SUPPORT FOR PARENTS
At Hawkedon, we actively promote the wellbeing of our school community. There are many local organisations that can support with aspects of wellbeing. Please find links to some of these organisations under the 'Wellbeing and Mental Health' section. If you are concerned about your child's wellbeing, then we would suggest talking to your child's class teacher in the first instance. You can also email our Inclusion Manager at admin@hawkedon.wokingham.sch.uk.
Wokingham has also recently launched a Wellbeing Hub for people who have concerns about the mental health of a child or young people. Schools can refer as can families themselves. This is a triaging service and can point families in the relevant direction to support their child. Further details about the Wokingham Wellbeing Hub can be found here.
For families that may require additional support, we can also refer for Early Help Support. Families can self-refer directly if they prefer. Details about the Early Help Service can be found here.
Taking care of your mind as well as your body is really important given the circumstances we all find ourselves in. Remember, for most of us, these feelings will pass. There are things you can do to help you keep on top of your mental wellbeing and cope with how you may feel such as, setting up a daily routine, exercising and eating well. Make sure you get further support if you feel you need it.
ChatHealth service is a free confidential texting service provided by the Wokingham school nursing team for all parents of 5-19 year olds. They can offer support and advice on topics such as; emotional health & well-being, medical conditions, sleep, bed wetting, parenting, healthy eating and behaviour.
Wokingham Mental Health Support Team (MHST)
Place 2 Be Parenting Smart - Practical tips to support children's wellbeing and manage behaviour.
Young Minds - The national mental health charity supporting children, parents and professionals.
MindEd - A free educational resource on children and young people's mental health.
CAMHS - NHS department for children and adolescent mental health service in Wokingham.
Every Mind Matters - An online tool and email journey to support everyone in taking action to look after their mental health and wellbeing.
NHS - Mental health advice for parents.
Mind - Support with mental health.
It is normal to have ups and downs with any relationship. If you or you know of anyone who may be experiencing difficulties or feel that:
- You change your behaviour because you’re frightened of your partner’s reaction?
- Your partner is becoming increasingly jealous and possessive over you or the environment?
- You’re walking on egg shells?
- You’re controlled, or isolated?
If you feel this relates to you or you are worried about someone else, please speak up. It is extremely difficult to acknowledge personal issues, and unless you, or the person, are open about their experiences and feelings, acknowledgment and accessing support can be difficult and very challenging. This is why experts suggest speaking to them to check-in and help discuss your experiences and feelings. It may be that things are ‘not as bad as it can sometimes feel’ or it can be that you are experiencing some kind of domestic abuse.
NHS - find out how to recognise the signs and where to get help.
Cranstoun - Wokingham Domestic Abuse service is an integrated service for victims and children that delivers support throughout the Wokingham area.
Support for Men - helping men escape domestic abuse
Family Lives
An online parenting course in six interactive blocks filled with techniques and ideas to help you become a more confident and happier parent.
The website also has a range of short videos with instant parenting tips.
Family Lives forums are a safe space for families to share dilemmas, experiences and issues with others who understand the ups and downs of family life.
Free and confidential national helpline service for families. Offers emotional support, information, advice and guidance on any aspect of parenting and family life.
https://www.familylives.org.uk/how-we-can-help/online-parenting-courses/parents-together/
Family Lives helpline
0808 800 2222
Parenting Help about Online Safety
PARENTSAFE gives information on keeping your children safe and beyond. It's never easy to know how to keep Children safe when they aren't with us, and sometimes even when are, if we don't know what's happening in their lives or on their devices! Who are they talking to, what are they doing, are they okay
Mind Ed for Families
Written by experts and parents together, this provides materials for parents and carers of children and teens struggling with mental health issues.
https://mindedforfamilies.org.uk/young-people/
Wellbeing support
Place 2 Be Parenting Smart - Practical tips to support children's wellbeing and manage behaviour.
Support for Children and Parents from Hong Kong
Please find here a document - in English and in Traditional Chinese (Cantonese) - which lists sources of support for families from Hong Kong.
There is also information about wellbeing support available for children from Hong Kong.
EAL as a second language
Please find here guidance for parents of students who use EAL. It offers information on how to help children learn.
Free School Meals
Get extra support for your child. Your circumstances may have changed, which means you could now register for free school meals. Click here to find our more.
First Days Childrens Charity
At First Days they empower and support families suffering financial hardship to change their lives. They walk alongside them to give choice and restore dignity, so that every child can have the same start in life. They offer support to families, help with school uniform and support over Christmas. Click here to find out more about their services.
Housing
For many families, the home environment, and issues around housing is an issue faced on a daily basis. Common issues include: overcrowding, dampness, mould and general maintenance and repairs. If you feel that your issue is not being addressed, please contact Transform Housing. They can provide a one-off support service or 1:1 support with housing-related issues. Help with financial issues, budgeting, rent or mortgage payments, debts, applying for welfare benefits too.
Foodbank
If you are struggling to access food, please self refer using either of the below links.
SHARE Wokingham offers fresh produce, like bread and vegetables, for those who need it. These are surplus stock from local supermarkets. More than 2,000 people use it each week and it has saved more than 1,000 tonnes in food waste since it was launched a few years ago. View the food map to see SHARE's 15 locations and find your nearest. https://sharewokingham.co.uk/
https://wokingham.foodbank.org.uk/get-help/
Please click here for information about Share in Earley.
