When working with families it is likely that they may begin to open up about their home life and that they would like support. They might not know what to do, what support they need or the support available to them.

Parents and carers don’t have the benefit of training in the same way as school staff. Therefore they may not know what they should expect in terms of their child’s development, or what they can do at home to best support them.

Children, young people and families may benefit from being guided on where to go for support. Schools are well placed to help them with this as part of the holistic approach to supporting Children and Young People’s needs.

Schools don’t have to know all the different services. There are some key places to discuss and share with families where help and support is available. This will enable families to identify what support they feel they need. Schools may also be able to help identify the support families might benefit from. They can also support by making referrals to help them access support.

There are a range of options to help consider what support may be best. This should mean families can access the support they need, at the earliest opportunity and in a way that is accessible to them.

This toolkit provides self-help options for people who can signpost parents and carers to appropriate support.

Online

Buckinghamshire Family Information Service (BFIS) 

SEND Local Offer 

Who you can contact

Early Help Duty 

Parents, Carers and professionals can speak to an Information and Outreach Worker. They will be able to support in identifying the best way to get the support needed.

The BFIS duty team can be contacted on 01296 383293.

 

Family Support Service (FSS) School Link Worker 

Every school in Buckinghamshire will have an allocated Family Support Worker within FSS. You can speak to your link worker at any time to discuss any concerns you have, and possible support for children, young people and their families.

If you are unsure of your link worker, please contact the Area Team who will be able to confirm, and ensure you are in contact with them: 

Chiltern and South Bucks - newtownfcp@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 

Aylesbury - southcourtfcp@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 

Wycombe - mapledeanfcp@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

 

Early Help Partnership forum

The purpose of the Early Help Partnership Forum is to coordinate a response when current support work with a family or child is not affecting positive change. A panel of professionals from a variety of support agencies are on hand to talk through the situation and will make suggestions and offer help. Schools present the child, young person and/or family's needs to a panel to identify the most appropriate support required. These forums run monthly. 

For more information please contact ehpartnershipforum@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. 

 

Where parents can go for support

Family Centres

Buckinghamshire has 13 Family Centres and 3 Family Centre Plus' across the county. These deliver universal sessions during the day and youth drop-ins after school. Each Family Centre has a timetable which details the sessions they run. 

Find your local Family Centre. 

 

SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) 

SENDIASS provide free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support on all matters relating to special educational needs and disability, for children and young people (aged 0 to 25 years) and their parents/carers. 

The service has lots of information online to support parents/carers and young people. They can be contacted directly by families who have questions and/or are seeking support to understand and navigate the SEND system for their child. 

The SENDIASS website and contact details should be shared with parents/carers and young people who would like further support.

In addition, SENDIASS recommend the following links to support parents: 

• SEN Support in Mainstream Schools 
• Ordinarily Available Provision 

Level 2 and Level 3 Support

Level 2 support is short term and is individual and small group targeted. Support can be accessed by completing a support form. 

Level 3 Support is targeted whole family support. If a family are experiencing multiple or complex issues and would like to request help from a dedicated family worker then requests can be made by professionals. You must have the full consent of the family.

Alternatively, parents and young people can refer themselves using the multi-agency referral form.

Mental Health Support Team (MHST)

The bucks MHST supports young people who have emotional well-being difficulties. They provide evidence-based therapeutic support on both an individual level and in groups to help young people, parents and carers. Some schools will have access to Mental Health Support Teams who can provide support, the schools that have access are listed on the website. 

Voluntary Community Sector - Youth Centres

There are 16 youth centres across the county ensuring their programme is accessible to everyone and offers a safe place for young people to attend. Their aim is to help young people develop their social skills in a fun environment. 

Many of these centres are based on our 'close to school' sites' across Buckinghamshire. 

Not in Education, Employment or Employment (NEET) 

Supporting young people to continue learning 

The team within the Family Support Service track young people and encourage them to continue learning after year 11. They can tell schools about support for a student at risk of disengaging, and what your year 11 leavers more on to do next.

Schools can liaise with their Link Worker or Helen Lee CCIS Manager at helen.lee@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. 

What is Respite? 

Respite means "a short period of rest or relief from something difficult".

Parents who are experiencing difficulties within the home may sometimes refer to needing Respite. They may need support to look after their child for a period of time, such as to complete tasks that are difficult to do with their child.

Professionals often think of this within the context of formal respite for children with special needs. However, respite can be provided in many ways and can be beneficial to both the parent/carer and the child or young person.

Supporting Families 

Some families may already have good support systems which naturally provide respite. Other families may not have a support network at all and may not have considered how those around them could help. They may be able to identify other forms of respite that can help to support them as well.

It is important to support families to understand what they mean when talking about respite. They may need help to identify opportunities to achieve what they are looking for.

Types of Respite

Respite does not have to be a lengthy period of time whereby the child/ren are out of the family home for a day or several days at a time. Respite can be shorter periods of alone time for the parent or child to allow them to refocus and ensure they have some ‘me’ time.

There are many different avenues that can be explored to provide respite time for parents, this could be regular or at times when they are particularly struggling. 

Respite could be the child going to a club or group, including after school groups at school. It could include Guides and Scouts, going out to relatives or friends for an hour after school, or staying over for a night or even a weekend.

Understanding the support required

To understand the right source of support it is important to understand what the parent seeks to achieve from the respite. For example, do they find going shopping with their child/children difficult? Could a relative take the children to the park and then home for dinner for a couple of hours while they do the shopping? This sort of respite would allow them to do the shopping and put it away before the child got home. Being able to do this sort of task could make all the difference for them and enable them to have the relief they need.

If arrangements can be identified and agreed within the family’s network of support (including friends) then this is ideal. This natural support can be increased as required, should it need to be at particular pressure points.

Other forms of respite

In addition to natural support from family and friends, groups for children can also be a helpful source of support. These can provide an engaging activity for the child to enjoy and much needed alone time for the parent(s).

For children with additional needs, short breaks can be another form of respite that can be accessed. The short breaks offer is accessible through: 

• Universal Short Breaks (all ages). These are everyday community services that can be accessed without an assessment. These can include youth clubs, after school activities, leisure centres and day nurseries.
• Targeted short breaks (ages 0 to 19). These are specific short break activities for children with a disability. Professionals can complete a referral, or families can self-refer to access these. 
• Specialist short breaks (ages 0 to 18). These are designed to meet the needs of an individual child and their carers following a Child and Family (social care) assessment. These are highly specialised and bespoke services.

What short breaks can offer

• Children and young people with disabilities have time away from their families. This helps to develop independence, learn new skills and make friends. 
• Parents and carers receive a break from caring responsibilities. 

More information can be found on short breaks on the Family Information website.