Support for Parents, Carers and Young People
On this page you will find information and links to assist with your family's well-being and health, including mental health. Scroll down to access numerous support groups and organisations, covering a variety of topics.
Contacting Staff
For any Safeguarding concerns please contact: kevin.rowland@tla.school or mandy.davis@tla.school
If you have any particular concerns about any online content, report directly to CEOP: Click here
For other matters, please use use: enquiries@tla.essex.sch.uk
Support for Parents - Free online Safeguarding Training
Parents against Child Sexual Exploitation (PACE) have a free online course that helps parents understand what CSE is, recognise the signs, and know what help is available for young people. The course will take approximately 20-30 minutes and we feel it would be time well spent and would urge all parents to have a look.
Follow the link and click on the green "Sign up now, it’s free" box - www.safeguardingchildrenea.co.uk
Support for Parents - Dealing with the Challenges of Parenting
There are a number of independent organisations that offer additional support for parents with children of all ages. They offer courses on various topics and their websites containing a host of useful information.
Essex Safeguarding Children Board - www.escb.co.uk
The ESCB website contains a wealth of information for parents and carers.
In addition they have a number of useful links to key topics about Young people:
I'm-worried-about-exploitation
Looking-after-my-mental-health
I-need-some-help (Talking about Worries - Variety of topics linked Young People)
I'm-a-young-carer (See Essex Youth Service below as well)
Family Lives (formally Parent Line) - www.familylives.org.uk Tel: 0808 800 22 22
Family Lives is a national family support charity providing help and support in all aspects of family life. We're here for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We listen, support and never judge. We believe that happy children come from happy families.
‘Extra Support for Families’ - www.extrasupportforfamilies.co.uk
EXTRA is a local organisation which acts as a central agency to coordinate the provision of parenting support throughout Tendring. They offer help and support to anyone caring for children in the Tendring district to assist them with the challenges of parenting.
EXTRA’s activities can help you to develop your self confidence and parenting skills. This will help you bring out the best in your child, reduce conflict in the home, improve family relationships and build confidence to cope with future changes. They offer local opportunities for parents to meet, organise one-off workshops and offer a range of parenting programmes.
EXTRA offers local opportunities to gain information, advice and support and meet other parents at one-off workshops, support groups and parenting courses. Courses are for parents/carers of children of all ages including those with additional needs. Activities are free, with refreshments and many have a crèche.
For more information contact EXTRA - Tel: 01255 475001 or email: admin@extrasupportforfamilies.co.uk
The Ministry of Parenting - Based in Colchester, this is an exciting, innovative and growing Community Interest Company that works with parents and professionals to develop creative evidence-based solutions to the challenges faced by families in society today. Their website contains a wealth of information for parents to help them deal with the challenges of bringing up their children - 'The Ministry of Parenting' - www.theministryofparenting.com
Essex Travel Training – www.travel-training.co.uk
Travel Training helps people with special educational needs or disabilities travel independently on buses and trains. Their award-winning service has helped over 2,500 students and adults get more from life by giving them the confidence to travel independently.
Autism Anglia – www.autism-anglia.org.uk
Enhancing the lives of people on the autism spectrum across East Anglia. The Autism Advice Service provides support, advice, and guidance to individuals, families, and professionals. The team has extensive knowledge of local services, offering free information and can signpost to other support agencies.
The Maze Group – www.themazegroup.co.uk
• The MAZE is a unique approach, which offers an insight into how children with additional needs experience the world around them. They can help you:
• Understand how your child is affected by his/her additional needs, and why they present in the way they do.
• Unpick challenging behaviours and explore how to replace these with functional skills.
• Explore how to improve emotional well-being and promote self-esteem.
• Understand how to secure good educational provision and access to services for your child.
•Share experiences with other parents of children with additional needs.
Interact – www.interact.org.uk
An innovative, enterprising, local Essex based charity that delivers support where needed most – in the heart of the community. Promoting creativity and empowerment InterAct is dedicated to improving the emotional well-being and opportunities of young people and young adults with disabilities, primarily learning disabilities/difficulties and autism, and individuals, families and communities who experience barriers through disability, challenging mental health, other disadvantage and social difficulties.
Essex Youth Service - Young Carers - www.youth.essex.gov.uk
Information about children and young people who act as Young Carers for family members.
Including a link to 'Refer a young carer for support'.
Support from Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service
(Health visitors, school nurses, and healthy family support workers)
Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service
Telephone : (North East Essex) 0300 2470015
Text service for 11-19 year olds: 07520 615734
Berechurch Family Hub (Essex Child and Family Well-being Service) 0300 247 0015 or www.essexfamilywellbeing.co.uk
In North East Essex, between the age of 0-8 years your child will be under the Health Visiting Service, from their 8th birthday onward they will be under the School Age Team up until the age of 19 or 25 for those with Special Educational Needs. The team is made up of Specialist Community Public Health Nurses, School Nurses and Healthy Family support Practitioners, who all specialise in the delivery of care to School Age children and young people. They deliver health advice and support both within School, within the family home, our family hubs and delivery sites or other community settings.
The team can help with:
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Providing confidential drops in sessions at every secondary school allowing young people to discuss any health or wellbeing concerns
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Provide community drop in sessions at family hubs and delivery sites.
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Provide support in key stages including school transition from primary to secondary, mid teen and year 11 help to ensure that young people are prepared for their next stage of life.
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Offer support in regard of common childhood issues (Bedwetting, diet, exercise, sleep and emotional wellbeing)
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Complete individual health needs assessments to identify any health and wellbeing needs, then putting support in place.
