Parenting Support & Early Help
Suffolk Parent Hub
The Suffolk Parent Hub offers parent and carers a single place to find parenting advice and support to help their child's development. They run excellent courses to support parents, click this link to forthcoming parenting courses in the area. Parents and carers can refer themselves, or can be referred to a programme through a professional or agency they are working with.
For more details visit the Suffolk Parent Hub website. 
The Incredible Years® programme looks at effective techniques for dealing with common childhood behaviour problems - contact parenting@suffolk.gov.uk to find out more.
Guide to Better Sleep - booklet shared from the Parenting Hub.
You can contact the Parent Hub by emailing parenting@suffolk.gov.uk or phoning the Suffolk Families Information Service helpline on 0345 60 800 33.
Early Help
When families need help with parenting, the route to identify needs and seek support in Suffolk is through a Common Assessment Framework form (often referred to as a CAF).
The Headteacher works with the family to complete this together, and if if is felt that a Family Support Worker may be able to help too, then regular network meetings can be set up with them.
The aim of organising help as early as possible is so we can work together to improve a situation before it gets serious. Please talk to the class teacher if you are concerned about your child and would like help with getting support. The teacher will put the process in motion with the Headteacher in order to access outside agency support.
Support agencies that parents can access directly:
- School Nurse or Health Visitor at Suffolk 0-19 Healthy Child Services – 0345 607 8866 - The School Nurse is able to advise on a range of concerns including mental health, sleeping, anxiety, diet or bed wetting schoolnursing@suffolk.gov.uk
- Emotional Wellbeing Hub for support with mental health - 0345 6002090
- Wellbeing Suffolk
- SENDIASS - 01473 265210 for parents of pupils with special education needs
- Suffolk Young Carers, who work with children who care for a member of their family or have an ill or disabled sibling - 01473 835477
- Child in Divorce and Separation (CIDAS) - 07810 358930
- Triple P - Family Transitions - aimed at parents who have been or are going through separation and divorce where there are unresolved conflicts causing difficulties communicating effectively with former partners or upsetting their children.
- National Sleep Helpline - One in four children in the UK are not getting enough sleep, this has an impact on their behaviour and ability to learn, as well as their physical health. The free helpline is run by trained sleep advisors who can talk to young people directly, or parents. The helpline is open 5 nights a week, Sunday to Thursday, 7-9pm and the number is 03303 530 541. You can read more here: https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/national-sleep-helpline/
- Lighthouse Women’s Centre - 01473 745111 (24 hours)
- Lighthouse Women's Community Centre - 01473 228270
- 4YP Suffolk Young People’s Health Project - 01473 252607
- Suffolk Parent Hub for information on parenting courses and support groups - www.suffolk.gov.uk/theparenthub or 0345 60 800 33
- Suffolk Parents and Carers Together PACT Contact Support line: (07856) 038799 or email parentsandcarerstogether@gmail.com
- Suffolk Info Link – Local Offer
- One Life Suffolk - helping families live healthier lives
- Suffolk Parent and Carer forum - To find out more or join SPCF, visit www.suffolkpcf.co.uk
- Incredible Years
Free Online Support Courses
Solihull Approach (NHS) - Free online courses - see access info below:
SCC have PRE-PAID for every parent and carer in Suffolk to access a range of online courses free with access code: WOLSEY at: www.inourplace.co.uk Courses include Understanding your child’s mental health and wellbeing; Understanding your child’s feelings; Understanding your child with additional needs or other courses in the series.
Triple P Seminars for parents can be booked on the Parenting Hub
- The Power of Positive Parenting
- Raising Confident and Competent Children
- Raising Resilient Children
- Positive Parenting for Children with a Disability
- Helping Your Child Reach Their Full Potential
- Changing Problem Behaviour into Positive Behaviour
Psychology in Schools Team workshops to help parents support young people’s mental health. The free workshops are designed to help parents and carers support the mental health of the children they care for. Provided by NSFT's Psychology in Schools Team the workshops have helped over 5,000 people since the first workshop in January 2021. Online Workshops available to watch through YouTube include:
- Supporting our Children and Adolescents with Sleep workshop
- Supporting our children with eating difficulties
- Parent workshop: Tools for Uncertainty - Building resilience in our young people
- Supporting Our Young People with Low Mood - Parent Workshop
- Coping with uncertainty
- Parent workshop: Building resilience - managing the next steps
- Supporting your child to manage their big feelings
- Parent workshop: supporting young people with challenging behaviour
- Gaming and screentime - what you need to know as a parent
Visit the Psychology in Schools Eventbrite page for full details, dates and to book your place. Psychology in Schools Team - NSFT Events | Eventbrite Previous sessions are available to watch on the trust's YouTube channel.
Parentchannel.tv is a free video service designed to support and encourage parents and carers of children from ages 0-19, with a collection of over 200 videos addressing day-to-day questions and concerns spanning wellbeing, behaviour and learning.
THE AIM GROUP - FREE COURSES We have several Free online Level 2 Accredited Courses available to Parents to help better understand some key issues around young people's mental health and wellbeing.
‘Living Well with Baby’ webinar has just been launched by Wellbeing Suffolk. Courses and Online Webinars - Wellbeing Suffolk (wellbeingnands.co.uk)
Five Tips for Families - The leaflets in links below were produced by the Psychology and Therapeutic Services Suffolk (PTS) and the Parent Carer Network (SPCN).
Five Tips for getting better sleep
- Five Tips for Families, to Help Children get Better Sleep
- Five Tips for Families, to Help a Young Person get better sleep
Five Tips for going back to school
- Five Tips for Families, going back to school with Anxiety
- Five Tips for Families, going back to school with Autism
- Going back to Primary School
- Going back to Secondary School
Five Tips for people with Autism
Five Tips for people with Anxiety
Five Tips for coping with Self-Harm
Five Tips for people with Challenging Behaviour
Positive Self-Talk Rainbows