Welcome to the latest edition of the Early Help Newsletter. In this edition you can find information about the next Understanding Your Child and Sleep Tight groups starting in January. There’s also an 8-week course helping mum’s understand how domestic violence impacts on them as a parent and how it affects their children. There’s also information on things to do and places to go during the school holidays.

Donna Ward, Interim Service Manager for Early Help has also written a few reflections on 2025 and looks forward to 2026 and the opportunities that the Family First Partnership brings to Shropshire and improving the lives of children, young people and families.

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.’

Shropshire Council’s Children and Young People’s vision statement

As we come to the end of the year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you for your commitment, hard work and positivity.

Together, we've strengthened relationships within the Early Help service and made a real difference for children, young people, and families in our community. Your dedication, especially in reaching our most vulnerable has not gone unnoticed and is deeply appreciated. You were all such an integral part of Shropshire Children services receiving our outstanding rating from Ofsted and I would like to thank you all for this.

This year has brought its challenges, however your resilience, teamwork and willingness to adapt have been outstanding. Our focus on restorative practice has helped us listen, learn, and grow together, and feedback from families shows the impact you’re making.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue building on these foundations, facing new challenges with the same spirit of collaboration and care.   We will embrace Family First Partnership national reform, to help, support and offer protection, to ensure that every family can access the right help and support when they need it.  Family First Partnership holds a strong emphasis on early intervention to prevent crisis. As a service we are in a good position to embrace this reform and continue to offer a first-class service. 

I thank you all for your ongoing commitment to our Early Help service

I want to personally wish you all a restful, joyful Christmas and a happy New Year, once again thank you for everything you do, it is truly commendable.

Donna Ward

Interim Service Manager – Early Help

Compass and EHAST will continue to operate during usual working hours over Christmas and New Year, apart from the Bank Holidays and weekends.

On bank holidays and weekends the Emergency Social Work Team will operate for Compass as usual. 

In between Christmas and new year there will be reduced staff cover in Compass to take urgent safeguarding concerns only.

Ideally requests for early help should be made well in advance of school’s closing for the Christmas break as they will be operating with reduced staff over the festive period.

The phone number for Compass and EHAST remains the same 0345 678 9021.

The Parenting Team will be delivering free Understanding Your Child and Understanding Your Child SEND – from toddler to teens - groups from January 2026

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 January 2026

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 Parenting Help and Support Line are here for all 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

Please note that the PHSL will close on 24^th December at 4.30pm and reopen 9.30am on Friday 2^nd January. These helpline may be able to offer some support over the Christmas break

• NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000 or emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk  
• Family Lives offers a confidential and free helpline service for families in England and Wales (previously known as Parentline). Please call us on 0808 800 2222 for emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life.

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

Our Family Information Service (FIS) has been busy gathering information on things to do and places to go this Christmas. There’s something for everyone!

Visit their online directory to find out what's on

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.

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

• Christmas Tractor Runs
• Meet Father Christmas
• Things to do in the holidays
• Shropshire Holiday Activities and Food Programme
• Family support – Understanding your child – from toddler to teen
• Sleep support – Sleep Tight information
• Relationship support – getting on better
• Festive freebies
• Share your feedback on our newsletter

If you would like to subscribe to this monthly newsletter please click Sign up to the Family Information Service newsletter

The December edition of the Shropshire SEND newsletter is now available.

This newsletter is aimed at parent carers of children and young people with SEND and those working with them and offers information and updates to support the SEND community.

You can read the newsletter here SEND newsletter for parent carers and families | Shropshire Council

If you would like to subscribe to the SEND newsletter please email Local.Offer@Shropshire.gov.uk

If the Early Help Assessment and Action Plan clearly identifies that a family

• Are eligible for a DWP benefit/support
• Are looking for support towards/into employment
• Have a named Lead Practitioner

Then please make a request for intervention to our Family Community Work Coaches on EHM.

To find out more about the support Ben and Jenny offer, please see their page on the Early help website.

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.

