This is a difficult and confusing time for many families. Here are some links to sources of help and support that you may find useful from external, local providers.
Click here to find out how Durham County Council can help wit h your money.
Coffee Mornings
Every other week, there will a coffee morning in the lower hall for any parents who wish to stop for a short time and enjoy a brew with fellow parents. This will be hosted by the parents group and different members of staff will drop in each week to chat. Donated uniform will also be available at this time should any parents wish to have a look. It would be lovely to see lots of you there.
Making Changes Together in County Durham
Making changes together in County Durham are a group of experienced parent carer volunteers from County Durham and they represent the interests of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and or disabilities in County Durham.
For more information click here.
Fun and Food – Holiday Activities
Do you find the school holidays a struggle? Finding fun things for your kids to do that don’t cost the earth and paying for all that extra food or childcare.
Fun and Food provides free holiday activities with healthy snacks and meals for children and young people. Activities are provided by schools, voluntary and community sector groups, sport and leisure services and our Family Centres. Click the image below for further information.
Horden and Peterlee Six weeks holidays
Apply for a grant for school shoes and a winter coat
The School Benevolent Fund is an independent registered charity which offers a grant towards shoes and coats for school pupils. A grant of up to £35.00 can be awarded towards a winter coat and up to £35.00 for a pair of shoes for families who are eligible. A full list detailing who is eligible can be found on the application form. All information can be found at Durham School Benevolent Fund
Homestay North East
Summer is here, and so is Homestay, to help you with any housing related issues you may be experiencing at the moment. Such as Homelessness, finance worries, benefits and debt advice.
You can contact them –
By telephone: 0191 731 1470
By email: contacthomestay@homegroup.org.uk
By text: 07341 457573
By inbox: County Durham Homestay Service
Or, you can pop along to one of their daily drop-in’s throughout the area for some free, friendly support and advice. No need to book an appointment, please see attached for more information.
A healthy start in County Durham
Healthy Start Leaflet
Warm Hubs
Find your local warm hub here.
The Annexe is a recently-refurbished (2010) local Community & Resource Centre run by the Wharton Trust in the Dyke House area of Hartlepool.
We help communities of Hartlepool with energy advice, community involvement, affordable business incubation and VCS support. Hartlepower. Power to Hartlepool people.
Trips and Events
In September, you will receive details and costings of all trips and events that we have planned for the entire academic year. This will ensure you have plenty of notice and know what is coming up each term. We will also support parents with a payment plan to ensure you are not having to pay a large sum of money all at once.
Uniform
If you have any uniform that your child has grown out of, please can we ask that you send it into school as soon as possible. The parents’ group are going to keep a record of what uniform we have so that any parents who require some for September can either speak to one of the parent group members or contact school.
Parent’t Guide to E-Scooters
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Sleep
There are so many different factors which can affect children’s sleep which you can read about using the links below.
This May Help
This May Help has been created to support parents and carers with concerns about their child’s mental health.
The subjects covered on this website have been chosen by families and young people who have gone through their own mental health challenges. What helped them may also help you.
The films offer advice across six main subject areas, with ten additional films offering supporting information. The films can be viewed in any order at any time.
Each film has a dedicated page where you’ll also find helpful advice and links to other resources.
Horden Youth and Community Centre – Job Club
Job search, apply for jobs, up to date vacancies, we offer members a range of advice, guidance and information, in relation to CV’s, interview tips and techniques, assistance with job applications, and access to training and qualifications.
Free tea and coffee available
Monday’s 10:00am-4:00pm
Durham Learn – First Aid for parents
First Aid for Parents
This course will provide learners with current knowledge and skills relating to first aid for a child or infant.
The two hour session is to support parents/ carers/ other adults to manage a first aid situation involving a child or infant confidently and competently should the need arise.
This course aims to work with learners to ensure that they develop their knowledge and skills that could be essential in the event of an emergency.
Suitable for complete beginners or can also aid confidence of learners that may already have some first aid knowledge and experience and want to refresh this.
There are a number of courses planned across the county, contact Durham Learn today to find your nearest course.
Call 03000 266 115 or email at durhamlearn@durham.gov.uk
You can also take a look at their guide on www.durham.gov.uk/durhamlearn
durhamlearn #firstaid #countydurham #firstaidforparents
Mutual Aid Groups
There are lots of Mutual aid groups that are supporting communities during Covid 19. These groups offer a range of support including shopping, delivery of food parcels, befriending and collecting medication, among others. You can download a pdf document containing contact numbers and information below.
Mutual Aid East Durham (Including Durham City)
Durham County Carers – Telephone support line
Evening phone support available for parents of children and young people who have additional needs.
- Wednesday and Thursday evenings
- 7:00 – 9:00pm
- Initially from Wednesday 8th June to Thursday 21st July
- Telephone: 01325 524604
Homegroup – outreach groups
Below you will find activities taking place in the Easington, Derwentside and Sedgefield patches. Click the image below for more information.
CAMHS Resources
The CAMHS website was created for young people, carers and professionals to pool together lots of helpful resources from across the internet that are available to help support mental health and well-being; they cover a range of areas to support children’s well-being.
Click on the link to the external website – CAMHS Resources
Citizen’s Advice
Citizen’s Advice offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice over the phone and webchat, including support with finances. Contact details are below:
0300 330 9027 – Advice Line (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
0300 323 2000 – Debt Advice Line (Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm)
0300 323 1000 – To cancel or rearrange appointments
Homestay
Durham Homestay (formerly Stonham) offers families housing related support, including with finances and difficulties like rent arrears. To contact the Durham Homestay team, ring The Gateway on 0191 332 4935 (or 0800 073 1837) or e-mail GatewayDurham@homegroup.org.uk. More information is available on the County Durham Families Information Service website here.
One Point
One Point, Durham, are offering online support sessions for families throughout May, June and July. You can download a flyer of dates and topics below. (Opens as a pdf in a new window).
One Point Online Sessions May-July 2020
FamilyLine
FamilyLine is a national free service available to support adult family members, via telephone, text, email and web chat, on all aspects of family life issues. They are staffed by trained volunteers and offer emotional support or practical advice on any aspect of parenting or broader family issues. Their telephone number is 0808 802 6666, or you can text: 07537 404282 or email: familyline@family-action.org.uk
Rollercoaster
Roller Coaster is a parent/carer support group for parents who have children experiencing mental health problems. Here is a flyer with the support they offer and their contact details. (Opens as a pdf in a new window).
Durham SENDIASS
Durham SENDIASS are still available to support parents who have children with additional needs. They have moved all their available resources to a telephone, email and website service, during the COVID-19 Outbreak.
The full guide to accessing their services and support can be downloaded below. (Opens as a pdf in a new window).
(Durham SEND Information Advice and Support Service – SENDIASS – is a statutory service supporting parents/carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and children and young people with SEND. It operates at ‘arm’s length’ from the Local Authority and the services provided are confidential and impartial).
North East Autism Society
The North East Autism Society (a part of The Autism Alliance) offer support with enquiries via telephone, email, and Facebook. They also have a private family network page where they are offering lots of support and guidance.
For more information Telephone 0191 4109974 or Email info@ne-as.org.uk. You can also search Facebook page North east Autism Society
For those of you with older children at home, you may find this document from Durham’s Inclusion and Alternative Provision service useful for supporting your ‘quaranteens’: (Opens as a pdf in a new window).
Top_Tips_for_Helping_Teenagers
Disclaimer: Blackhall Primary School does not promote nor endorse the services advertised on this website. Anyone seeking to use and/or access such services does so at their own risk and may make all appropriate enquiries about fitness for purpose and suitability to meet their needs.
