Families First News

Front page - Welcome

Welcome Message

Dear partners and colleagues,

As we take the first steps towards coming out of lockdown we wish all those supporting the return to school premises the best of luck and hope it all goes smoothly.

In this edition we have news of Hertfordshire's new Holiday Activity Programme HAPpy and the Easter Fit, Fed and Read programme

Our Families First Awards are still open for nominations and we are seeing so many lovely and deserving nominations coming through, but there is still time to put your nomination forward! So please read more and nominate here.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Families First News and please encourage your teams to sign up to receive their own copy!

As always, please do let us have your comments and suggestions for what you would like included in future editions by emailing familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

Thank you for reading,

The Families First Development Team

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The latest news

Families First Awards - Still time to make a nomination!

Nominations are coming in at a good pace for our Families First Awards and you still have until Friday March 19th to make your nomination to recognise and say thank you to those that have gone above and beyond in their role over the past year in supporting families.

The last year has really highlighted the importance of partnership working and all the good work that takes place across Hertfordshire. These awards will be an opportunity to celebrate your commitment and achievements in helping families receive the support they need.

There are 6 Team awards and 7 Individual awards, which includes one for the Unsung Hero, a new award that recognises the fantastic work undertaken by our very kind volunteers. You can view the categories here and then make your nomination via our easy to complete form.

Families First Awards 2020/21 - Make a nomination

 Or scan the QR code from your mobile phone:-

Please send this email on to all your professional contacts to ensure as many people as possible get the opportunity to make a nomination.

 

(Due to data protection THIS SURVEY IS NOT OPEN TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC)

Holiday Activity Programme (HAPpy)

We want to help you make plans for the Easter Holidays - fun filled days for kids, lots of physical activity, a bit of enrichment and some scrumptious food!

A collaboration between Herts Sports Partnership, Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Community Foundation, HAPpy is the name of Hertfordshire's Holiday Activity Programme which, this Easter, will see thousands of free places for children who are aged 5-16 and in receipt of free school meals.

Activity camps will be run across Hertfordshire, by all sorts of clubs and organisations - plus, you'll soon be able to search each and every one on a new Activity Finder!

We'll have more news for you from 19 March!

CLICK HERE for the HAPpy website

Please help us to promote the HAPpy programme by sharing this information with your families, colleagues and networks.

Fit, Fed & Read Easter 2021 - Referrals are now open!

The Fit, Fed and Read 2021 referrals are now open, please distribute within your network to begin registering eligible young people.

We are very pleased to announce that the programmes is preparing to run in 10 locations across Hertfordshire this Easter subject to Government guidance and national lockdown measures.

What is Fit, Fed & Read?

Fit, Fed & Read is a free school holiday activity programme that operates across Hertfordshire during the school Easter and Summer holidays, targeted at children on free school meals.

The aim of the programme is to provide a high-quality holiday activity scheme which tackles holiday hunger, social isolation and physical inactivity. The programme also provides support with literacy and supplies all children with a nutritious meal every day, free of charge.

Further details can be found here

When

The Easter programme will be running:

Week 1 - Monday 29th  March - Thursday 1st April 10am - 2pm
Week 2 - Tuesday 6th  April - Friday 9th April 10am - 2pm

No delivery on Bank Holidays

Entry Criteria

To enter the programme the attendees should be:
- Aged between 7-11 years
- Eligible for free school meals

Locations

There will be projects running in each of the following locations:

  • Waltham Cross, Broxbourne
  • Grovehill, Hemel Hempstead
  • Sele, East Herts
  • Cowley Hill, Hertsmere
  • Jackmans, North Herts
  • Sopwell, St Albans
  • Bedwell, Stevenage  
  • South Oxhey, Three Rivers
  • Watford Central, Watford
  • Peartree, Welwyn Garden City

How to Enter

To enter the programme, please use this link. Please note that making an entry using this form does not guarantee a place on the scheme; a member of staff from Herts Sports Partnership will be in touch following the entry to confirm. Where projects are full, entries will be added to a waiting list and contacted should a space become available.  

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the programme or you require a paper entry form, please contact us on fitfedandread@herts.ac.uk. 

Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP)

Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP) is the premier gateway in Hertfordshire to explore career opportunities. Find out about:

  • career path options
  • job opportunities
  • apprenticeships and work experience
  • skills development and professional qualification programme

This portal is a great resource to share with families that are looking looking for a job or have recently been made redundant.

Take a look at the Employment Hub to discover the advice, support and guidance that can be accessed to help secure employment

Also you can sign up to their newsletter from the Hub to keep up-to-date with local employment news and opportunities.

Spot the Signs & Emotional Wellbeing Project - Herts Mind Network

The Spot the Signs & Emotional Wellbeing project is being delivered by Herts Mind Network. The project offers free online and in-person training and workshops direct to children and young people, parents/carers and youth professionals. The training and workshops include the Five Ways to Wellbeing, Introduction to Mental Health, Adolescent Development, Emotional Wellbeing and Coping Strategies, Introduction to Spotting the Signs for Suicide and the fuller 4.5 hour Spot the Signs – Youth Suicide Prevention course. The programme provides emotional resilience and signposting support to empower children and young people and the adults around them to feel confident enough to manage their mental and emotional health.

If you’re a youth professional working in Hertfordshire and want to know more about the training and workshops (including how to book), please visit the following page on the Herts Mind Network website.

For Baby's Sake referrals

The For Baby’s Sake Trust have been supporting families in Stevenage, North Herts, Hatfield & Welwyn Garden City for 6 years now and recently due to COVID, more widely throughout the county using a variety of remote tools. The need for support is ever more pressing as society attempts to negotiate through these terribly difficult times dominated by lockdown, home schooling, job insecurities and a myriad of unprecedented stress factors.

For Baby’s Sake is an innovative, therapeutic, trauma informed, programme working with all family members supporting a recovery framework to overcome the devastating effects of domestic abuse, acknowledge & explore unresolved & often complex childhood trauma and change harmful patterns of behaviour to develop a home environment where children can flourish. We adopt an Attachment focussed parenting approach that enhances the opportunity for children to feel safe & secure with parents who are emotionally available and attuned to all their needs. There must be a current pregnancy to harness change motivations, a desire on behalf of both parents to co-parent their unborn baby (although they do not have to be in a relationship) and we work with the families until the baby reaches the age of 2. The significance of this 2 year timescale is evidenced in all recent child development research.

For Baby’s Sake offers an unrivalled package of tailored support that creates the real possibility for lasting and sustainable change. The multi-disciplinary team consists of highly trained, therapeutic practitioners who have the ability to establish & maintain first class working relationships that consistently guarantee engagement and crucially provides the framework for the deeper, therapeutic exploration that allows service users to understand the impact of their own parenting experiences.

If you would like us to join one of your team meetings then please feel free to contact us or if you have any questions relating to the referral pathway; do please get in touch on 01438 873420 or welcome@forbabyssake.org.uk. 

Tackling County Lines, a proactive safeguarding approach - Free conference

The 'Tackling County Lines, a proactive safeguarding approach’ event is a free 2 day conference hosted by the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), which is available to all agencies to attend and will take place on 23rd and 24th March. Thereafter, all the material will be available to view on demand following the event. 

It will be particularly useful for law enforcement staff, decision makers, frontline practitioners and their managers.

This event will provide knowledge and understanding of county lines criminality, including exploitation of both children and vulnerable adults. It will provide attendees with practical guidance and advice, understanding of best practice in terms of both tackling offending and safeguarding victims, which will assist them in providing appropriate support and interventions.

Key topics include:

  • Section 45 Defence and the NRM
  • Tackling Cuckooing
  • Managing complex safeguarding
  • Use of civil orders
  • Tackling transportation
  • Tactical options
  • County lines lived experience

Please register using this link and please use your work email address. Please ensure that you add the event to your calendar. A timetable will be shared after you have registered, so that you can select which presentations you would like to attend. There will be opportunities to ask questions.

Please share this link with your colleagues, there are no limitations around numbers of attendees and we want to reach as many people as possible! We look forward to you joining us.

