Self Help & Wellbeing

The Wiltshire Family Hub offers a range of activities and support services to help you with all aspects of parenting, helping your family to grow and thrive. These services, funded by Wiltshire Council, are managed by Spurgeons across Wiltshire.

Our ethos:

Everything that we do is underpinned by the Five to Thrive ethos. Why? Well, we know that all of us grow and thrive better when we feed ourselves and our children good food, and in the same way a child’s brain grows better when parents and carers do five simple things that feed the growing brain: Respond, Cuddle/Engage, Relax, Play, Talk.

Services offered from our children’s centres include:

Information, advice and support for parents and carers of children aged 0-19 years or 25 (SEND).

Advice on how to access childcare, schools or colleges

Family support services

Access to children’s health services including midwives and health visitors

Support for children with special needs including sensory rooms

Links with Jobcentre Plus, local training providers, further and higher education institutions

Contact your local centre for more information. Our hub contact number is 0800 9704669.

Please see all courses via this link - Wiltshire Family Hubs

Time out for Parents - Teens with Additional Needs course

We still have spaces left on our Time out for Parents Teens with Additional Needs course, starting at Avon Valley Academy, Durrington, please details below. This course is now open to all families in the area.

This course is for all Parents/Carers of Teens aged 12-18 with Additional needs or a disability.

The course begins on Thursday 13/03/2025 and takes place every Thursday until the 08/05/2025.
Timings from 09:30 – 11:30
Sessions are delivered at Avon Valley Academy, Durrington SP4 8HH

Please use this link Time Out for Parents – Teens with Additional Needs or QR code below. We will contact families to confirm their place on the course once they have registered.

Course overview:

This programme has been designed to support parents/carers with teenagers who have a disability or additional needs. There is help and advice on parenting in those teenage years to build strong relationships to enjoy family life, while also dealing with experiences relevant to parenting a teen with additional needs.

Bringing parents/carers hope as they chart their way through the challenges of the teenage years and the changes in the parent-child relationship. The six sessions are designed to help parents/carers stay connected with their teenager through understanding the teenage world and by developing good communication skills, while also coping with the additional challenges that come when parenting a teen with additional needs.

Baby Safer Sleep Advice

Learning from local and national case reviews have identified the vulnerability of children under 1, including the risk to them when safe sleeping advice is not followed. This can be a particular issue when away from home where safer sleep routines parents may have adopted can be disrupted. Local and national case reviews have identified an increased risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) when parents are out of routine in their sleeping arrangements, e.g., holidays, child staying with other relatives/friends.

Safe sleeping advice and guidance is routinely given to parents by midwives and health visitors. However, we encourage Parents and Guardians to take any opportunity to review safe sleep messages:

Baby Summer Safety - The Lullaby Trust
Information For Other Carers - The Lullaby Trust
Safer Sleep For Babie's Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmxW8Ve3NR8

Routine is important in reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Deaths (SIDS); therefore it is advised that parents keep the same sleeping routine even when they are away from home: for more information download Safer Sleep Away From Home.

Alzheimer's Society Carers Information and Support Programmes Swindon and Wiltshire

Where:
This course is run virtually on Zoom.
When:
The next online course starts in the autumn and will be held on six consecutive Thursday mornings from 5th September.
Call Jon Mansfield on 01380 739005 or email: jonathanm@alzheimerswiltshire.org.uk

Introductory course

The introductory, six-week courses runs several times a year and are aimed at new carers or those who have not yet had the opportunity to take part.

The seven weekly sessions are led by experts in their field and the delivery is informal. Topics include:

What is dementia?
Ideas for managing problems at home
Safer moving and assisting
Staying healthy – how carers can take care of themselves
Care at home and evaluating care homes
Financial & legal aspects of caring
End of life planning

Later Stages course

They also offer an occasional five-week Later Stages course for those caring for someone in the more advanced stages of dementia. It looks at issues which may be more relevant then, including looking at care options and advanced care planning. Dates for the next Later Stages course are coming soon.

To find out more go to: www.alzheimerswiltshire.org.uk
Alzheimer’s Society Carers Information and Support Programmes Swindon and Wiltshire