Support Links for Families

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/local-offer/resources-for-parents-and-professionals/the-neurodiversity-hub.aspx

(See ADD-vance below for The Neurodiversity Support Hub Advice Line)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

The Neurodiversity Handbook

Hertfordshire County Council and the NHS are delighted to share with you the exciting and new Supporting your Neurodivergent Child handbook that has been developed for Hertfordshire parent/carers and professionals.  The  Neurodiversity Handbook has useful resources, support and signposting on a whole range of things relating to Neurodiversity. 

The resource is accessible to all regardless of whether the young person has a diagnosis or not, and can be used at any point during a young person’s journey.

Hertfordshire Children and Young People's Neurodiversity Service Directory

This lists services, and their links, providing a combination of early intervention and more specialist neurodiversity support.  A copy of this directory can also be found in the attachments below. 

Free Online Workshops for Herts parents/carers: Eventbrite:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/add-vance-14054405963  

https://thetoolbox.mindler.co.uk/

A dedicated website aimed at children and young people for ADHD and Autism support, offering inspirational content, self-help tools, and interactive livestreams. The website has an anonymous live chat which provides a safe and supportive environment for young people to ask questions or to discuss their feelings.

Live Chat

Our Live Chat is available Monday-Friday at the following times for you to chat with one of our team about how you are feeling and what you might be struggling with:​

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday

8am to 9am

12pm to 1.30pm

3.30pm to 7pm

You can use the chat to talk about: ​

• your feelings and emotions

• understanding your Autism/ADHD,

• building and maintaining relationships,

• available services and resources in Hertfordshire

SEND Chat and Play - Free Drop in
Our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Chat and Play sessions are a great opportunity to come and meet other families going through a similar journey, in a relaxed environment. Our SEND Champions are on hand to talk about the services we offer, signpost to different organisations or to simply act as a listening ear. All are welcome whether your child is diagnosed or you are concerned about a possible need. We have toys out for the children or you can come by yourself. We hope to see you soon! 

Thursdays:
Broadwater Family Centre, Stevenage, SG2 8LT
Weekly 10:00 - 11:15 (not on 10th & 17th Apr, 29th May)
New time from 3rd Apr 10:00 - 11:00

Hertfordshire’s Families First website provides valuable information, advice, and support for families. It covers a wide range of topics, including parenting advice, childcare, emotional and mental health, relationship support, and services for young people and much more.

If you need more help beyond your usual support network (such as health visitors, schools, or family centres), Families First can work with you to create a personalized package of support. It’s available to all Hertfordshire families with children under 18 (or up to 25 if they have a learning need or disability).

We run www.sibs.org.uk – an online information service for children and young people aged 7-17, who have a brother or sister who is disabled, has special educational needs or a serious long-term condition.

Young siblings can:

• Get information about disability and conditions, and tips for enjoying life and dealing with feelings.
• Get help from our team with sibling issues at home and at school.

Children's wellbeing Team - Workshops for parents/carers

Webpage, including useful resources:  https://www.hct.nhs.uk/service-details/service/childrens-wellcbeing-practitioners-21/

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (HCT) Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners regularly run a variety of workshops focused on children and young people's emotional wellbeing and mental health. Some workshops are for the parents/carers of primary school aged children and others are directed at adolescents although parents can also attend these. The workshops aim to provide support, guidance, some strategies and tips to try to improve children and young people's mental health.

The workshops are free to attend and currently take place on Microsoft Teams. The workshops available can be found on the Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners Eventbrite page https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/hct-childrens-wellbeing-practitioners-33494371787.  See the attachment below for Autumn 2024 dates.

The service has also produced a two-part recorded webinar to help with anxiety about going to school. Please take a look at the links below: 

https://www.hct.nhs.uk/service-details/service/school-nursing-56/

Our school nursing service is part of the Hertfordshire Family Centre service. The service brings children’s centres, health visiting and school nursing together to provide a more joined up service for children, young people and their families from pregnancy through to when a child reaches 19. There is a range of different support groups, activities and services on offer for children and their families to help them be healthy, grow and develop. Families can access available services from any Hertfordshire Family Centre, allowing them to fit sessions and services around busy family lives. For more information, visit the Family Centre Service website.

If you have concerns about your child’s emotional or physical health and wellbeing, we can help. 

Call our duty line number 0300 123 7572 for more information.

