Useful links

HCC: Deaf & Hearing Support Service

A team of qualified specialists and teachers, who support deaf children and young people aged 0-25. We work with families that have a child or young person who is newly identified as deaf, and with schools to support those who are deaf.  Our team is made up of:

• Qualified Teachers of Deaf Children and Young People (ToDs) 
• Deaf Communication Specialists
• Family Support Workers
• Specialist SEND Technicians 
• Educational Audiologists

An information and advice service for Social Care and Education colleagues for students known to Children’s Services on CP/CiN plans age 0-18.  

Their responsibilities cover:

• CLA
• PLAC, included adopted
• Children with Kinship Orders (SGO, CAO)
• CP
• CIN
• Children known to Social care in any capacity
• EHE
• CME

These flyers are attached at the bottom of this page.

Links to two part Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed Training

Understanding Attachment Aware & Trauma informed practice - part 1 (youtube.com)

Understanding Attachment Aware and Trauma Informed Practice - Part 2 (youtube.com)

See EMWiE flyer below for more information.

Supporting all educational settings, from early years to further education (including independent and specialist settings), to deliver a whole school college approach (WSCA) to emotional and mental wellbeing, enabling our children and young people to grow and thrive and become independent adults.

Our children and young people’s therapy service provides occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy for children and young people in Hertfordshire. 

More information about the referral process can be found in the attachments below.

Advice line: 01923 470 680, choose option 3, then option 1 and leave a message.

Our advice line is a dedicated telephone number which parents, carers and professionals can call to speak to a therapist about a new referral or a child’s development. Please leave a message and a therapist will contact you. Calls are responded to by a therapist on weekdays.

Accordion content

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).

Families First Induction day

Secondly, we have been developing a Families First Induction day to offer to external partners, based on a programme we have been running internally within Children’s Services over the past year. The induction day is ideal for new members of staff or those wishing to learn more about Families First. These training days give a whistle-stop tour of some of the services that offer support to children, young people and families and will also now be open for external partners to attend.

These sessions will be taking place quarterly via Microsoft Teams, at 9am-3pm on the following dates:-

2 October 2024

15 January 2025

2 April 2025

25 June 2025

If you have any team members that would like to join the next event, please email Familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk to request a place.

More information in our SENCo information and Professionals Calendar

Contact:  AutismTraining@hertfordshire.gov.uk 

The Sandbox is an innovative digital mental healthcare service for Children and Young People.  

The professional referrals we receive via sandbox@mindler.co.uk provide a great deal of support when triaging and treating a child or young person (CYP) to receive the best mental health support for them.  

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.  

This information is attached below if you wish to click on the links and/or print (CYPMHS Service Directory - June 24)

nasen is the National Association for Special Educational Needs – a charitable membership organisation that exists to support and champion those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences.

We do this by providing free resources and support for all members, leading targeted programmes and projects to deliver widespread improvements, offering a structured programme of professional development, accredited training and conferences as well as a package of SEND services throughout the UK and internationally. 

Meeting the needs of every child free CPD course

DfE funded online course is free to access and will provide early years practitioners with an overview and understanding of inclusive practice for SEND in early years settings. The 2-hour webinar will cover the following topics.

• What do we mean by SEND?  
• Responsibilities of a setting towards children with SEND
• The role of the SENCO and the key person
• What effective inclusive practice looks like in an early years setting
• How to use Nasen's free resources and materials

Who would benefit from this training?   

• Early years practitioners
• Childminders
• New SENCOs 

Throughout this webinar you will be invited to participate in a range of activities to support your learning.

Website:  https://www.hct.nhs.uk/service-details/service/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-camhs-step2-61/

Child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) Step2 service 

Step2 is an early intervention child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) service working with mild to moderate mental health difficulties, as such, we do not work with children and young people who have been medicated for a mental health presentation. Where a child or young person requires medication to manage their mental health condition, they no longer meet Step2 criteria. If however, the presenting needs of the child are deemed to be most suitable to be treated by Step2 then we would expect the prescribing physician to be responsible for deciding whether that young person remains on medication or stops. If the family and physician do not feel it is appropriate to stop medication, then treatment will need to be sought elsewhere.

We also offer a screening service for suspected Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which is available for young people who have a GP in West or South Hertfordshire - for more information click on the link  Making a referral  https://www.hct.nhs.uk/service-details/service/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-camhs-step2-61/

Visit here for children in East and North Herts  https://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/services/adhd-add/referral-information/

The Step2 under 5s clinicians offer parent/infant relationship focused work using strengths and evidence based approaches to promote emotional health and wellbeing for infants and young children. Interventions offered include 1:1 and group approaches.

The service operates on Mondays to Fridays between 9am and 5pm. We have one main base at Starfish House in Stevenage and offer clinics on specific days of the week at other sites throughout Hertfordshire.