Families First Dates for Your Diary!

Monthly Families First Keeping in Touch Sessions

These sessions are a short informal update on service news, training offers and parenting courses delivered by one of our service managers. Please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov..uk if you would like an invitation to join.

• Thursday 10th July, 9am-9.30
• Thursday 4th September, 9am-9.30
• Thursday 2nd October, 9am-9.30

Join a Families First Induction day - ideal for new starters

We host Families First online Induction days 4 times per year, where various early help services give a 20 minute whistle-stop tour of their service and are attended by new internal CS staff and external partners. The next dates are:-

• Wednesday 25 June 2025 via Teams
• Wednesday 15 October 2025 via Teams

Please email: familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you have any questions on the above or would like an invite sent to you.

Families First quarterly district partnership meetings

In addition, many of you are regular attendees at our partnership meetings, which are a great way of keeping up to date with new services, updates and make connections. You can find out more about the groups here and email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk if you would like to join.

HSCP Learning & Development Programme

HSCP provide a wide variety of learning programmes and workshops across Hertfordshire to develop skills for safeguarding children, young people and adults. We use this page to give you some quick links through to the HSCP learning programmes:-

• View the latest training programme here (June 25)
  
  
• Take a look at the HSCP Learning Hubs.  You can sign up for sessions via the website.  HSAB and HSCP training and resources | Hertfordshire County Council. You can also view useful resources and 7 minute briefings on this link.
  View the HSCP Neglect Hub here:- Neglect Hub | Hertfordshire County Council
• View here the HSCP/HSAB Summer 2025 Newsletter

• To understand our thresholds a bit more, view the Continuum of needs (hertfordshire.gov.uk)

  • An information leaflet for families.

  • A one-page briefing to explain the process in Children's Services front door.

  • A flowchart about what happens to your referral.

• These compliment the new Children's Services online referral portal.

• The HSCP, Hertfordshire Community Trust and East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust have developed a guidance document for patients and carers relating to Child Protection Medicals. This can be found on our website, so you can signpost to patients/carers to explain the Child Protection Medical process if required.
  
  
• HSCP Practice Guidance Safeguarding Supervision Standards

Money Advice Unit Training Programme, Spring/Summer 2025

Please find attached the Money Advice Unit Training Programme and booking form for SPRING/SUMMER 2025.

All the courses are free of charge but please note we will only accept bookings from organisations in Hertfordshire. Due to demand, we only allow a maximum of two participants from each organisation per course. 

Our courses are done both online and face to face. Please see programme to see which you would prefer to attend.

If you want to book for more than one person, please complete a separate booking form for each person.

Once you return the completed booking form(s) to us, the attendees will receive a booking confirmation email within 5 working days. Please check your junk folder as sometimes our emails go to the junk folder straight away.

Workforce Shadowing

View Courses from Step2Skills

Step2Skills - Find the latest on-line and in-person courses here: Step2Skills

Courses running such as Level 1 - Preparing to work in schools, Improving your skills in Microsoft excel, Level 1 in garment construction, Social media for business, Explore your sewing machine, Assertiveness and communication skills, Introduction to Microsoft PowerPoint, Online job search and applications, Interview skills to name but a few.

My Teen Brain Online Training

Strategic Partnerships Commissioning (formerly known as Family & Health Services Commissioning)  are pleased to announce the next My Teen Brain Online Training course on Tuesday 24^th June 2025 and Wednesday 9^th July 2025.

This 1-day CPD course, from 10am – 3pm is for Hertfordshire practitioners working with parents of teenagers and/or working with teenagers or young people in Hertfordshire. It provides an opportunity to understand teenage brain development and the adolescent developmental process and consider both risk and resilience. It includes ideas and strategies for professionals working with teenagers and their parents to help them cope with challenging feelings and behaviour and to support young people in an emotionally healthy context. The day brings together the latest understanding from neuroscience and developmental psychology and the principles of The Nurturing Programme from The Centre For Emotional Health.

