Community Connector newsletter – helping families find support

For the April edition we have focused on what we believe are the most pressing concerns for families. We have resources for parents and carers, news and a Spotlight on services section highlighting some brilliant local groups.

You can find more services, resources and information on our Family Information Service and Local Offer websites and Directories so please take a look.

We hope this newsletter will be helpful to you.

Financial support

Food and essential items

If you are finding things difficult financially you might like to contact one of the services in the shortlists below. These include details of local foodbanks:

North East Surrey (Spelthorne, Epsom and Ewell and Elmbridge)
North West Surrey (Surrey Heath, Woking and Runnymede)
South West Surrey (Guildford, Waverley)
South East Surrey (Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge)

Free period products can be collected and donated at most libraries in Surrey. Find out more about the scheme on the Period dignity across Surrey webpage.

Finances

Our Family Finance web page provides details of the support available to families including organisations offering financial support to families.

The following services may be able to offer, or help you find, financial support:

Help for households page is a government support page with information and advice relating to the cost-of-living crisis.
Turn2Ushave a search tool for grants which can be used to see if you are eligible for support from charities. You can also check you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to, by using the Turn2Us benefits calculator.
The Warmth Matters project aims to tackle fuel poverty across Surrey by providing energy advice and assistance. Along with community pop-up information and advice sessions, they now operate a Warmth Matters helpline, which offers advice to people who need help with their energy bills.

Clothing, furniture and school uniforms

Our clothing and furniture shortlist has services that provide discounted items for low income families.

You can also contact Surrey County Council's Health and Welfare Hub who give information about financial, health and welfare support available.

Parenting support and wellbeing

Support for Parents and carers

Parenting can be challenging for a number of reasons. The services below may be helpful sources of help, advice and tips.

Family Learning offer a wide range of free parenting courses from Surrey County Council, on topics like understanding children's behaviour.
All Surrey residents can register for free online guides for families. The guides cover a wide range of topics and include tips from childcare, education and NHS health experts. A brand-new course 'Back to School' has recently been added.
Family Lives also have a dedicated web page which provides tips on establishing a school routine.
Children and Family Health Surrey have produced a range of video guides offering tips and advice from experts about how to support children's sleep. The videos give advice, information and tips about supporting your toddler, child or teenager including those with additional needs and learning disabilities, with sleep.

Our Parenting courses and advice web page has the details of various available courses.

Parents and carers wellbeing

Have you found that your mental health needs extra attention lately? Our list of helplines and online support services for parents can offer advice and emotional support. They are free to access in your own time and can help you take control of your mental health.

If you are concerned about yourself or a child's emotional wellbeing, you can contact the Young Mind's Parent Helpline on 08088 025544.

In the news

Groundbreaking ceremony for new short breaks accommodation marks first step in supported housing programme.

Posted by Surrey County Council March 15, 2024

Families set to benefit from new short breaks accommodation being built in Woking helped mark the official start of work at a milestone groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday 14 March.

The purpose-built £5.7m facility will enable autistic people and those with learning disabilities to enjoy new experiences while their families take a break from caring. It's part of Surrey County Council's drive to create the right homes with the right support for people who need it and represents a major investment in specialist accommodation to help people achieve greater independence. Enjoying some early spring sunshine, families were joined at the site in Goldsworth Park by Sinead Mooney, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, other representatives from the county council, architects AtkinsRealis and contractors Neilcott Construction.

The new accommodation on the site of the old Lakers Youth Centre will provide eight ensuite bedrooms as well as a sensory room, a communal lounge/dining room and landscaped gardens. It will provide the first such service in that part of the county and will ultimately add almost 2,500 nights of additional short breaks capacity per year for adults with additional and complex needs. The event marked the first "spade in the ground" for an ambitious county council strategy which aims to deliver more than 1,400 units of specialist accommodation for adults with support needs across Surrey.

Read more in our media release, and subsequent BBC story, and find out what the new facility will mean for some of the families it aims to help. View the concept flythrough below.

Goldsworth Park short breaks accommodation - concept flythrough

Activity Sheets for toddlers

Our Early Learning team have put together some great activities for you to do with your children. There are activity cards and leaflets about talking, reading, writing and counting. Everything is age specific and has lots of tips and activities to help your child learn in a fun and interactive way.

April's printable page includes a puppet you can colour and cut out to play with. As well as a carrot growing activity and tips for language development.

These resources are all free to use and can be found on our Publications for Families page. Why not try one at home.

Spotlight on services

Over the last month we have met with a variety of services, who support families in different but similarly inspiring ways.

Sport in Mind are a charity that uses sport and physical activity to improve the lives of people experiencing mental health problems. Sessions take place every week, all year around. To find out more about sessions near you, check out the Activity Map.
Watts Gallery – Artists' Village aim to reach and inspire all audiences through their collection and exhibitions, programming, contemporary art projects and community engagement. They run creative group sessions for young people, Watts Tots for under 5s and their adults, activities in holidays, and lots more for the family. Activities are on site as well as in the community with partners.
The Beautiful Minds Family is a support group run by parents who have children with beautiful minds. We meet twice a month in Runnymede and have a mixture of informal "cuppa and catch up" sessions and presentations from our growing speaker list. To find out when our next meet up is, please email thebeautifulmindsfamily@gmail.com

Stay in the know

With school holidays and the arrival of spring, April is a busy month. Local groups have lots of events planned and you can keep up to date by following our social media channels. Why not take a look?

If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, please let us know: surrey.fis@surreycc.gov.uk

If you think your team or service would benefit from meeting a Connector and finding out more about the opportunities the Family Information Service and Local Offer might present to families, please do get in touch: surrey.fis@surreycc.gov.uk

Files available to download

Activity sheet April (PDF)
Use puppets in April

Reviewed: 04 Apr 2024
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