The last 2025 drop-in session is:

• 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

This 8-week course will help mum’s understand how domestic violence impacts on you as a parent and how it affects your children.

The course objectives are to empower, support and develop further understanding of their role as a mother in addressing the needs of their children and young people

To book and secure a place on this course please call 01743 250400 

Every Wednesday from Wednesday 14^th January 2026 – Wednesday 11^th March 2026 09:30-11:30am

Venue: Shrewsbury SY1

Facilitated by Early Help and Support Team with Shropshire Domestic Abuse Service

Do you know a Young Carer who is not registered with our Shropshire Young Carers service?

If so, by registering with us, they could get access to Honeypot.

Honeypot provides respite breaks for Young Carers between the ages of 5 and 12 allowing them time away with other children in similar situations.

Honeypot enable Young Carers to have a well-deserved break away from their caring responsibilities.

They have breaks scheduled throughout the year, collecting the children from their home and returning at the end of the respite. 

As well as respite breaks, they also provide Social & Emotional Active Learning (SEAL) Breaks, Memory Making Days and offer a Wellbeing Fund.

To find out more information, please visit: Honeypot | UK Children's Charity

If you know a Young Carer who would benefit from this service and have the agreement from the family, you can make a referral to Shropshire Young Carers on 0345 678 9021

Bookings for the winter Shropshire HAF Programme are now open

Shropshire Council is working with local schools, voluntary and community organisations, and childcare providers to run an exciting HAF holiday programme over the winter/Christmas holiday. 

From 20 December 2025 to 5 January 2026, HAF eligible children and young people are invited to take part in a range of fun free activities, happening at holiday clubs from across the county.

There is something on offer for everyone including sports, arts, cooking, forest schools and other exciting opportunities. Free nutritious meals will be provided at each session, as well as information to benefit the whole family.

For more information including online holiday club listing and how to make a referral, please visit Shropshire HAF

Train the trainers is a 2-day course which will be held on Wednesdays 4th and 11th March 2026, this will enable participants to deliver Raising Awareness in Safeguarding and Protection Children (3 hour) multiagency training to all staff within their own organisation and agencies.

Train the Trainers (2 Day Course) — Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership

All training resources and handouts are online and are provided by Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership Learning and Development Co-ordinator.

Both days must be booked on and attended at Fitzroy academy, Cruckton, Shrewsbury SY5 8PR.

This is an in-person course. Once registered on the “webinar” your details will be saved for the course organiser and you will have the option to add the date to your calendar.

Learning Outcomes Day 1

• Familiarise with Raising Awareness in Safeguarding and Protecting Children course content
• Highlight relevant legislation and publications which underpin safeguarding practice
• Understand and reflect on effective training techniques and how adults learn
• Identify equipment, methods and skills required to engage learners and improve safeguarding practices.

Learning Outcomes Day 2

• Deliver interactive microteach (Maximum length 20 minutes)
• Please note: For online delivery a separate (additional) date covering practical application of interactive presentation software will be arranged according to trainers individual requirements.

Criteria for Attendance and Commitment

All delegates must

• Demonstrate that they are up-to date with their own safeguarding training prior to attending this course.
• Have 2 years operational experience in safeguarding children and young people or have some experience in delivering or facilitating training.
• Complete and return the Train the Trainer booking form.

Following attendance on 2-day Train the Trainer, all trainers

• Will need to have their first training delivery observed by the Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership Learning and Development Co-ordinator, (completed observations will be discussed and returned to trainer).
• Will need to prepare and deliver a minimum of two safeguarding training sessions a year
• All training must be multi-agency this includes own agency staff and can be advertised to other groups/agencies/individuals/organisations (a fee can be charged to other agencies)
• Must attend regular Training Pool meetings (in person and online), these are held to support trainers in keeping their knowledge base up to date.
• Must be able to evidence ongoing personal development and training in safeguarding.
• Will all have opportunity to contribute to regular reviews of the safeguarding training packages
• When requested must provide statistical information (twice a year) on the training that has been delivered.
• Must maintain copies of evaluation forms for a period of 1 year from the date of training and provide copies of these evaluations to SSCP as and when requested.
• Must arrange for all administration and associated costs to be covered within their own agency

