All you need to know about Think Family and Early Help:

www.westsussex.gov.uk/thinkfamilyearlyhelp

September 2016 Edition

Monthly Newsletter

Please circulate to all your staff and let me know if you or a colleague need to be added to the distribution list for future editions. Thank you.

Supported Through Aftermath Of Domestic Abuse

Samantha Crouch, a West Sussex mum, has thanked Think Family and Early help for the support she was offered through the aftermath of domestic abuse. Her youngest was struggling with confidence, her eldest was starting to skip school and her daughter was taking on too much responsibility as she felt she needed to protect the whole family.  Read Samantha's full story here.

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

MASH has now moved to the 1st Floor at County Hall North, Horsham. The move means that the team is now together on one floor, including multi-agency teams. If you need to contact MASH, the details are as follows: MASH@westsussex.gcsx.gov.uk Police referrals need to be sent to:  MASHpolicereferral@westsussex.gcsx.gov.uk Telephone: 01403 229900. Please note that no other email addresses should be used as these are no longer monitored.

Transformation Reminder

WSCC colleagues: Please remember to use the Transformation SharePoint site.

Plans are ongoing to develop a more integrated way of working. We will keep you updated in due course but please continue to work across different teams as much as you can, removing barriers for families and improving the way we work together. 

Benefit Cap Thresholds reducing further

The government has announced that from Autumn 2016 (date TBC), benefit cap thresholds will be further reduced. Lone parents and couples with children could currently be eligible for up to £500 per week in welfare benefits; this will reduce to a maximum of £384.62 per week. Further information is available here.

Whilst some families will be exempt, the lower thresholds will significantly reduce the income of many families already struggling with their finances.

Southdown’s Money Management Outreach Team support families struggling with rent arrears and other debts affecting the security of their accommodation; The service offers pro-active, effective interventions which empower families to make positive changes to improve their financial circumstances. To refer, view the referral form.

Baby Grow with Five to Thrive

Your child's body grows better when you give the child good food. Your child's brain grows better when you do five simple things. Respond * Cuddle * Relax * Play * Talk Relax: Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol can injure the human brain. Under the impact of unregulated stress, these excessive hormones change blood supply to key areas of the brain such as those that control language and the self-regulation of mood and impulse. This is the organic explanation for the survival mechanism of fight or flight, in which brain functions that slow down response times (such as thinking) are switched off.  Read more about baby brain development here.

Family Support Network (FSN) Updates

Arun and Chichester 

Think Family and Early Help is undergoing a Transformation to develop into an effective Prevention and Early Help Service. As a result of this, new opportunities have arisen for our staff. In Arun, Sam Lewis has an exciting secondment for 6 months representing Children and Family Centres within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub. In Chichester, Liz Vicary has taken a secondment within Children’s Social Care working with the Family Support and Protection Team. Tori Hunter will be extending her role to work across both Chichester and Arun.

In order to provide continued accessibility our teams in Chichester and Arun will be:

• Delivering local ‘Holistix/ Early Help Support’ through drop-in workshops
• Providing continued phone availability to support your queries

Further details on these developments will be communicated to schools and agencies throughout the term. For further information please contact Susannah Conway FSN Lead for Arun ArunFSN@westsussex.gcsx.gov.uk or Phillip Finlinson FSN Lead for Chichester ChichesterFSN@westsussex.gcsx.gov.uk.

Carers Trust

In February 2016, a Matter community member and student carer started a campaign calling for a tick box on UCAS forms which would prompt young adult carers to identify themselves so that universities could easily find out whether applicants would be studying as well as caring unpaid, for someone with an illness, disability, mental health problem or an addiction. Carers Trust backed the campaign and in just six weeks more than 2,500 signatures poured in to show their support.

UCAS has now confirmed that from 2018 there will be a specific option on its Apply form. Well done to all involved!

Read the Young Carers Annual Report for 2015-16 to see what work is being done in West Sussex for young carers.

Cook and Eat Courses

Arun Wellbeing offers free six week Cook and Eat classes for Think Family families, led by an experienced and qualified cookery leader from Food Matters. Courses include the basics of a balanced diet, meal planning, adapting recipes, learning what are essential store cupboard basics, how to budget meals, creating healthy and affordable meals, cooking using 'special offer' products and how to manage with less money.  People can either book onto an open, community course, or a Think Family keyworker can make a referral for a family to have a bespoke course delivered in their home. For more information click here.