Please find below the booking link for you to reserve your place on to one of our summer term courses.  This training is a very popular and is beneficial to all practitioners who work with Hertfordshire children and families. 

If you are interested in booking on to the course, please ensure that you ONLY reserve your place if you have the capacity to attend the training on your preferred day and for the entire duration of the session, which is from 10am – 3pm.

9^th July - My Teen Brain Online Training | Hertfordshire County Council

If you would like further information about the course or alternative dates, please email CSStrategic.Partnerships@hertfordshire.gov.uk

 

New Free Young Carers e-learning module

📢 Young Carers Are Everyone’s Business – New e-learning Module Now Live 

To mark Carers Week (9–15th June), Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has launched a new free, accessible e-learning module to help professionals across Hertfordshire better understand and support young carers. 

👧 Who Are Young Carers? 

A young carer is someone under 18 who helps care for someone with a physical illness, mental health condition, disability, or substance misuse issue. 

❗ Why This Matters 

The Carers Trust estimates that 1 in 5 school-aged children could be young carers. Yet in Hertfordshire: 

• The January 2025 School Census: 
  • Found that 60% of schools reported no known young carers 
  • Identified only 1,483 young carers out of approx. 200,000 pupils 
• The 2021 Census recorded just 2,525 young carers aged 5–17 

These figures show many young carers remain hidden and unsupported. 

💡 About the Module 

This 30-minute course helps staff: 

• Recognise signs a child may be a young carer 
• Understand the impact of caring on their wellbeing 
• Know how to signpost to support in Hertfordshire 

👥 Who Should Complete It? 

This module is for anyone working with children, families, or vulnerable adults—whether in adult care, libraries, youth services, health or education. Young carers are everyone’s business. 

🔗 How to Access 

• HCC colleagues: Complete iLearn module at Course: Young Carers - Everyone's Business! eLearning Module
• External partners: Can access this via the Hertfordshire Children’s Safeguarding Partnership website, free of charge, by registering at eLearning : Young-Carers-e-Learning-Module

Let’s all play our part—complete the e-learning today and help ensure young carers get the support they need to thrive! 

Herts Mind Network

Herts Mind Network are excited to share our upcoming Online wellbeing groups for children and young people, designed to support emotional development, resilience, and mental wellbeing through engaging and age-appropriate groups. 

Please see flyers attached. WithTOUth Online Group Support, Future YOUth Mentoring Service, CYP Workshops (costed training guide), CYP workshops (free training guide), Spot the Signs Suicide Prevention 

💥 Anger Avengers (Ages 7–12) - Anger Avengers - WithYouth

Tuesdays, 5:00 PM | 24 June – 15 July 2025 (4 weeks)
Helping kids turn big feelings into super strengths.
This empowering group helps children understand and manage anger in healthy ways. Through interactive activities, we explore emotional triggers, conflict resolution, empathy, and practical coping tools – all with a fun and supportive approach.

 🌿 The Calm Club (Ages 15+) - The Calm Club - WithYouth

Mondays, 7:00 PM | 7 July – 25 August 2025 (7 weeks)
Find your calm. Build your confidence.
A supportive space for teens to understand and manage anxiety, build self-awareness, and learn practical strategies for coping with school pressure, exam stress, and social anxiety. Activities include mindfulness, goal setting, and positive thinking exercises.

 🎒 Road to Year 7 (For Year 6 students) - Road to Year 7 - WithYouth

Thursdays, 5:00 PM | 17 July – 18 September 2025 (10 weeks)
Starting secondary school can feel overwhelming – but they don’t have to face it alone.
This group provides a friendly and fun space to prepare for Year 7, meet others going through the same transition, and build confidence through games, helpful discussions, and practical tips on friendships, routines, and organisation.

 🌈 Creative Minds - Creative Minds - WithYouth

Wednesdays, 5:00 PM | 11 June – 13 August 2025 (10 weeks)
A welcoming group for young people to explore their feelings through art, games, and writing.
No experience needed – just bring creativity and curiosity! A great way to build confidence, connect with peers, and express emotions in fun, supportive ways.