Cost £300 to all agencies - This cost covers:

• Attendance on the 2-day Train the Trainers
• Feedback on micro-teach (after the second day)
• Observation of first delivery and written feedback
• Subsequent observations if needed
• Access to approved Raising Awareness in Safeguarding training resources via Padlet
• Attendance at training Pool meetings

People in Shropshire have died, and it’s important that we learn from these cases and understand what we can all do to prevent further serious harm and deaths.

There are three different one-hour webinars which will be repeated between January and March 2025, which are intended to increase your knowledge, understanding and how you can make a difference in your everyday practice.

• Understanding Intrafamilial Domestic Abuse 
• Domestic Abuse Related Deaths: Homicide & Suicide
• Domestic Abuse-Why do men not come forward?

Interactive webinars - Learning from Case Reviews in Shropshire – Free to attend — Shropshire Safeguarding Community Partnership

Health Professionals for Safer Screens includes consultant paediatricians, speech and language therapists, child psychologists, psychotherapists and psychiatrists, public health consultants, social workers, dieticians, and GPs sharing observations and concerns from their clinical practice regarding the impacts of children’s addictive screen use and access to harmful content online.

The group aim to present the need for adopting the precautionary principle and help colleagues and parents understand that smartphones and screens are negative social and health determinants. You can find out more about their work here Health Professionals for Safer Screens - Our campaign

If this is of interest to you, you may also be interested in Smartphone Free Childhood whose mission is to reclaim childhood. They acknowledge that Parents face an impossible choice:

☹️ Say yes to a smartphone, and risk your child’s wellbeing

☹️ Or say no, and risk cutting them off from their friends



It’s a classic lose-lose. One which no family should be left to face alone, and one they can support parents with.

Shropshire Council have a PA Noticeboard, where parent carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can advertise and look for a PA – someone who helps someone else live the life they want to live by supporting their care needs.

The noticeboard was originally built around the adult sector but has recently been opened for the Children’s sector as well.

Parent carers just need to register on there and they can then contact any PAs who seem suitable. (There are search facilities to be able to filter by area, specialty, etc).

Parent carers can also put a specific advert on there, themselves. There’s lots of information and guidance included.

Please share with any families who may benefit from this.

Shropshire Personal Assistant Jobs Noticeboard

Some lovely compliments for the 0-5 team

Fiona - It was like having Mary Poppins!  I felt listened to more than I ever have and there is nothing that could have been done better.

Jo -  You have helped me turn things around for me and my family, the support you have given me has been amazing with parenting, boundaries, debt and with my anger.  I'm going to miss you, but I know I'm stronger, because of you. 

Jennifer - Early Help has helped 100%, our situation has improved a lot. We have felt listened to and especially supported with house move, talking with the housing team. The house move has improved all of our wellbeing and having a garden is good for my little boy to play in.  

Lovely feedback from a parent whose children attended the Young Carers group

I just wanted to drop a message to say XXX & XXX really really enjoyed their first time at Youth group on Thursday evening. 

They were a bit nervous before they left but XXX soon text to say how much fun they were both having. They are very much looking forward to the next one.

Fantastic email from Cllr Tim Manton - Mayor of Market Drayton who visited The Zone Youth drop in recently

Hi Andy/Carly,

Just a quick note to say thanks for your time on Tuesday evening, it was a pleasure coming down and a pleasure seeing first hand the great work you are doing in what are sometimes difficult circumstances.

However, there is no doubt in my mind you are making a significant difference with the work you are doing, so thank you.

If I can be any help or assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know, I’d be delighted to visit again at some point to help out or just have a game of Frustration, which clearly, I am not very good at!!!

Kind Regards,

Tim

Cllr Tim Manton

Market Drayton Mayor 2025/26