Childcare Sufficiency Survey for Parents - still live

Parental Survey – Hertfordshire Childcare Sufficiency

Hertfordshire County Council would like feedback from parents and carers on childcare to help us understand the current market position and to help us plan for sufficient childcare places across Hertfordshire

This survey is for all parents/carers with children aged between 0 and 14 years old.
 
Please encourage the families you work with to complete this questionnaire, where appropriate.

Learning & development

Share & Learn Event - Stevenage Families First Partnership Group

The Share & Learn Event being organised by the Stevenage Families First Partnership Group will be held on Wednesday 7 July 2021 at 1.30pm – 4.15pm via Microsoft Teams. This event is for anyone working with children, young people, parents and families across Hertfordshire. You might work for a community group or charity or have a role in a public sector organisation like the NHS, council, police or school. Please come along to part or all of the event to learn and test new skills and knowledge in a range of bite-size workshops, which are described below. Please use this link to book your place and please share information about this event with your networks. 

1.30pm - Adverse Childhood Experiences and using trauma-informed approaches

  • Presentation from Judith Rees, For Baby’s Sake Director of Operations (15 minutes)
  • Breakout groups for discussion (20 minutes)
  • Feedback to full group (10 minutes)

2.15pm - Break (15 minutes)

2.30pm - An introduction to mental health first aid

  • Presentation from Danielle Bridge, ABC Life Support (15 minutes)
  • Breakout groups for discussion (20 minutes)
  • Feedback to full group (10 minutes)

3.15pm - Break (15 minutes)

3.30pm - Spotting the signs of gambling addiction, in women and young people in particular

  • Presentation from Gracia Talabi, Gamcare (15 minutes)
  • Breakout groups for discussion (20 minutes)
  • Feedback to full group (10 minutes)

4.15pm - End

2021 Caring Dads Courses

The next series of the Caring Dads programme is being planned to run as face to face group courses. However, if social distancing still applies there will be greater restrictions on the number of dads per course. Please see the current courses planned below. 

  • Stevenage start by 31st March – will run on Wednesday evenings
  • Broxbourne later in the Spring
  • Watford – Summer / Autumn

Please note, this may change depending on the spread of referrals received so it is important that you send in your referrals promptly.

We have been fortunate with the venues for our last two courses but would very much appreciate ideas for suitable places in the Broxbourne Hatfield areas. As a starter the venues need to be close to night time buses and trains, but also have on site / nearby free / low cost car parking. 

Please do start sending in your referrals for the above courses on this referral form - fully completed including name of referrer, contact details and date of referral.

We are also taking referrals for Dedicated Dads - the 6 x 1 hour virtual 1:1 course. This is not a replacement for Caring Dads but, for some dads, is the only way they can engage. Please would you share information about this with your teams.

Please call: 01727 854727 on Mondays or Tuesdays if you wish to discuss the Caring Dads programme further or suitability of possible referrals.

HSCP Spring Newsletter & HSPC Year of Learning Briefing

Please use this link to review the Year of Learning briefing document (Feb 2021) from Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) about Working with Mothers with EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder). 

Please also visit the HSCP website to view the HSCP/HSAB Spring 2021 Newsletter. 

Please can you share this information with your teams and colleagues.


Hertfordshire’s Safeguarding Children Partnership are now offering four e-learning courses which are free to all agencies.

Course subjects include:

  • Gypsy & Traveller Cultural Awareness
  • Child Sexual Exploitation
  • Gangs and Youth Violence
  • Sexual Abuse and Recognising Grooming

Click here for more information and booking links . 


Please use this link to review information from Hertfordshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (HSCP) about leaving a child alone with siblings. Please share this information with your teams and colleagues.

