Resources

Logo of Families' Alliance for Change Herefordshire featuring colored hands holding a puzzle piece with initials FAC.
"Promoting Improvement Through Open Dialogue" text in bold uppercase letters

Support Organisations

Below are a list of links to organisations and resources (including courses) that can support families in various ways regardless of whether intervention by children’s services is active.

Whilst we are not a support group for families intrinsically, if you want to make contact with us, please email us at facherefordshire@proton.me.

If you provide a support service and would like to be listed below again please make contact.

Useful Websites

The Families’ Alliance for Change (Herefordshire) suggest the below websites with a particular emphasis on children’s services in Herefordshire.

Support and information for struggling families

Home-Start Herefordshire and Vennture help struggling families in Herefordshire:

The website of the national Family Rights Group (FRG) gives information and advice for parents etc whose children are involved with children’s services:

Care Proceedings

There is information on the government’s website, for example, about care proceedings.

Solicitors can be found from the Law Society’s website below. Select “Family public law – legal aid” to find a Legal Aid solicitor if care proceedings are possible.

You can check if someone who claims to be a professional social worker (working in England) is actually currently registered to practice on the social workers register.

Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

For the parents and carers of children and young people with SEND there is Parent Carer Voice Herefordshire, the national Sunshine Support and Contact, the charity for families with disabled children. SENDIASS support parents, carers, children and young people with SEND and their service is impartial and confidential.

Mental Health Support

Mind gives support and information (including useful contacts) about different types of mental health problems, for example, postnatal depression and PTSD.

The Samaritans help those struggling to cope with life.

GP practices can medicate, refer and signpost to additional services e.g. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) - Herefordshire or Adult Mental Health Services.

Within Herefordshire Talk Community services are available online and at various locations along with Herefordshire Talking Therapies.

Support For Those Affected By Adoption

We know how devastating it is to loose a family member to adoption. If you are affected there are various sources of support available.

The Family Rights Group interactive map details information and support locally available to the birth relatives of children who have been adopted, are being adopted, or may be adopted.

Adoption Central England (ACE) is the regional adoption agency covering Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Solihull and Coventry. It supports those affected by adoption - adopters, adoptees and birth families (through Family Connexions).

PAC-UK supports those affected by adoption and other types of permanent care (for example, “special guardian”) including the First Family Service for birth relatives.

The Adoption Contact Register is a chargeable government service that both an adoptee and relatives can join which instantly flags if you do or don’t want to be contacted.

Lived Experience

There are numerous resources by people with lived experience available online.

Two helpful resources are Professor Luke Clements’ website and a book by Mary Kidson detailing how she was unjustly jailed whilst investigations on Fabricated or Induced Illness (FIII) were undertaken by Herefordshire Council Children’s Services. Both attended an FII event held in Hereford which was filmed by a local amateur.

Fabricated or induced illness (FII) is a rare form of child abuse. This information event in February 2023 was held for families falsely accused of FII.

Domestic Violence/Abuse

Domestic violence, also called domestic abuse, includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse in couple relationships or between family members.

Domestic violence can happen against anyone, and anybody can be an abuser.

Just arguing as a couple has been shown to harm children if they witness it. Witnessing disagreements between parents can be classed as abuse and neglect by Social Services if you fail to take steps to protect them from this.

Courses Available

We strongly recommend families do not wait to be signposted to any of the below courses and take proactive steps to show you are putting your child or children’s needs first. Not all the options below are free to access so please do those within your means.

Blue puzzle piece illustration

Triple P Parenting Course

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program® is a globally recognized, research-backed system designed to help parents develop positive parenting skills and strategies to promote their children's social, emotional, and behavioral development. It offers a variety of support levels, from brief consultations to intensive interventions, to address diverse parenting needs and challenges. Triple P aims to enhance parents' knowledge, skills, and confidence, ultimately creating more positive and supportive family environments.

Triple P Logo

Solihull Approach

The Solihull Approach is a parenting program focused on fostering positive parent-child relationships and understanding children's behavior. It aims to enhance emotional health and well-being for both children and their parents by promoting sensitive and effective parenting practices. The approach is delivered through various formats, including online courses and group sessions, and is designed for parents of children from 0 to 18 years old. 

Solihull Approach Logo

Therapeutic Parenting

Children who have experienced various forms of trauma, along with their care givers, have been shown to benefit from this parenting approach.

The Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma (CoECT) offers a number of Trauma Informed Parenting online courses all of which can be accessed for a monthly fee. This fee can cover access all adults in the household (both parents etc) and certificates are available electronically to confirm completion. To get a taste of the courses available visit their YouTube channel.

The founder Sarah Naish also has various published books which are available first or second hand.

The Centre of Excellence in Child Trauma (CoECT) Logo