The school nursing service works together with children and young people their parents/carers and school staff, to provide a comprehensive efficient and accessible service which:

• Helps children keep healthy during their school days and for the rest of their lives
• Prevents ill health in children and the local community
• Supports children with medical needs and those needing medication
• Ensures that educational potential is not hampered by unmet health needs
• Monitors and supports families in relation to Hertfordshire safeguarding policies

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) provides access to primary care psychological therapy services in Hertfordshire and Mid Essex through a wide range of confidential talking therapy treatments and employment support for adults with common mental health problems. The services are part of the national NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression programme.

See also attachment below - Primary Care Mental Health Update (August 2024).

Just Talk is a multi-agency programme, steered by young people.

The Hertfordshire Local Offer lets parents and young people know what special educational needs and disabilities services are available in Hertfordshire, and who can access them.

The Local Offer website lets parents, young people and professionals know what special educational needs and disabilities services are available in Hertfordshire, and who can access them. There is so much more than that, too.

A friendly face from the Local Offer team will take you through what’s on the website and how you can use it to find the right services and support.

www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/localoffer

(for professionals AND parent carers)  Tuesday 29 April 8pm - 9pm Register to join this webinar

A quick note: The Local Offer website is different to Short Breaks (SBLO). We won’t be going into detail about SBLO.

To click the links on these posters, please download from attachments below.

We are an award winning Hertfordshire based charity supporting families of children and young people who are neurodivergent (Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Tourette’s and other neurodiverse conditions.)

SPACE also offer a 'lending space' , a community hub (based at Stanstead Abbotts) for sensory, educational and practical equipment available to borrow. A new minibus shuttle service will be launched in March/April from Stevenage.  See SPACE's website for updates.

Lending SPACE

Promoting and nurturing emotional, physical and mental wellbeing by providing a range of support to equip children, teenagers and parents with self-care tools and skills to thrive.

See flyer below for contact details and more information.

Support, information and advice to unpaid carers.

You are a carer if you look after a family member, friend or neighbour who without your support would not be able to manage. They may have a physical or learning disability, dementia, mental health problems, may misuse drugs or alcohol or may be ill or frail.

Anyone can become a carer: Carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be of any age.

The person may live with you or elsewhere, may be an adult or a child but if they rely on you for support, then you are a carer.

Lumi Nova Tales of courage is a free therapeutic goal-based game aimed at 7-12 year-olds which can help them with problems such as mild to moderate anxiety, low mood, low self-esteem, stress and any other worries.

The Lumi Nova team has created a short explainer film to help professionals, parents and carers know how it can support children.  

https://acamhlearn.org/Home

ACAMH Learn, the new multi-disciplinary knowledge hub from the charity The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Develop your understanding with evidence-based content from world leading experts. Explore the different levels of learning that best suits your needs, with; talks, lectures, Q&As, interviews, quizzes, podcasts, and live streamed events. Take a look at the audiences below that best matches you.

PLUS... set up a free ACAMH Learn Account and get CPD certificates for the content you watch, and listen to.

Services for Young People runs youth work projects specifically for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in all districts of Hertfordshire.

https://www.servicesforyoungpeople.org/support-for-young-people/support-for-young-people-with-send/youth-work-projects-for-young-people-with-send/

Stevenage - The Megamix Project provides opportunities for young people aged 13 to 17 with SEND to make friends and join in with activities including sports, cooking, arts, and music. Our Youth Workers offer support with emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles and staying safe, nutrition and cooking, and managing money.

SfYP Recruitment Hub

Services for Young People has launched a new Recruitment Hub, offering young people a seamless gateway to education, employment and training opportunities.

Services for Young People (SfYP) offers a diverse range of services and employment programmes for young people aged 16-25 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and those aged 15+ who are at risk of not progressing into education or training. Our new Recruitment Hub brings all these services together in one place, making them more accessible and understandable to young people, their parents/carers and professionals who work with young people.

Please visit the SfYP Recruitment Hub now to find out about the comprehensive support and diverse range of employment programmes we offer and how they can be accessed.

Travel training helps young people with SEND become comfortable with travelling independently. Our experienced Travel Trainers give the young person all the encouragement, information and support they need, and work with them on a one to one basis.

Travel Training is an AQA accredited programme which is planned and structured and agreed with the young person, their school/college and family.

Part of Hertfordshire's Local Offer:  Travel Training

https://eric.org.uk/information/

Clinically approved information and resources to help with potty training and children's bowel and bladder conditions.