 

Safer Places Training Opportunities

Safer Places have spaces on our accredited Independent Stalking Advisory specialist (ISAS) course starting in April.  Spaces can be booked here https://www.saferplaces.co.uk/independent-stalking-advocacy-specialist

 We also have half day Domestic abuse awareness training on 5th March and 8th April 

One day Stalking masterclass training on 17th March

One day Tech abuse training on 22nd April 

 Tickets can be purchased here https://www.saferplaces.co.uk/Pages/Events/

 

Free Training from ECPAT UK

FREE training session on child victims of trafficking from Vietnam in the UK

To mark the launch of the Vietnamese language resources on trafficking ECPAT UK have made in partnership with World Vision Vietnam, ECPAT UK are hosting a free, online training event for practitioners specifically focused on Vietnamese victims of trafficking here in the UK on Tuesday 23rd March 2021 10am-12pm. This session will introduce these resources, how to access and use them, as well as outline the learning from research and practice on working with victims of trafficking from Vietnam. This training is ideal for those who work with vulnerable children and those in migration.

22nd March 10-10.45am – Resource launch event. To register please book here.

23rd March 10am-12pm- Practitioner learning event. To register please book here.

FREE training for foster carers and children’s home staff

ECPAT UK are currently running a project where we can provide free training to foster carers and children’s home staff on our ‘Safe accommodation and child victims of trafficking missing from care’ training course. If you are a foster carer or work in a children’s home and you would like to receive this training then please do get in touch. We are currently running two courses on the following dates:

8th & 9th March (9.30-1pm each day)

12th & 13th May(9.30-1pm each day)

Training for individual practitioners

Individual practitioners from across the UK and beyond can book onto one of our online courses which are published on our website.  We have courses relevant to professionals in a number of roles, so whether you want training on child trafficking, safeguarding & disruption of child trafficking or child criminal exploitation, you can book onto one of our courses for £120 per person. We add new training dates several times a year, and our modular format means you can mix and match dates to finish a course at your convenience. We also offer a discounts for multiple participants booking onto the same course, perfect for small teams to train staff instead of commissioning a training course.

Workshop for those organising staff training- Tuesday 9th March 2021

Are you responsible for organising and commissioning training of for your organisation or team? I am running a short workshop on 16th March at 2pm to briefly introduce our training programme on offer, the details of our training and to answer any questions that you may have. This event is ideal for those working in child safeguarding organisations who are involved in organising and commissioning staff training, learning and development. If you would like to attend, then you can register here for more details.

 

 

 

Herts SARC (sexual assault referral centre) - Open Day

Dear Hertfordshire Paediatric (Children & Young People) Partners 

 

We are excited to invite you to our new Paediatric (CYP) Open Day here at Herts SARC (sexual assault referral centre).  

 

While this event is virtual (for now), we hope you take the opportunity to allow us to introduce you to our Paediatric Team and the services we provide, have a look at the facilities we have which accommodate children, young people and their families, and learn about our referral pathways, as well as use the opportunity to ask questions and let us do some myth busting around some of the barriers to Paediatric cases accessing the services here. 

Please disseminate this invitation to your teams and other partner agencies who may refer CYP cases to us

We would like to take the opportunity to meet as many of you as possible and support you in the valuable work you are doing to safeguard Hertfordshire’s children and young people. 

 The event will be held monthly, so please view our flier and book a session that suits you, by emailing herts.sarc@nhs.net.  

 Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries about the event(s).  

 

We look forward to meeting you at our Open Days. 

Difference we're making

Families First - Performance Data Report

You may be interested to view our Families First Performance Data report for the period October 2019-September 2020.

The report looks at Families First Assessments that took place within the period and highlights the presenting needs and outcomes broken down by district along with information about other support for families.

 

SPACE Hertfordshire

SPACE is a Hertfordshire based charity supporting parent/carers of children and young people on the Autistic Spectrum, with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or a Neurodiverse Condition. 
SPACE are delighted to announce that they have been awarded a National Lottery Community Grant. Thank you to everyone who has purchased National Lottery tickets, you have made this possible!
Please use this link to find more information about SPACE. 

Local area news

St Albans & Dacorum News Bulletin

March 2021

We are collating the updates we receive for the services into district bulletins. If you would like to include your service update/news for this area please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk and please put "Newsletter update" in the subject box, thank you.


