The latest news
Check out Hertfordshire's Spring 25 Parenting and Relationship Courses
Please download the latest 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.
In addition, you can find out further information below:-
Family Lives offer a variety of on-line workshops, courses and advice articles such as Understanding Children's Behaviour (online workshop), Understanding the importance of communicating with teens (article), parenting courses (online), Bullying on social media (article), and online forums for parents and carers to connect and share experiences. Download the Summer programme here.
Families In Focus
Families in Focus offer fully funded Targeted Parenting evidence-based courses starting in September (all June courses are now fully booked).
All courses are interactive and online via Zoom.
Families in Focus e have over 30 years of experience of working alongside parents and families and are happy to answer questions or discuss course content, simply email us at bookings@familiesinfocus.co.uk
- A complete guide to parenting children with Autism and/or ADHD – inclusive of parents whose children are on assessment pathways. Fully funded and free for parents of children 2 to 11 years and living in Hertfordshire.
- Tuesday mornings from 9.30am to 11.30am September 7th, 14th & October 7th, 14th & November 4th, 11th, 18th
- Tuesday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm September 7th, 14th & October 7th, 14th & November 4th, 11th, 18th
- Handling anger of children with Autism and/or ADHD - inclusive of parents whose children are on assessment pathways. Fully funded and free for parents of children 4 to 11 years and living in Hertfordshire.
- Wednesday mornings from 9.30am to 11.30am September 10th, 17th, 24th & October 1st, 8th, 15th
- Wednesday afternoons from 12.30pm to 2pm September 10th, 17th, 24th & October 1st, 8th, 15th
- Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm September 10th, 17th, 24th & October 1st, 8th, 15th
Help us Shape the Future of Children’s Social Care in Hertfordshire!
We would like to ask for your help in encouraging the families you are supporting to complete this important questionnaire:-
We're inviting families across Hertfordshire to help shape the future of children's social care by completing a short questionnaire, you can share your experiences ideas and hopes for a system that truly supports every child and family.
This is your chance to co-design services that reflect your community's needs, because no one understands what works better than you. Whether you're a parent, carer or young person your insights are invaluable. Let's build a brighter, more supportive future together. 🏠💖
Please use the link or QR code below to complete a short questionnaire
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/wvHbv3t7qt
HAPpy camps are back this summer!
BOOKINGS OPEN 12:00 THURSDAY 26 JUNE
Hertfordshire County Council is once again launching its free summer activity camps for children and young people in Hertfordshire.
Fully funded holiday activity camps return for the summer 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 28 July – 29 August and places can be booked via the Herts Sports Partnership’s website: https://bit.ly/BookHAPpyIC
Ask your school office, if your child is eligible and you have not received your code.
Listen Up - Adultification within child safeguarding practice
Listen Up has published a report on adultification within child safeguarding practice in England. Adultification is a form of bias where children from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities are perceived as being more ‘streetwise’, more ‘grown up’ and less vulnerable than other children. The review finds growing awareness of adultification amongst safeguarding practitioners but highlights some concerns about the depth of understanding and commitment to addressing the issue, including resistance to recognising adultification as a form of racism. The report includes recommendations and examples of promising practice.
Download the report: Pushing forward – testing learning on adultification in child safeguarding practices in England
See also on NSPCC Learning
> Safeguarding children who come from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities
News from Services for Young People, June 2025
Positive Pathways summer activity programmes
The Services for Young People (SfYP) Positive Pathways summer activity programmes will be run by qualified SfYP Youth Workers and will focus on how young people can stay safe, learn new skills and make informed decisions. The programmes will involve fun activities and interactive workshops that will help young people to improve their confidence and social skills, be more resilient and able to overcome challenges in their lives.
Holiday Activity Programme
SfYP is also running an exciting programme of free holiday activities for young people aged 12-16 who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Young people will have the opportunity to take part in fun physical activities such as sports, dance and team games, get creative with arts and crafts, music production and cooking, meet and socialise with other young people and get free healthy food every day.
Get September Ready with Services for Young People
SfYP is offering ‘Get September Ready’ sessions throughout the summer to help Year 11 students feel more confident and prepared for their next steps after school. The free sessions are open to all young people who are finishing Year 11 who would benefit from support with the transition to their next step. Whether they are going into sixth form, college or don’t currently have anything in place for September, they can get individualised support from qualified SfYP Advisers. The informal sessions are particularly beneficial for young people who have been out of education, are home-educated, or have SEND, including those with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Free summer activities at Hudnall Park for young people with SEND
SfYP is offering a series of free exciting outdoor activities to young people aged 13-19 with SEND at Hudnall Park this summer. All activities develop social, emotional and physical skills in a safe and supportive environment. Young people can learn archery and compete in fun games, tackle a woodland balance course and explore nature in the beautiful woodlands.
