Home School Link Worker

Paula Waspe and Susan Adams are the Home School Link Workers here at Three Rivers Academy.

During term time we work in partnership with parents/carers, schools and other agencies to support families, aiming to reduce current stressful situations and prevent future difficulties.

Our aim is to ensure that all children enjoy school and are happy and secure.

Helpful Resources to Support Your Child:

• Talking Teens Programme (free), click on the QR code in the attached - click here
  

• Tips for parents whose children are struggling to attend school - click here

• Emotional Health and Wellbeing Support - click here

• Helping Ourselves and Our Loved Ones - click here
• Free Parenting Courses - click here 
  
• Parent/Carer Wellbeing - click here 
  
• Self Help Apps - click here
• Anxiety - Supporting your Teen - click here

For useful websites and information to support you - click here  

The role of a Home School Link Worker (HSLW) includes:

· Offering support to students and families in school and at home (one to one support) 

· Improving attendance and punctuality

· Signposting to other agencies - i.e. Information of local services and community activities,

· Support groups and courses for parents/carers,

· Support in accessing Early Help Intervention.

Who can the HSLW help:

· Parents/carers experiencing behavioural issues with their children;

· Families who are reacting to change, such as parental separation or bereavement;

· Parents/carers to improve attendance and punctuality;

· Difficulties impacting on family life e.g. illness, domestic violence, disability, financial difficulties;

· Signposting – providing information on local services, benefit entitlements and community activities;

· Completing forms and documentation for benefit applications;

· Children who are experiencing difficult times or are withdrawn or anxious;

How to contact the HSLW:

You can contact us in confidence via: email: HSLW@threerivers.thpt.org.uk

Useful links

Here are some useful links to organisations that can offer family support:

· Surrey's Family Information Services provides information, advice and assistance for families with children and young people aged up to 19 years (up to 25 years old for young people with special educational needs). https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/families

· Childline have launched a new website called Calm Zone which looks at supporting children with their mental health. https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/

· The Howard Partnership Trust’s Child Psychologist has created a number of videos which are accessible via the THPT’s Youtube channel addressing mental health, well-being and dealing with the current Covid 19 pandemic. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn1V8bgrDjZFaYdH6jBLJZg/videos

· Care for the Family has lots of useful leaflets to download and articles to help build a healthy family https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/

· Family Voice Surrey supports families of children and young people with additional needs in Surrey https://www.familyvoicesurrey.org/

· Family Lives is a charity with over three decades of experience helping parents with challenging family life. https://www.familylives.org.uk/

· Young minds provides advice and support relating to children's mental health https://youngminds.org.uk/

· Kooth offers a range of therapeutic tools & wellbeing activities including text-based counselling https://www.kooth.com/

· North Surrey Domestic Abuse Service offers confidential support https://www.nsdas.org.uk/

· Money Matters offers financial advice http://www.moneymattersweb.co.uk/

· Think U Know aims to protect children online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

· Young carers looking after someone in the family https://www.actionforcarers.org.uk/who-we-help/young-carers-under-18/

· Citizens Advice Bureau offers confidential advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/