Congratulations to all our Families First Awards Winners!

A special thanks also goes to our host of the event Gary Mallett from the Children's Services, L&D team.

Individual Awards

Collaborative Worker of the Year: Lara Carvalho, Pastoral Leader, Beechfield School

Partnership School of the Year : Laurance Haines School

Key Worker of the Year: Dion Lewis, Intensive Family Support Team, Watford & Three Rivers, Children's Services, HCC

Admin Support Worker of the Year: Ella Young, South West Herts Partnership

Manager/Team Leader of the Year: Sally Lee, Intensive Family Support Team Stevenage and North Herts, Children's Services, HCC

Unsung Hero Award: Emma Hicks, Marlborough Science Academy, St Alban's 

Team Awards

Creative Early Intervention (programme or initiative): The Bridge Building Confidence and Resilience in Young People and their Families, Intensive Family Support Team: Welwyn Hatfield & Hertsmere, Children's Services, HCC

Services to young people team of the year: ARC Rapid Response, Children's Services, HCC

Services to Families team of the year: Kaotic Angels

Collaborative Team of the Year: Hertfordshire Sports & Activity Partnership - HAPpy Delivery Team

Early Years Team of the year: NHCVS Breakaway North Hertfordshire

Special Recognition Award - Early Help Impact Award: Karen Dorney, Supporting Families, Children's Services, HCC

 

You can view the presentation here, which contains all the shortlisted nominations:- 

You can View more photos here

A final big thank you to Hampergifts.co.uk who very kindly donated a chocolate hamper to our parent speaker.

Plan for Children & Young People 2026-2031

The Plan for Children & Young People 2026-31 was launched on 19 November; Cllr Rowlands has recorded a short video which will appear on our social media feeds. Please cascade this update to your teams so that they are aware of the Plan, how it relates to your work and to Hertfordshire Families.

The Plan sets out Hertfordshire County Council's Ambitions for improving outcomes for children and young people and how those Ambitions will be enabled. The Vision is to support all children and young people to feel they belong and are happy, healthy, and safe so they can thrive with their families and community.

The Ambitions outline what services will do to support children and young people to achieve positive outcomes:

• Ambition 1: Deliver the education and early help children, young people and families need to thrive together.
• Ambition 2: Help keep children and young people safe from harm, at home, where they live, and outside in their wider neighbourhood, community and online.
• Ambition 3: Provide help to children and young people within their family networks and local communities.
• Ambition 4: Support children and young people to live in stable homes and build relationships which equip them for the future.

Following feedback from families, we have created a Plan on a Page and an animation which share key information about the four Ambitions and what these mean to young people. These are hosted, along with full Plan, at Hertfordshire's plan for children and young people 2026-31 | Hertfordshire County Council. 

Thank you to all those who have contributed to the development of the Plan over the last few months. Your feedback has helped us to understand what services are most needed, and has shaped our Annual Priorities. It has been an absolute pleasure to meet so many people and hear your views.

Early help support for eating and body image difficulties via First Steps ED

5-18-year-olds in Hertfordshire can access free early help for eating and body image difficulties via First Steps ED and they don’t need to be physically unwell, it’s far better to ask for help early. Go to: Make a Referral | First Steps ED to find out more and look out for Hertfordshire’s new campaign, aiming to dispel the myths about eating and body image difficulties and raise awareness of the wide range of resources and services available to help.

Community Supermarkets Now open

The community supermarkets are now open to self referral which may be useful for families your services support.

 Everything in-store is priced under £1, and you can pick up to 20 items per visit.

Open across 8 locations in Hertfordshire

 Find out more here:-  Community Supermarket 

BeeZee January programmes - Sign Ups now Open

• HENRY programmes support babies and young children to have a healthy start for a brighter future. Parents and carers of children under 5 years gain the confidence and skills to adopt healthier lifestyles, long-term.  A free creche is available throughout the 8-week programme!
• Beezee Families is an award-winning 12-week programme for 5 – 15 year olds and their families. Our team of nutritionists focus on making small, sustainable changes around food and physical activity – and have fun while doing so! Families can also learn at their own pace for six months over on our Academy.  Alternatively, they can access our 1:1 support throughout the year.

• Beezee Youth is aimed at young people aged 13-17. This 8-week programme is co-produced by participants and helps them discover practical strategies to improve their physical, mental and social wellbeing in a non-judgemental environment ONLINE. Young people can also learn at their own pace over on the Academy for six months, accessing content specially designed for them

Support is available in-person and online. Professionals can refer families and young people to these programmes, or families and young people can sign up directly.

 

Best Start in Life National Website

We’re excited to share the launch of the new Best Start in Life website; a central resource aimed at helping families access vital information and support during the crucial early years of a child’s life.

