Help & Support

We all need a little support or advice from time to time, and it is important to us that we have an open and supportive relationship with our families and wider community.

If you ever feel that you or your family could benefit from some additional help or support, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected] or call 02475 267760. We will always endeavour to help in any way we can.

This may include informal support from school or, where appropriate, signposting or referring you to other agencies and services that can offer more specific help and guidance as part of the Early Support process.

Early Support

Early Support is the help offered to potentially vulnerable children, young people and their families.

The purpose of Early Support is to put in the right support at the right time so that problems are less likely to escalate to a point where the child becomes vulnerable or in need. Early Support is sustainable so that problems are less likely to re-occur.

Early Support does not always mean early years. While research does show that most impact can be made in those crucial first few years of a child’s life, Early Support can be needed and put in place at any time and at any age.

All children, young people and families in Warwickshire are entitled to receive Early Support. This means offering information, advice, guidance, and support to families as soon as a concern emerges, or seems likely to emerge.

Issues including:

  • Family relationships
  • Special educational needs and disabilities
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Parenting worries or concerns
  • Behaviour management
  • Money and debt
  • Housing
  • Childcare
  • Legal advice
  • Sleep advice

Early Support family support line

Early Support family support workers are available across Warwickshire to listen, offer advice and support around all family parenting and behaviour concerns. Family support workers offer a support helpline open 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday, for telephone advice. They also offer face to face consultations both virtually and in Children & Family Centres.

Call the family support helpline for telephone support or to book a consultation on 01926 412 412. View more information about family support and consultations.

Warwickshire Spectrum of Support

Warwickshire Family Information Service (FIS)

We provide information, advice and one-to-one support for families with children and young people aged 0 to 25 across Warwickshire on issues including:

  • family relationships
  • finance
  • housing
  • parenting support
  • special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
  • childcare
  • health and wellbeing

Warwickshire Family Information Service

Support for Parents and Carers:

Warwickshire Family and Relationship Support workshops and programmes

None of us were taught how to be parents and sometimes we may find what we’re doing isn’t working or we just want some different strategies in our toolbox.

In Warwickshire, parents to be, parents, carers and grandparents have access to a variety of family and relationships resources and advice. Support can be accessed online, face-to-face through informal advice, one-to-one consultations, group programmes and workshops. The programmes form part of the Stepped Approach within Children and Families which includes a universal offer of workshops and programmes, to be accessed in the first instance, which are facilitated by experienced staff and are free to all Warwickshire parents. The aim is to help families deal with any issues as early as possible.

The guides, workshops and programmes can help you come up with new ideas, problem solve and reduce stress. You won’t be alone with many of the concerns you have so it can be encouraging to recognise and build upon your existing skills, at the same time as sharing and learning from other parents and carers.

Online Guides

There are a range of free online parenting guides to support parents to be, parents and carers feel more confident across all ages of childhood. You are in control of what you learn, at a time that suits you and at your own pace. Enter the code BEAR and a Warwickshire postcode to receive free access.

Workshops

The Family and Relationships Support team offer a range of virtual and face-to-face workshops. The short, two-hour workshops provide a focussed overview of a theme. Workshop themes include rules, boundaries, routines, sleep, understanding you child and understanding your teenager. You are welcome to ask questions and interact in the session or alternatively turn off your camera and listen.

Workshops are bookable via Eventbrite.

Programmes

The Family and Relationships Support team offer a range of virtual and face-to-face programmes. The programmes consist of weekly sessions spread across a period of weeks and focus on a theme. Programme themes include nurture, sleep, understanding your child, parenting teenagers, and keeping your child in mind (influence of parental relationships on children).

Programmes are bookable via Eventbrite.