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Work alongside you to decide the best level of support.
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Work alongside other organisations when required to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your child.
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The school age team will accept self-referrals through school drop in sessions, Parents, teachers, GP and other health care colleagues can refer through to the service by making contact- 0300 247 0015
Useful contacts for Emotional Well-being and support:
This document provides suggestions of activities to do to help our Mental Health: Click here
Online safety resources for students
Childline helps anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through. Children can talk with Childline about anything, whether big or small; their trained counsellors can help. See their website or call free on 0800 1111.
A free online study support resource designed to help with learning, revision and homework. Bitesize provides support for learners aged 5 to 16+ across a wide range of school subjects. It also supports children and young people’s wellbeing and career choices; since 20 April daily lessons have been published to help pupils across the UK with home schooling.
Online resources for parents and carers
Essex Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB)
The ESCB is a statutory multi agency organisation which brings together agencies who work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people in Essex. It has produced guidance for parents and carers to help them understand online safety and exploitation generally.
Internet Matters – helping parents and carers keep their children safe online
A not-for-profit organisation that has a simple purpose – to empower parents and carers to keep children safe in the digital world. See their website for further information.
A charity fighting child poverty and neglect, and helping all children have a better chance in life. They have produced information about online safety.
The NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children)
The NSPCC has produced several online safety guides, from setting up parental controls to advice on sexting, online games and video apps.
A website offering expert safety advice in relation to a range of online harms, endorsed by the National Crime Agency’s CEOP command.
Independent reviews, age ratings, & other information about all types of media for children and their parents.
Parent Zone for families
A website with a range of digital age resources for families, including guides on digital platforms and trends.
Bereavement and Grief
Useful links for dealing with bereavement and grief
https://www.childbereavementuk.org
https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/my-feelings/grief-and-loss/
https://www.griefencounter.org.uk/get-support/children-and-young-people/secondary/
The Children’s Commissioner has published a digital safety and wellbeing kit for parents, and a safety guide for children. The kit and guide have been designed to help ensure children are safe and their wellbeing is looked after while at home during the coronavirus outbreak – when their screen time maybe higher than usual.
The UK Council for Internet Safety (UKCIS)
EWMHS: 0300 300 1600
Caroline Benham: essexelements@hotmail.com
Other useful numbers:
School Nurses: 0300 247 0015.
Text service for 11-19 year olds: 07520 615734
Berechurch Family Hub (Essex Child and Family Well-being Service) 0300 247 0015 or http://www.essexfamilywellbeing.co.uk
Social Care: 0345 602 7627 (Family Operations Hub)
Educational Psychology Service Parent Helpline: Click here
Essex Welfare Service (EWS)
The EWS is a new service to help vulnerable people in the community who are staying at home during the coronavirus period, are in need of support and unable to access the support they need at this time: https://www.essexwelfareservice.org.uk/ Schools have been asked to share this with parents for information and / or on the website as you are able to ‘self-refer if you are experiencing difficulties
EWS Contact: Call: 0300 303 9988
Email: provide.essexwelfareservice@nhs.net
Website: www.essexwelfareservice.org
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 2pm
This is an app that students could have on their phones. It has personalised coping plans, useful strategies, tools to help and directions to local resources.
https://www.healios.org.uk/services/thinkninja1
This is another app, more covid specific. It has a range of good videos about strategies.
https://mindedforfamilies.org.uk/young-people/
This is a website aimed at families as a whole, there is some good support ideas about parenting in a digital world.
This is a website, aims to build resilience and support good mental health. This is more suitable for Years 9,10 & 11, it has videos to help with social interactions and ways of opening up tricky conversations with parents. Lots of advice and info in the form of fun quizzes. Body image, bullying, consent in relationships, self care, healthy exercise healthy sleep, managing stress etc.
Resources to promote and support children and young people’s mental wellbeing include:
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MindEd educational resources for adults about children and young people’s mental health, which is relevant for parents and carers as well as volunteers, teachers, and other professionals working with children
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the Every Mind Matters platform which supports looking after your own and other’s mental health
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guidance on supporting children’s wellbeing and mental health
CEOP Resources:
#OnlineSafetyAtHome pack is now available for you to download, containing new activities for parents and carers to use at home!
Access them here:
You can also access CEOP's new guidance for parents and carers designed to help you manage some of the key challenges that we have told about in our recent survey.
Two new Parent Info articles explore how parents and carers can support their child's mental health, and highlight things they can do to manage the wellbeing challenges of family life under lockdown:
Tik Tok: a guide for parents
A new Parent Info article explores how Tik Tok works, the parental controls available, and how they can help their child to stay safer on the platform.
No doubt over the past few months you've heard children (and maybe a few adults) talk about the latest Tik Tok challenges or their favourite celebrity's lockdown live stream.
This activity pack for parents and carers to deliver to their children explores how children and young people can stay safe while live streaming:
OM Wellbeing Videos:
From Sports England for students feeling overwhelmed during this time.
Video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hpKHB3Ant0&feature=youtu.be
Video 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tKvz27gg-4&feature=youtu.be
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5
Essex County Council
On-line Resources pack for young people children and families: Click here
School Spotify Playlist:
The Music Department have created a Happy Playlist on Spotify which is being regularly updated. These have links back to school and include our very own Anorak Patch. Spotify is free and there is no need to purchase a subscription to stream the playlist.
Happy songs for TLA playlist: Click here
If you have any requests, please email the music department to get your happy tunes added to the playlist: Click here