Parenting, Childcare & Family Support
Agency Name (with link to website) / E-mail AddressContact / Phone NumberADD-vance(ADHD / ASD/ Aspergers) / / 01727 833963
- Training & Consultancy for professionals
- Coaching for parents in the home, by phone or Skype
- Support and helpline
- People can self-refer to this service
Cost: FREE
B-eat: Beating Eating Disorders / / 0845 634 1414
Youthline:
0845 634 7650
- Advice for families and sufferers of eating disorders
Cost: FREE
BenefitsAdvice(from Herts County Council) / n/a / n/a
Information available includes the following (see website for details):
- A to Z of Benefits
- Benefit Rates
- Guide to Benefits
- Factsheets and Leaflets
- Coping with Debt
- Who to ask for help
- Welfare Reform
Cost: n/a
Carers in Hertfordshire / / 01992 586969
- Entitlement to benefits
- Getting a break from caring
- Social activities for carers
- Services for carers with limited English
- The Young Carers Project
Cost: FREE
Children’s Centres
- Children's Centres integrate high-quality services for children aged 0-4 years and their families
- They aim to give every child the best start in life and provide places where children under five can get involved in a range of play and learning activities
- Each centre is different and responds to the needs of the community it serves
- Some centres deliver adult and family learning sessions
- Contact the relevant Centre for your needs from the list below
Cost: mostly FREE
Abbots Langley Children’s Centre / / 01923 268105
Chorleywood & Loudwater Children’s Centre / / 01923 484903 / 07966 584824
Croxley Green Children’s Centre / / 01923 805110
Ebury Children's Centre / / 01923 255054
Rickmansworth Children’s Centre / / 01923 772094
South Oxhey Children’s Centre / / 020 8700 2203
Citizens Advice Bureaux(with new monthly service from Maple Cross Club) / / 01923 267949 (Abbots)
0208 4210911 (Oxhey & District)
01923 720424 (Rickmansworth)
Free, independent, impartial and confidential advice and information on:
- Benefits – changes due to welfare reform, entitlement to benefits, helping with claims and appeals, housing and council tax benefits
- Consumer Rights and issues - negotiating with shops and businesses, compensation and refunds
- Debt and money advice - dealing with debts and creditors, budgeting,
calculating affordable payments - Housing - landlord and tenant problems, moving house, neighbour disputes, rent and mortgage arrears, evictions and repossessions
- Legal issues - help with magistrates' and county court summons, claiming through the courts, immigration and nationality issues
- Employment - problems at work, redundancy and dismissal
Cost: FREE
Community Learning Partnership / elizabeth.borg@]btconnect.com / 0208 421 5544
- Based in South Oxhey, Watford and working throughout Hertfordshire
- Engaging with families & removing barriers to learning
- Encouraging, empowering and supporting people
- CLP Angels are the partnership’s learning and community ‘Champions’ – the group is made up of existing and past learners that want to share their enthusiasm for learning with others.
Cost: FREE
Family Intervention Project Worker / 01923 776611
- Workers engage with all members of a family on a 1:1 level to prevent anti-social behaviour
- Works in partnership with other agencies to provide intensive support including parenting advice, access to positive activities, housing options, training and learning and much more
- Families can be referred to the service provided they meet certain criteria including
- residing within the Three Rivers District
- at risk of tenancy action / homelessness due to anti-social behaviour
- having multiple needs and be known to a range of service providers
Cost: FREE
Gingerbread – Lone parents / One Parent Families Support / 0808 802 0925
- Advice on maintenance, tax credits, benefits, work, education, legal rights, childcare, holidays
- Information about other organisations and local groups who may be able to help
Cost: FREE
Hertfordshire Adult and Family Learning / / 01992 556194
- Delivers and funds courses; mainly family learning through its direct delivery tea
- Courses are delivered mainly in community locations
- The main curriculum areas are Arts, ICT and Preparation for Life and Work
- Courses are mainly short programmes to engage learners and encourage them to progress on to other learning opportunities
Cost: mainly FREE bit those who can afford to pay are expected to contribute
HertsSavers Credit Union /
HertSavers exists to help people who live and work within Hertfordshire to manage their finances by:
- Providing a safe and accessible place to save money
- Promoting the wise use of credit at a reasonable rate of interest
- Assisting them to understand their personal budget and net worth
Cost: see website for further details
Hightown Praetorian & Churches Housing Association / / 01442 292391
- ‘Housing’ for families and single people, ‘Support and accommodation’ for people with learning difficulties / mental health problems / young single people / young mothers and babies / people experiencing drug related problems / homeless people / women and children fleeing domestic
- Violence / over 55s who require extra care, ‘Care homes’ for people with learning disabilities / mental health problems and ‘Day services’ for people with mental health problems / learning disabilities / homeless people
Cost: FREE
HOMESTARTWatford & Three Rivers / / 01923 248010
- Volunteers offer support, friendship and practical help to families in their own home
Cost: FREE
Independent Domestic Violence Advisor / / 01923 727231
- Works with clients who are referred from other services or self referred to support them with safety, security, housing, civil remedies and criminal law
- This service is independent and therefore the Police do not have to be involved
Cost: FREE
One Herts One Family / / 01462 442442
- Support to families with multiple and complex needs, which might range from substance use, domestic violence, mental health or finances
- 1:1 practical support for parents, therapeutic play for children, family therapy, couples work and individual counselling
Cost: FREE
Parental Drug Awareness Service(Hertfordshire) / / 01707 393934
- Confidential advice and support to parents and carers
- Raise awareness about drug, alcohol and solvent misuse
- Out of office hours support helpline, Monday to Friday from 5.00pm to 9.00pm
- Outreach to parents and carers unable to access public transport
Cost: FREE
RELATE Dacorum, Watford & Three Rivers / / 01923 241803
- Relationship Counselling
- Family Counselling
- Psychosexual Counselling
Cost: You will normally be expected to make a payment toward the cost of sessions however no-one is refused counselling if they are genuinely unable to pay
The Core Trust / / 01438 312055
- Family Therapy Sessions
- Child Therapy: 1-2-1 for Older Children
- Couples Therapy
- Parenting 1-2-1
- Play Therapy / Coaching
Cost: FREE
Watford Credit Union (with new collection pointin South Oxhey) / / 01923 236401
- Help and encourage people to save and manage money. We do not offer "financial advice"
- Make low cost loans available to members - loan rate is only 1% / month interest on decreasing balance
- Assist those excluded from conventional finance because there are many people who cannot comply with the large financial institutions credit rules, often through no fault of their own
Cost: see website for further details
Watford MENCAP / / 01923 713620
Provide a range of services for people with a learning disability & their families and carers. These include:
- Personal Budgets, Supported Housing, Advocacy, Supported Living, One to One Support
- Organisations can refer or contact us for advice and guidance
- What Next?, One to One Support
- Organisations can refer or contact us for advice and guidance
Cost: FREE
Watford Women's Centre / / 01923 816 229
- Social & Leisure Activities
Cost: FREE