YCH Services for Young People

View the projects and programmes for young people in Dacorum

View the projects and programmes for young people in St Albans


Delivering Special Provision Locally - Dacorum (DSPL8) Parent/Carer Communication & Herts Parent Carer Involvement (HPCI) Leaflet

Please click on the following links to review the parent/carers communication from DSPL8 and leaflet from HPCI


Creative Learning - Basic Computing Course

Creative Learning are running their next Basic Computing course, starting on 12th March. Please review this flyer for more information and please share information about this course with your contacts. The course will be online, and is free to Hertfordshire residents.


Colourful Minds: next online Colourful Minds Course starts on Friday 9th April 2021.

Colourful Minds is a free 12 week Creative Therapy Course for adults in Dacorum (aged 18+) with mild to moderate mental health conditions, such as stress, anxiety and depression. The course is run by a qualified Art Therapist from Herts Inclusive Theatre and funded by Dacorum Borough Council. Application to the course is by referral only from a GP, health professional/agency or support agency/worker. 

We are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity free of charge to anyone who may need support. Sessions are run weekly on Zoom and no previous art or creative experience is needed. Materials are also provided.

If you know anyone who may benefit from attending the course, please complete a booking form with the client/patient via the website. No creative or art experience is needed, just an openness to engage creatively in a supportive, confidential group setting.

If you know anyone who may benefit from attending the course, please complete the online booking form with the client/patient. Alternatively, you can forward the link for your client/patient to complete at home. 

To apply visit: www.dacorum.gov.uk/colourfulminds

When a booking form has been submitted, you/the referrer will receive a link to a short online form to complete. Once both forms have been submitted, the Art Therapist will contact the client/patient.

Please review the ‘Notes and Information for Referrers’ for more details. A hard copy or Word version of the booking form is also available if required. To be sent a booking form via email or in the post, please contact kerry@hit-theatre.org.uk.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss anything about the course, please get in touch.

Please use this link for a leaflet about the course and please share information about Colourful Minds with your networks. 


Wake Up and Dance!  (All ages)

From 1st- 26th March, BEEE Creative CIO will be hosting 10 minutes of music to dance along to everyday at home but with others online – a fun way to get the body and mind active and ready to start the day! There is no dance instruction, you just click on the Zoom link, be greeted by your Wake Up and Dance daily host and then all dance along, in any way you like, to the day’s music playlist. There is no commitment to attend every session, you can drop in whenever you can. To find out more and register for the Zoom link, please visit: Wake Up and Dance! – BEEE Creative CIO (beee-creative.co.uk)

Wake Up and Dance is run by Active Dacorum, BEEE Creative and Dacorum Community Dance.

Seated Dance (adults living in Dacorum)

Louise from Dacorum Community is running seated dance sessions at 11am each Tuesday during term time. The sessions are delivered on Zoom and are a fun way to improve flexibility and enjoy moving to music from your chair, as well as connecting with others. The sessions are particularly suitable for older adults or those with limited mobility. To book a place, please email dacorumdance@gmail.com.   

The Seated dance sessions are run by Dacorum Community Dance in partnership with Dacorum Borough Council Supported Housing and Active Dacorum.

Further details about the above dance sessions can also be found on the Active Dacorum webpage, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Please feel free to share this information with your networks, on your socials, and with anyone you know how may be interested in joining any of the sessions.


Hi all, this is just to let you know that South Hill Centre (SHC) will be acting as a Census Support Centre for Dacorum from 1 March until May 4 2021

It would be appreciated if you would circulate this help sheet to your staff/volunteers/clients so that we can reach as many of the ‘hard to reach’ or digitally excluded  individuals as possible.

The Centre will have PCs available (by appointment) for those who do not have appropriate IT equipment at home to complete the survey. We also have pop up support locations in Berkhamsted and Tring where similar help (by appointment) can be provided.

Empower Programme - Hemel Hempstead

Empower is a 48 week project that aims to improve young people’s mental health through the use of physical activity. Each session is 90 minutes in length and consists of 60 minutes of physical activity, typically in the form of a sport session such as dodgeball, football, basketball, badminton or dance. Following the physical activity, we complete a 30-minute wellbeing workshop, which is a facilitated conversation between participants, Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust Coaches and a NESSie psychotherapist. If session is a mix of genders and the age range is 9-12 years old.

