Children Wellbeing Service Sponsored by FOSS

Do you want to know more about a service that parents say:-

“The wellbeing service was a lifeline. The skilled and non-judgemental staff helped me to cope with the emotional pressures of parenting a child with additional needs and taught me practical parenting strategies.”

“The behaviour programme has been one of the best things I’ve done to support my child. The course provided tailored strategies and gave me the reassurance to help navigate my child’s behaviour difficulties, in what turned out to be a really tricky and challenging time. I am so grateful to St Stephen’s for providing this service, as without it we could be in a very different position.

From the very start the Practitioner adapted aspects of the programme to my child’s specific circumstances. The big difference about participating in this programme rather than reading a book or attending a short seminar is that you get help in real-time, whilst trying out strategies. We problem solved ’sticky’ areas together, made adaptations for my child’s individual needs and went at a pace that worked for us. I felt listened to, and most importantly in a non-judgmental way, which created a safe environment to work in.

At the end, I came away with a toolkit that I’d gradually implemented during the programme, along with resources and a structure I can work through when we have a tricky patch. Two years on and many of the strategies are integrated in our daily life.”

"After being concerned with some of my son's behavioural patterns, due to family separation, I reached out to school to help with how to manage this.

We had a 6-week course to understand my son's emotions and anxieties, which I learnt steps on how to react and recognise his breakdowns.

I would highly recommend this service to anyone who may have emotional struggles with their child, it helped enormously. I'm now aware of what questions to ask my son in certain scenarios, to prevent moments escalating, as the course was tailored to his personal needs. I was assigned a book to read which I now recommend to other parents. It's brought his father and I closer to help us coparent. I also believe my relationship with my son has changed for the better, as I've learnt/realised my reactions are a reflection on his."

“We undertook the well-being course with AfC, as our child was really struggling going into school, was unhappy in school and we were very worried about them. The course lasted six weeks and we were guided by Nicola to look at how we could support our child into feeling more comfortable at school and other situations which they find challenging. We found it invaluable as it allowed us to reflect on our behaviour, gave us insights into how we might handle situations differently and clarified the dynamics of our family. It’s a tricky process for parents to go through but Nicola was so kind and we’ve seen a great improvement in our child’s well-being. We also feel we have good 'resilience toolkit' for the future. It’s great that FOSS provide funding for this service, particularly after lockdown when lots of children have struggled and especially since local government is so stretched and access to these services would otherwise be unobtainable for many families. Thank you FOSS!”

Come and join us at a coffee morning on Monday 10^th October at 9.15am in the Studio.

Hypermobility Information Workshop - Wednesday 19^th October at 10.00am

Sarah from Ehlers-Danlos Support UK (EDS UK) will be leading a workshop explaining what the different types of hypermobility are, where to find support and how to create a Fatigue Management Plan. This workshop will be open to parents and school staff to improve understanding and support for hypermobile children and young people.

To book use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HypermobilityWorkshop

Autism and ADHD diagnosis and support for children and young people in Richmond – Tuesday 18^th October at 11.00am and Thursday 20^th October at 7.30pm

Rachel Oostra from NHS England has been reviewing the neurodevelopmental pathway (the systems that identify, diagnose and support neurodiverse children and young people) in Richmond. Join us for one of these two online workshops where Rachel will explain what support is available locally and listen to your views on what still needs to be improved. This workshop is only for parent carers in Richmond.

To book use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NDPathwayWorkshop