Family Wellbeing

Arun Wellbeing and Chichester Wellbeing offer a free intervention for families where a child (aged between 5-16) is overweight or obese. Families receive between 12-24 FREE one-to-one sessions (depending on need) with a Wellbeing Specialist from Start who provides nutritional advice, physical activity coaching and support mentoring.  Families can self-refer or be referred by a Think Family keyworker or school nurse. For more information see our Arun and Chichester Family Wellbeing pages.

Pinocchio and his P.A.Ls

Short Breaks Family Entertainment  On 26-28th October at Woodlands Meed School (Burgess Hill), Head2Head Theatre will be providing a half-day activity with multi-sensory interactive walkabout performances accessible to young people with SEND and their families. The audience move around with the actor-facilitators discovering scenes and meeting characters from the story. Fun songs, actions, signing and sensory moments; each show is taken at a pace that allows everyone time to assimilate. A widget symbol advance pack is also provided. Families are encouraged to bring along a picnic and participate in the craft activities, games and sensory tent. For more information, visit their website. 01372 278021 / 07519 747 290 / h2hoffice@gmail.com

Training in September and October

Early Help Direct Work Tools:

Would you like an opportunity to try out different tools and techniques to engage children and families in difficult conversations? This engaging and practical course will provide you with a range of evidence based models and practical ideas that you can use with children and families to create ecomaps and genograms. Next course dates: 7th September 2016, County Hall North, Horsham 4th October 2016, Centenary House, Worthing

Whole Family Working *NEW TRAINING DATES*

This one day training course is for anyone working with children and families and provides the starting point for implementing ‘whole family working’ as a model. It provides a firm foundation and an opportunity to view how the whole landscape of a child’s life is essential.

The dates for this course are:

• 3rd October 2016
• 12th October 2016
• 4th November 2016
• 21st November 2016
• 13th December 2016
• 30th January 2017
• 16th February 2017
• 20th March 2017

To book a place go to the Learning and Development Gateway or click on the above dates.

NEA Money Management course

​A Money Management course is being run on 30th September, from 9:30-12:45. This will be held in the Training Room, 1st Floor, Phoenix House. Course Content includes:

• Money management and personal budgeting
• Income maximisation
• Causes of fuel debt
• Priority and non-priority debts
• Consumer responsibilities

Who Should Attend? 

This introductory level course is aimed at frontline staff with no or very little experience of money management who may need to give some basic advice to ADC residents.

If you are interested in attending, please email askhr@arun.gov.uk. Please note: there are limited spaces so this is first come first served.

Think Family Champions Network

Would you like opportunities to network with colleagues and have expert support around HolistiX, family working and achieving good outcomes for families? 

Would you like regular opportunities to discuss ‘stuck’ or complex cases at the Network meetings with specialist, skilled practitioners and to enhance your skill set for future work?

Would you like access to a named ‘Champion’ across the sector who can support you in your work with families? Then join our Think Family Champions Network!

You do not have to be an expert in delivering Early Help Plans, just a willingness to engage, learn and support. If you are interested in becoming a Think Family Champion in your local area, please speak to your local Family Support Network Lead:

Worthing & Adur - Caroline.bucksey@westsussex.gov.uk

Crawley - Jude.day@westsussex.gov.uk

Mid Sussex - Julia.kirwan@westsussex.gov.uk

Horsham - Caitlyn.mccarthy@westsussex.gov.uk

Chichester - Phillip.finllinson@westsussex.gov.uk

Arun - Susannah.conway@westsussex.gov.uk

Young People's Service and Local Offer Newsletter

From the Editor...

Welcome to September's Think Family Newsletter! Here you will find latest Think Family and Early Help news and stories for your information. If you have any new stories, updates or information that you would like to share in future editions of this newsletter, please feel free to let me know. Thank you, Sarah Dimmock sarah.dimmock@westsussex.gov.uk

www.westsussex.gov.uk/thinkfamilyearlyhelp