The project is split into three phases (Detailed below). Each phases scales down in contact time with participants, coinciding with psychotherapeutic approaches and NICE guidelines.

  • Phase one (Developmental) consists of 12 weekly sessions
  • Phase two (Maintenance) consists of 6 sessions occurring fortnightly
  • Phase three (Reflection) consists of 6 sessions occurring once a month

In the upcoming phase, Empower session dates are:

  • Hemel Hempstead (Held at JFK school) – Starting from May 2021 (For 48 weeks) - 5- 6:30pm or 6:30pm – 8pm

Please use this link to download the editable referral form and please review this poster for more information about the project.

 

Watford & Three Rivers News Bulletin

March 2021

We are collating the updates we receive for the services into district bulletins. If you would like to include your service update/news for this area please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk and please put "Newsletter update" in the subject box, thank you.


Empower

Empower is a 48 week project that aims to improve young people’s mental health through the use of physical activity. Each session is 90 minutes in length and consists of 60 minutes of physical activity, typically in the form of a sport session such as dodgeball, football, basketball, badminton or dance. Following the physical activity, we complete a 30-minute wellbeing workshop, which is a facilitated conversation between participants, Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust Coaches and a NESSie psychotherapist. Find out more info here


Watford & Three Rivers Trust Neighbours Together - “What’s On” Guide

Watford & Three Rivers Trust Neighbours Together have launched the NEW “What’s On” Guide. The new guide has been broadened to include activities, clubs, courses, events and support services that are available to help people aged 21+ stay connected and more active in the Watford and Three Rivers area. This could be from a new hobby, a course to learn a skill you have always been interested in, or something you used to do years ago and wanted to pick up again. It could even be something you just love doing and want to share your skills with others. The clubs listed give people a chance to connect with people that have similar interest and provide a chance to chat. The guide also has a list of support services, so people know where they can get support from as well as online fitness classes for all abilities to help keep us active at home. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Neighbours Together (Watford & Three Rivers). 

Watford & Three Rivers Trust | The new Neighbours Together What’s On guide is now live! (w3rt.org)

East Herts & Broxbourne News Bulletin

March 2021

We are collating the updates we receive for the services into district bulletins. If you would like to include your service update/news for this area please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk and please put "Newsletter update" in the subject box, thank you.


    JobSmart

    JobSmart is an employability programme supporting adults in Broxbourne and East Herts who have lost their jobs. Delivered by the CVS for Broxbourne and East Herts, the programme is a combination of online training and face-to-face support. The latter will take place in Waltham Cross, Wormley, Stanstead Abbotts, Hertford and Bishops Stortford once lockdown restrictions permit. JobSmart is funded by Broxbourne Council, East Herts Council, B3Living, Network Homes and the Department for Work and Pensions. Further information can be found at http://cvsbeh.org.uk/jobsmart/


    Kidz Klub

    Kidz Klub offers a safe, fun and stimulating environment for children aged five to 12 years. To ensure children enjoy their time with us, every day is fun filled at our Ofsted registered Kidz Klub with a wide variety of sport, creative activities and dance.  Kidz Klub works with parents/carers and other professionals for additional support and to ensure that needs are fulfilled so that all children in our care have the best possible time

    Date:     Monday 29 March to Wednesday 31 March; Thursday 1 April; and Tuesday 6 April to Friday 9 April

    Times:   8.30/9.30am-4.30/5.30pm

    Venue:  The John Warner Sports Centre, Stanstead Road, Hoddesdon

    Age:      4*-12 years
    Cost:     Day rate (booked in advance) £22.50
    To book: Please email kidzklub@broxbourne.co.uk to check availability.

    Website www.broxbourne.gov.uk/Kidzklub


    Update from YCH Services for Young People:-

    I am pleased to provide you with details of our summer term projects, services and opportunities for young people, which will commence in April and which we are planning to deliver in person through our Covid-19 Secure Young People’s Centres. Our Access Points remain open for in-person and virtual booked appointments as required. I have highlighted some services and projects below which may be of particular interest to you, and full details of all our projects can be found on the attached infographic. 