Read more about the free summer activities for young people with SEND
View and share the latest Online Safety Newsletters
HFL would like to share two new summer term 2025 Online Safety Newsletters. One is for professionals and one for parents and carers.
Both editions can also be downloaded from the HFL website and the Grid.
The newsletters feature a range of guidance, news, links and updates about online safety for all phases, with particular reference to the current situation, recent developments and concerns.
Our newsletter for staff includes reviews and details about:
- Ofcom insights on AI use, algorithms, and social media in early years
- Teen slang, emojis, and hidden hashtags decoded
- Childline’s Behind the Screen resource on online sexual extortion
- Best practice for managing digital media on school websites
- Highlights from the “Children’s Wellbeing in a Digital World” report
Our newsletter for parents and carers includes reviews and details about:
- “Teens, Social Media & You” – a TikTok-supported guide for safe use
- Recognising and responding to tech-facilitated abuse
- Online safety support for LGBTQ+ children
- What to know about Kick streaming
- Tips for safer online gaming
- Decoding teen slang and emoji use
If you’d like any more information please contact our Wellbeing team at wellbeing@hfleducation.org or visit Online safety in schools | HFL Education
Free Emotional Based School Avoidance Support Group
Vista St Albans (Local School Partnership) are running EBSA coffee afternoon for parents and children to come along every Wednesday at The Pioneer Club in St Albans for families. (View leaflet).
Every Wednesday, 1pm-3pm, The Pioneer Youth Club, St Albans, AL3 5AY
There are activities for the young people to do whilst the parents have a coffee and chat and get some advice.
Its free to attend and parents are welcome to come without the young people if they struggle to get them out of the house.
It is open to the whole of Hertfordshire. Any questions please email: jackie.green@vistastalbans.org.uk
SEND summit announced
Councillor Mark Watkin, Executive Member for Education, SEND and Inclusion, announced that we will be holding a SEND summit in September to shape future SEND services across the county.
The Summit will be a pivotal moment in shaping the future of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families, the schools they attend, and the professionals who support them. It will help inform Hertfordshire’s new SEND Strategy for 2026–2031, which will be launched later this year.
We are pleased to launch an online survey and announce a series of in-person listening events across the county for people to share their experiences and ideas about SEND in Hertfordshire.
Find out more here:- Hertfordshire County Council | SEND summit announced – shaping future SEND provision in Hertfordshire
Update on Plan for Children & Young People
Hertfordshire County Council’s work on a new Plan for Children and Young People has continued through the spring. Feedback from the survey has been used to inform the draft document setting out the priorities for the work we do to support children and young people in the next five years.
We are grateful to all of you who took the time to share your views. The Vision has been updated; and Ambitions and Enablers have been included to describe what services will do to support children and young people achieve positive outcomes, and set out how effective systems will support this. The draft Plan will go through the political process over the next few months with a view to it being launched before the end of the year.
Watch this space!
HELP a child in need by becoming a foster carer
Hertfordshire County Council has launched an urgent HELP campaign to find more foster carers.
There is now an urgent need for more foster carers in Hertfordshire to help children stay in their local area, continue their education, and maintain connections with family and friends.
The county council runs a non-profit fostering service dedicated to providing children with a loving and supportive home. In Hertfordshire, there are approximately 1,000 children in care and more than 400 households fostering with their local council.
But the number of foster carers is declining, both locally and nationally. The council urgently needs more people to become foster carers, to make a difference to the lives of local children.
Could you provide stability, care and a family home for a local child?
You’ll receive training and support and, as a foster carer, you’ll receive a weekly payment for your skills, plus a weekly allowance for each child you look after.
Visit the website today to find out more about fostering in Hertfordshire: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/fosterHELP
Welcome to the Safe Space Mentoring Programme
Introduction
Mentoring has the potential to be a powerful personal development tool for young people. This guidance outlines for professionals the types of support needs which can best be met by mentoring, and how young people who present with these needs can be referred.
The Safe Space Mentoring Programme
Safe Space offers a mentoring programme which matches suitable young people aged 11 – 19 years in year 7 and up (up to 25 years with a LDD or for care leavers) with a mentor. The young person and the mentor meet on a regular basis (generally once per week) about the issues or problems which may be holding them back from achieving their full potential. The aim of the mentoring programme is to equip young people with the necessary skills to make informed and positive choices in their lives. The duration of mentoring support for an individual young person is approximately 6 months.
Mentors
All mentors are volunteers and are supported by two part time members of staff (covering Mon-Fri), the Safe Space Mentoring Co-ordinators.
Safe Space makes a concerted effort to recruit mentors from a wide variety of backgrounds, however professionals need to be aware that it is not always possible to meet a young person’s preference for a particular mentor. For example, a young person may wait longer to be matched with a mentor if they specify on the referral form that they would like to work with a male or female mentor rather than the ‘don’t mind’ option. Mentors come from a wide range of backgrounds and are chosen for their skills and ability to support young people.
