Health and social care

Bringing up children is exciting and enjoyable but it is also demanding, tiring and stressful. We all need help at times as none of us are trained to be parents. Social Services can offer support and services to your children and you as parents and carers and we will work alongside others offering you support in your community.

Who is eligible?

To receive family support, an assessment of your child and family needs will have taken place to ensure that Social Services are best placed to meet these needs. Your involvement in this assessment is important, as it is our aim to support you to safely parent your child.

What help can we offer?

• support to your family to enable you to live together better
• opportunities for you as parents and carers to learn new skills
• opportunities for young children to learn through play
• to support you to cope with your children better
• opportunities for you to learn how to deal with problems and become more confident
• services that recognise that all children and adults have different needs, and to respond to those needs
• support and services that work with you to protect your children from harm

How do we provide it?

• by talking to you and your children to find out what services might be best for you
• by offering a mixture of services to suit your particular family
• by recognising that you and your children have multi-cultural, religious and linguistic needs
• by working in partnership with you to recognise that as parents you have prime responsibility for your children
• for those children who are not able to live together with you at home, by working with you to assess how to safely return your children home
• by offering support to enable you and your family to live safely together

Teenagers

Having a teenager at home can be challenging for both you as a parent and your teenage son or daughter. It is a time when young people begin to want control over their lives and need to learn how to take responsibility for their actions. It can be a rollercoaster of emotions and make family life a time of conflict, stress and worry.

We can offer advice and support, including individual work with the young person.

The aim is to support you as a family and prevent any family breakdown.

Your involvement

Social Services is committed to working in partnership to enable you to parent your children so that they reach their full potential. This includes:

• information: on assessments and services
• consultation: you and your family's views are considered in the provision of services
• involvement: active participation is encouraged in drawing up the plan for your child

Information

You can get more information from:

Parentline Plus

A free helpline offering help and information to anyone caring for children. Telephone: 0808 800 2222. Telephone: 0800 783 6783 for people with hearing or speech impairment.

Childline

A free helpline for children/young people to talk to someone about any problems. Telephone: 0800 1111.

Contact Details

Contact name

Children, youth, families and schools

Telephone

020 8726 6400

Minicom

020 8760 5797

Address

Taberner House
Park Lane
Croydon CR9 3JS