Key Features for Families
The website features a comprehensive Childcare & Early Years section that provides clear, up to date guidance on:

• The different types of childcare funding available
• Eligibility criteria for support
• How to access funded places for 2, 3, and 4-year-olds
• Choosing a childcare setting that fits the needs of each family
• This section also integrates the Childcare Choices platform, enabling parents and carers to easily search for suitable childcare settings and compare what’s available in their area.
  
  Why This Matters for Partners
  
  This is a valuable resource for professionals working with children and families. Whether you’re in early years, health, education, or family support, signposting parents to this website can help them make informed decisions, reduce barriers to accessing support, and improve early outcomes.
  
  We encourage all partners and practitioners to familiarise themselves with the site and share it with families and colleagues across your networks.
  For further resources or promotional materials, feel free to get in touch with your local early years lead or communications team.

Visit here:- Homepage | Best Start in Life

Care Leavers Christmas appeal 2025 – deadline Sunday 7 December

If you can, please help make a difference to our young people. Following the success of the last five years of Christmas appeals, we have decided to ask for voucher donations once again to the value of £10 or £20 for either Asda, B&M, Tesco, or The Range. You can either email them to: CareLeaversChristmas@hertfordshire.gov.uk or leave in donation boxes at Farnham and Apsley offices. We will use these vouchers to purchase items that are individual to the young people in time for Christmas so they can have a box full of goodies.

 

Thank you for helping to make a difference to our young people.

News from Services for Young People

Free Adventure Days at Hudnall Park

Between November 2025 and March 2026, Services for Young People (SfYP) is offering free adventurous outdoor activity days for groups of eligible young people aged 11–18. Young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can take part up to the age of 25.

Taking part in an Adventure Day at Hudnall Park is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get outdoors and enjoy new experiences while developing their confidence and resilience and discovering their potential. They will learn skills that will last a lifetime and improve their overall wellbeing.

Read the full story to find out what activities are on offer and who is eligible

 

Hertfordshire Health and Wellbeing Survey for young people with SEND

SfYP is working with Public Health Hertfordshire to run a survey about the health and wellbeing of young people with SEND in the county. The survey is now live and will be open until 6 February 2026.

By taking part, these young people can share their views on important health and wellbeing topics that affect their lives. This valuable information helps schools, commissioners, and a range of agencies and service providers better understand and support the needs of young people with SEND and their families. The survey contributes to HCC’s wider SEND improvement strategy and in particular SEND children and young people’s voice.

Read the full story for more details, including the topics covered and a link to the survey

Amplifying young people’s voices with SEND social media takeover day

SfYP is supporting the Voices of Hertfordshire children and young people with SEND social media takeover day, which is happening on 3 December 2025 to coincide with International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

 

Content contributed by children and young people with SEND from across Hertfordshire will be shared on HCC and Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust social media channels to help them get their voices heard. Young people can also get involved by posting on their own social media using the hashtag #SENDtakeover2025. There will also be two live Q&A sessions on Voices of Hertfordshire Instagram with HCC leaders and health professionals taking place on the day.

• Read the full story with details of how SfYP is supporting young people to have their voices heard

Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline - here to help this Christmas

HAPpy camps are back this winter!

Please help us promote that the Happy Camp bookings are now open!

Hertfordshire County Council is once again launching its free winter activity camps for children and young people in Hertfordshire.

Fully funded holiday activity camps return for the festive break, providing eligible children and young people with the chance to meet friends, learn new skills and enjoy nutritious food.

The HAPpy programme is funded by Hertfordshire County Council and the Department of Education (DfE) via the government’s Holiday Activity and Food programme and coordinated by Herts Sport and Activity Partnership and the Hertfordshire Community Foundation.

Camps are running from 22 – 31 December (selected dates) and places can be booked via the Herts Sports Partnership’s website

 

Parents/carers can ask their school office, if their child is eligible and they have not received their code.

Check out Hertfordshire's Autumn 25 Parenting and Relationship Courses

You can view the Autumn 2025 Parenting and Relationship Support Offer Newsletter which will provide you with information and details on Parenting Courses and Relationship Support offer. Please can you ensure you cascade to your teams. If you have any questions please email CSStrategic.Partnerships@hertfordshire.gov.uk .

We have listed a few of the current courses below, but please visit the Hertfordshire Directory for the full listing.

Is your Service listed on the Hertfordshire Directory? 

Providers, services, groups and individuals can request a login and once approved, they can create a comprehensive listing and receive direct referrals if they wish. This can include key information such as what they do, who they support, when and where they work and their website for more information.

There are some short YouTube videos to help people get started:

• Getting started with Hertfordshire Directory
• Adding a new listing to Hertfordshire Directory – part 1
• Adding a new listing to Hertfordshire Directory – part 2

There’s also a How to step-by-step guide online

If you have any questions, queries or feedback about the Directory, or need support accessing it, please email:

anne.ardley@hertfordshire.gov.uk or web.team@hertfordshire.gov.uk