Mentors undergo a robust recruitment procedure which includes a personal interview and an enhanced DBS check.
Once accepted to the programme mentors undertake 2 days of initial training. Training covers topics such as the role of a mentor, the stages of mentoring, safeguarding, professional boundaries, confidentiality, information sharing and equality and diversity.
It is important to remember that mentors are not qualified counsellors or social workers. Although mentors have been accepted to the programme because of the qualities they display, e.g. the ability to motivate and inspire, and the ability to communicate in a non-judgemental way, they do not have the full training or qualifications that would be needed to support young people with complex needs.
The Mentoring Relationship
A mentoring relationship is focused on assisting the young person to achieve specified and agreed goals. Mentors do not carry out home visits and they are not befrienders. All meetings with young people are in a public place, e.g. a café, school or library, and all meetings have the purpose of empowering the young person to make informed decisions for themselves by discussing the options available.
Mentees can expect the mentor to show a genuine interest in their lives and a commitment to helping them achieve their aims.
Referral Criteria
To ensure that mentoring is a beneficial experience for the young person, it is important that they are matched with a mentor who is able to support their needs. For this reason, professionals should assess the support needs of the young person prior to any referral. Referrals must only be submitted to the team once mentoring has been explained to the young person and they agree they’d like to take part in the programme.
As a general rule mentoring is most effective for those young people with low to mid level support needs. For example, confidence building, time management skills, personal skills to help make new friends, or assistance with job hunting. Mentoring is less likely to be suitable for those young people
with intensive or complex support needs, e.g. mental health concerns or diagnosis, or where there are child protection concerns. We are not able to accept referrals for young people on a CIN plan or for young people who are actively being seen by specialist CAMHS. Mentoring may involve participation
in an activity but the activity should be secondary to the mentoring and not the focus of the sessions.
The Safe Space mentoring programme is a voluntary programme so only those young people who have expressed an interest in being matched with a mentor should be referred. It is important to note that mentors generally work on their own, out in the community, on a one-to-one basis with young people. For health and safety reasons it will generally not be acceptable to refer a young person who has a history of violent or aggressive behaviour. Signed parental consent is required for referrals for young people under the age of 13.
Mentoring should not be used as a ‘stop gap’ whilst the young person is awaiting support from another service. Professionals should always consider any other referrals that have been made and how (or if) mentoring might fit with these. Referrals are not accepted from parents or carers, all referrals need to be initiated by a professional and agreed by the young person.
Please note that any one referrer or school/college may make a maximum of 2 referrals at any time free of charge, and any one district team/service may only make a maximum of 5 referrals at any time free of charge. Please contact the Mentoring Co-ordinators to discuss options for funding additional referrals if needed.
The Mentoring Co-ordinator’s decision to accept a referral or not is final.
Referral Process for Professionals
- Consider the level of support needs of the young person. Those with low to mid level support needs
can be referred. Those with complex or intensive support needs should be referred to the relevant
agency for professional support.
- Professionals should discuss with the young person the structure of the programme, the benefits
and boundaries of working with a mentor, and the commitment required. It is strongly advised that
referring professionals contact the Mentoring Co-ordinators to check suitability and availability in that
area before any guarantee is made to the young person; a referral form can then be requested from
the Mentoring Co-ordinators. The Mentoring Co-ordinators have the right to decline referrals which are
not considered appropriate for mentoring.
- The professional should support the young person to complete the referral form, outlining why they
would like to work with a mentor and completing a statement outlining any background information
and support needs that the mentor may need to be aware of.
- The referral form must be completed in one word or PDF format and returned to
mentoringmailbox@hertfordshire.gov.uk by the referring professional. Referrals sent to us by the
young person or parent or forms not sent in these formats will be returned to the referrer.
- Once the referral has been made the Mentoring Co-ordinators will consider the referral and match
suitable young people with a mentor.
Continuing Professional Involvement
It is the referrer’s responsibility to update the mentoring team if there are any changes to the young person’s circumstances that may impact on their support needs or if any safeguarding concerns are identified.
A referral to the mentoring programme does not necessarily mean that the referring professional will cease to work with that young person. Dependent on the support needs of each particular young person the level of continuing professional involvement will differ. In some cases, mentoring will be a tool used by a professional alongside the support they are already providing to that young person. In other cases it may be beneficial for the professional to contact the young person to check that they are benefiting from the mentoring relationship. All relevant feedback should be provided to the Mentoring Co-ordinators.
If you have any questions on this service please contact: 01992 588796, mentoringmailbox@hertfordshire.gov.uk
SAHWR (Specialist Domestic Abuse Service) launch new website
SAHWR provide specialist, trauma informed and holistic services to individuals and their families who are survivors of domestic abuse across Hertfordshire.
SAHWR – Our New Website has launched – visit www.sahwr.org.uk to take a look at our new site!
We have also launched our new central number – 0300 124 5095