    Looking ahead and planning for the future

    YCH SfYP can support any young person under 19 who is looking for work, training or education. Although some young people may be feeling overwhelmed by making decisions about their future at this time, our qualified and experienced Careers Guidance Practitioners are on hand to support young people to their next destination. In addition to our usual Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance, delivered in schools and through our Access Points, we are providing more intensive support for young people who are currently not in education, employment or training, or those who are in Year 11 and are at risk of becoming so.

    Our Pathways to Success programme delivers individual tailored support alongside a range of interactive workshops, which equips young people with the skills to develop their CVs and hone their interview skills. In doing so, the programme supports young people with identifying their future options, raising their aspirations and enhancing their employability.

    National Careers Week 2021

    National Careers Week takes place 1st-6th March. This annual event brings together young people, teachers, careers advisers and employers to share information about the world of work and future opportunities for young people. This year, the event will be taking place virtually under the theme ‘Believe’ and aims to empower young people to think positively about their future opportunities. I have attached a pdf with information on resources and sessions which you may find useful.

    Supporting young people with fulfilling their potential

    We will continue to deliver our youth work projects virtually for the remainder of this term, but we are pleased to be planning to return to in-person delivery in April.  We will retain some online delivery where young people have found this particularly beneficial. I am delighted to share the details of our Summer Offer (details of which can be found in the attached pdf), and have highlighted below some upcoming projects which may be of interest: 

    Holiday Programme for young people on free school meals

    Hertfordshire County Council and our partners are working with Hertfordshire Community Foundation to organise a new programme during this year’s Easter holiday. The programme will be delivered in-person and is aimed at countering the triple inequalities facing Hertfordshire’s most disadvantaged young people - holiday hunger, physical inactivity and social isolation. I would welcome you referring any young people who you feel would benefit from a week of activities, interactive workshops exploring  health and wellbeing, and a free midday meal.

    Supporting young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing

    2021 continues to bring uncertainty and increased anxieties for many young people. Young people who are experiencing low mood may benefit from our Emotional Wellbeing Project, which focuses on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, a framework for young people to explore how simple lifestyle changes can improve their emotional wellbeing. Similarly, the Supporting You Project is aimed at young people who are struggling with feelings of worry or anxiety. Delivered within a supportive group work setting, young people learn how to apply a range of CBT techniques to their everyday lives, increasing confidence, self-esteem and developing their resilience to support their long-term wellbeing.

    Keeping young people safe online

    The YCH SfYP Healthy Relationships Project enables young people to be more confident and happier in their relationships. With young people spending more time online throughout lockdown, this project equips young people with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe. Through interactive and engaging activities, young people can develop their understanding of consent within relationships, boost their awareness of the risks around sharing personal information and images online, recognise the impact of Child Sexual Exploitation, and learn where and how to access support.

    Supporting young people with learning difficulties


    Our LD Projects enable young people with mild to moderate learning difficulties to access a safe space, participate in activities, workshops and interact with others, developing their communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills, as well as having a focus on developing skills to support independent living.

    How to refer a young person to YCH Services for Young People

    If you wish to refer a young person to a project or programme please click here. I would be grateful if you could circulate this information to colleagues who you think may find this information useful. I would also be grateful if you could circulate the attached infographics to students and parents.

    Download the Supporting young people in Broxbourne flyer

    Download the Supporting young people in East Herts flyer

    North Herts & Stevenage News Bulletin

    March 2021

    We are collating the updates we receive for the services into district bulletins. If you would like to include your service update/news for this area please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk and please put "Newsletter update" in the subject box, thank you.


    The Share & Learn Event being organised by the Stevenage Families First Partnership Group will be held on Wednesday 7 July 2021 at 1.30pm – 4.15pm via Microsoft Teams. This event is for anyone working with children, young people, parents and families across Hertfordshire. You might work for a community group or charity or have a role in a public sector organisation like the NHS, council, police or school. Please come along to part or all of the event to learn and test new skills and knowledge in a range of bite-size workshops, which are described below. Click here to read more about this event and use this link to book your place and please share information about this event with your networks. 

