helping to get the correct support in place.    

Click here for further information including dates, costs and how to book

Domestic Abuse – the impact on children and young people

Increase your knowledge around the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people living within the household and outline support available for families.    

Click here for further information including dates, costs and how to book

Introduction to Early Help and Thresholds in Shropshire

This prefunded, 2-hour training will give an overview of the Early Help system in the Shropshire local authority area.​

Attendees will gain understanding of:​

• The Early Help system in Shropshire.​
• The roles of different services and professionals within the system.​
• Where to find information on Early Help services and referral pathways.​
• Where to find information around Thresholds for different levels of need.​

Click here for further information, training dates and booking information.

Exploitation Pathway in Shropshire

A half-day training module to empower practitioners to make ‘every contact count’.

When it comes to exploitation, it is too often that opportunities are missed.  If the child is choosing to speak to you, they must trust you with their information.

Young people will be the first to say that they do not like having a change of worker or being referred, so knowing what you can do if you are presented with disclosures is vital.

Click here for further information, including dates, costs and how to book

Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Awareness

Introduce participants to the key messages of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Aimed at individuals working with our supporting adults and requiring a knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act within a health or care setting.

Click here for further information, including dates, costs and how to book

Mental Health First Aid Awareness (Youth)

Our course is an introductory four-hour session to raise awareness of young people’s mental health. Delivered by an Approved MHFA England instructor from Joint Training.

Click here for further information, costs, training dates and how to book

Parental Conflict Training

These 5 prefunded training modules will help anyone working with families in Shropshire reduce the impact of parental conflict on children and family wellbeing.

Modules need to be completed in order; each module is a maximum of 2 hours duration. You do not have to attend all 5 modules.

Click on the links below for further information, including dates and how to book.

Module 1 - Introduction to reducing parental conflict

Module 2 - using tools to support healthy parental relationships

Module 3 - building confidence in delivering an intervention

Module 4 - Complex Co-parenting part A

Module 5 - Complex Co-parenting part B

Reducing Parental Conflict – helping children to understand parental conflict

This 2-hour prefunded workshop introduces a number of activities and tools that can be used to help young people make sense of the complex adult relationships around them.  The aim is to help children talk more openly, manage their feelings, and realise they’re not alone.  A skills-based approach using easy to access games and resources for primary and secondary aged children.

Click here for further information, training dates and booking information

Reducing Parental Conflict for Managers and Supervisors – supporting staff to work with parental conflict

Shropshire has a county wide approach to working with interparental conflict. This prefunded 90 minute session will help managers, team leads and supervisors understand how to support their teams in working with parents in conflict.

Click here for further information, training dates and booking information

Professional Curiosity: putting into practice

This 3-hour session will increase your understanding of professional curiosity.

Click here for further information, costs, training dates and booking information

Safeguarding Children: Raising Awareness in Safeguarding and Protecting Children

This half-day training module approved by the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership is open to anyone working regularly with children, young people or their families. 

Click here for further information, costs, training dates and booking information

Education and Early Years providers should access this training through Education Improvement Service here.

Safeguarding Children and Young People for Managers

This full day training is for any Managers, Supervisors or Safeguarding Leads in care settings (not education establishments) who require a higher level of safeguarding training that the Raising Awareness level.

Click here for further information, costs, training dates and booking information

Self Harm Awareness

In this full day session, gain awareness of the current prevalence of self harm, the contributing factors and how we may work towards supporting someone who self harms. Delivered by Satveer Pedraza- Nijjar – Attention Seekers?

Click here for further information, costs, training dates and booking information

Substance Misuse and Young People

A half-day training module to provide an understanding of young people using substances; exploring addiction, exploitation, and how artificial intelligence (AI) may influence future exploitation.

Consider tools, trends, theories and ways of working with young people in Shropshire.  Know what services and resources are available and where to signpost.

Click here for further information, costs, training dates and booking information

Any questions regarding any of the courses above please email joint.training@shropshire.gov.uk

Join the Joint Training mailing list

Sign up to the Joint Training mailing list to receive our regular newsletter, updates on upcoming courses and other important information. To do this, simply click on this link:-  SIGN UP to Joint Training updates

We’ve received some amazing feedback about the work of our targeted Early Help colleagues

A lovely compliment received from a school for colleagues in the South Hub

I just wanted to thank you and the Family Support Worker who I have had the pleasure of working with over the last year for all your support with the children and families across the 4 schools.

It has been another busy year but due to the positive relationships and working together, I feel we have made a difference for some of these children.

I hope the summer isn’t too busy for you and you are able to get some time off to relax and recharge.

Look forward to catching up when I’m back.

Early Intervention Practitioner, Shropshire Church of England Academies Trust

Fantastic feedback for Jayne – Family Support Worker

Thank you for all the support you have given me and the children. I feel you have really helped us in a number of ways. You have been someone I could talk to openly without judgement, and your guidance has made me feel more confident as a parent. You have given me useful strategies to put in place at home and helped me to see things from a more positive perspective.

For the children, your involvement has provided them with extra encouragement and reassurance. They have felt listened to and supported, which has made a real difference to their confidence and wellbeing.

Overall, your support has helped us feel less alone, more understood, and more equipped to move forward as a family. I really appreciate the time and care you’ve given to us. You've been truly amazing! 

Thank you for everything. 

Some wonderful comments from families in recent Child Journey Audits

Anna has been really good, she has listened to my side of the story, can’t fault her. Other people don’t listen to me, she has and then she has gone away to speak to other professionals so they hear my side of the story.

‘A’ has anger issues, Jo’s advice has been really good, the calming box is working. We were given lots of advice, Jo was always on time and spent a decent amount of time with us.

We’ll always have a few minutes for Dulcie. Things massively improved since Dulcie supported us. She helped us put in place a new school for ‘E’. She was very professional but understanding. She was really good and such a lovely person. We told her to drop in if ever she was in the area for a cup of tea and we will even get the biscuits out.