Get help with the cost of living
The Household Support Fund can help you pay for food, energy, bills and other essentials. It is open to:
- Families where children receive means-tested free school meals can get £20 per week during the school holidays until Easter 2024
- Anyone struggling to pay bills or buy food can apply for £240 or £120 depending on the size of their household
If you have already applied for the Household Support Fund, you do not need to apply again. There is a range of help and support options you can use to help you this winter:
- Check the cost of living help hub, including our guides
- Help for people with children
- Help for single people
- Help for pensioners
- Help if you’re in an emergency
- The council’s new home energy advice service to see how to lower your bills
- See if you’re eligible Great British Insulation Scheme is offering free or cheaper insulation to reduce your home’s energy bills
- Check if your home is eligible for a Heat Pump Grant a part of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme – up to £7,500 on offer towards the costs
- We’re encouraging people to register with power, water and gas suppliers if they are potentially vulnerable this winter. These are known as priority services, which mean you get help faster if you are cut off or additional warnings if there are outages like loss of water pressure or power cuts
- Contact Citizens Advice, Wokingham, to find the most appropriate support for your situation. Use the online referral form or call 0808 278 7958, Monday to Friday.
Benefits Agency
It's important to make sure that you get all the help that you're entitled to. These pages give you information on benefits and tax credits if you are working or unemployed, sick or disabled, a parent, a young person, an older person or a veteran. There is also information about council tax and housing costs, national insurance, payment of benefits and problems with benefits.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/
https://www.gov.uk/browse/disabilities/benefits
https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators
The Money Advice Service
Working out what benefits or tax credits you’re entitled to can be tricky, especially with recent welfare changes. Find out where to get free expert advice online, face-to-face or by calling an advice helpline
https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/where-to-get-help-and-advice-about-benefits
Bereavement UK – Help children, young people, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies
Daisy’s Dream – A local charity supporting children and their families who have been affected by the life-threatening illness or bereavement. They can offer group support for children and families, free events to share experiences or 1:1 support via referral
Winstons’s Wish - A charity that helps children, teenagers and young adults (up to the age of 25) find their feet when their worlds are turned upside down by grief
Sue Ryder – For adults struggling with grief, an online bereavement service offering free and professional video counselling
Who are SEND Voices Wokingham?
SEND Voices Wokingham are the Parent Carer Forum for Wokingham Borough. You can find out more about what they do and becoming a member on their website here: www.sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk or you can email info@sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk. Membership is FREE to ALL parent carer living in the Wokingham Borough who have a child aged 0-25 years old with ANY Special Educational Need or Disability. Members will receive email updates about events, training courses, consultations, surveys and information. Currently all member are also eligible for a FREE Max Card*.
*The Max Card is the UK’s leading discount card for foster families and families of children with additional needs age 0-25. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission http://www.mymaxcard.co.UK/.
SEND Voices Wokingham - Spring Term Events
SEND Voices Wokingham is the independent parent carer forum for Wokingham Borough. It gives families and carers of children and young people with SEND a voice and opportunities to participate fully in the development of services. As well as working with Education, Health and Social Care to improve SEND services for families they run a number of events for parent carers. Their Spring Term events include:
Drop-ins with the SEND team
Zoom update with Wokingham Borough Council & Health on the SEND Improvements
SENDIASS Training Courses - They will be hosting SENDIASS courses on the EHCP Process, EHCP Annual Reviews
More details about all the FREE events, training courses and drop-ins can be found on their website: SVW Events. To book on any of the above please email:info@sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk
CAN Network Spring 2025 Newsletter
Support Program for Parents of Autistic Children
NeuroHodgePodge deliver the Cothú parenting course, the course aims to offers parents a different view of their child and a deep understanding of what it means to be Autistic.
Attached is the flyer for Funtastic Kids Easter Holiday Camp.
Parent/carers can book places via their website:
https://funtastickids.co.uk/holiday-camps/
Wokingham Borough are offering the following adult courses;
Introduction to KS2 Reading, Writing and Spelling
Building Resilience in your Child
Learn with Lego
Fund with Time
Managing Child Anxiety
Introduction to Reception and KS1 Maths
Introduction to KS2 Maths
For further information on these courses and to enrol, please click here.
Cyber Protect Webinars - sessions available in May and June. Click here
Watching and Browsing Online - Internet Matters
According to Ofcom, 90% of children are watching online videos and browsing the internet regularly. Children may love to stream videos and look up information, it’s a fun way to learn and relax after all but they must be guided. The e-space is filled with inappropriate content and dangerous material. It is important that parents and even teachers, are able to steer their pupils and youngsters, towards the right places when online. Internet Matters has published a guide dedicated to supporting adults in setting digital boundaries for children, so that they can make smart choices and build healthy online habits. In the Internet Matters guide you’ll find practical tips on managing content access, the use of safety controls, advice on setting boundaries and ways to educate children on how to stay secure online. If interested please follow the link below:
https://www.internetmatters.org/advice/by-activity/watching-and-browsing-online-a-parents-guide/