    Welwyn Hatfield & Hertsmere News Bulletin

    March 2021

    We are collating the updates we receive for the services into district bulletins. If you would like to include your service update/news for this area please email familiesfirst.support@hertfordshire.gov.uk and please put "Newsletter update" in the subject box, thank you.


    YCH Services for Young People (YCH SfYP): Support for Young People in Welwyn Hatfield 

    YCH SfYP are pleased to share the details of their summer term projects, services and opportunities for young people, which will commence in April and they are planning to deliver in person through their Covid-19 Secure Young People’s Centres. Their Access Points remain open for in-person and virtual booked appointments as required. Please see the details below of some key services and projects, and please review this leaflet for further details about the projects. 

    Looking ahead and planning for the future

    YCH SfYP can support any young person under 19 who is looking for work, training or education. Although some young people may be feeling overwhelmed by making decisions about their future at this time, the qualified and experienced Careers Guidance Practitioners are on hand to support young people to their next destination. In addition to YCH SfYP's usual Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance, delivered in schools and through their Access Points, they are providing more intensive support for young people who are currently not in education, employment or training, or those who are in Year 11 and are at risk of becoming so.

    The Pathways to Success programme delivers individual tailored support alongside a range of interactive workshops, which equips young people with the skills to develop their CVs and hone their interview skills. In doing so, the programme supports young people with identifying their future options, raising their aspirations and enhancing their employability.

    National Careers Week 2021

    National Careers Week takes place from 1st to 6th March. This annual event brings together young people, teachers, careers advisers and employers to share information about the world of work and future opportunities for young people. This year, the event will be taking place virtually under the theme ‘Believe’ and aims to empower young people to think positively about their future opportunities. Please review this leaflet which has information on useful resources and sessions. 

    Supporting young people with fulfilling their potential

    YCH SfYP will continue to deliver their youth work projects virtually for the remainder of this term, but they are planning to return to in-person delivery in April. They will retain some online delivery where young people have found this particularly beneficial. Please review this leaflet for details of their Summer Offer and please see the information below about some upcoming projects. 

    Holiday Programme for young people on free school meals

    Hertfordshire County Council and partners are working with Hertfordshire Community Foundation to organise a new programme during this year’s Easter holiday. The programme will be delivered in-person and is aimed at countering the triple inequalities facing Hertfordshire’s most disadvantaged young people - holiday hunger, physical inactivity and social isolation. Please refer any young people who you feel would benefit from a week of activities, interactive workshops exploring health and wellbeing, and a free midday meal.

    Supporting young people’s mental health and emotional wellbeing

    2021 continues to bring uncertainty and increased anxieties for many young people. Young people who are experiencing low mood may benefit from the Emotional Wellbeing Project, which focuses on the Five Ways to Wellbeing, a framework for young people to explore how simple lifestyle changes can improve their emotional wellbeing. Similarly, the Supporting You Project is aimed at young people who are struggling with feelings of worry or anxiety. Delivered within a supportive group work setting, young people learn how to apply a range of CBT techniques to their everyday lives, increasing confidence, self-esteem and developing their resilience to support their long-term wellbeing.

    Keeping young people safe online

    The YCH SfYP Healthy Relationships Project enables young people to be more confident and happier in their relationships. With young people spending more time online throughout lockdown, this project equips young people with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves safe. Through interactive and engaging activities, young people can develop their understanding of consent within relationships, boost their awareness of the risks around sharing personal information and images online, recognise the impact of Child Sexual Exploitation, and learn where and how to access support.

    Supporting young people with learning difficulties

    The LD Projects enable young people with mild to moderate learning difficulties to access a safe space, participate in activities, workshops and interact with others, developing their communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills, as well as having a focus on developing skills to support independent living.

    How to refer a young person to YCH Services for Young People?

    If you wish to refer a young person to a project or programme, please click here. Please also share this information with people who you think may find it useful. 


    Healthy Hub Bulletin (March)

    Please see this month’s Healthy Hub Bulletin featuring Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and Eating Disorders Week.

    Monthly Healthy Hub Bulletin Issue NO19 March 2021 - Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council - Working better, together (welhat.gov.uk)

    If you would like to provide any feedback, please complete use this link to complete the feedback form.


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