Support for families
Harvills Hawthorn Primary
Michelle Hellend
Family Support Worker
Harvills Hawthorn Primary
Tel: 0121 557 1034
Email: michelle.hellend@harvillshawthorn.co.uk
Citizens Advice Sandwell & Walsall
Are you struggling to pay your Rent or Council Tax and find yourself behind with the payments? Are you worried about bailiffs coming to your door? Do you need “breathing space” and time to get your debts sorted out, you could get up to 60 days by talking to one of our debt advisers.
If YES - please call today on 0121 726 6745 to speak to one of our team OR Email
debt.advice@citizensadvicesandwell-walsall.org
CASSIE – Mobile Advice Unit Bus
The CASSIE team provides free, confidential and impartial advice Monday – Friday. If you would like to know where CASSIE is visiting, you can view the timetable by clicking below:
https://citizensadvicesandwell-walsall.org/get-help/mobile-advice-unit/
Cost of Living Help
Support to make the most of your money and find help when you need it.
We're determined to do everything we can at a local level to support people as the cost of living rises. Here you'll find links to useful information, advice and support from the council, DWP and other organisations.
https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/costoflivinghelp
The National Debtline
National Debtline is a charity. We give free and independent debt advice over the phone and online.
https://nationaldebtline.org/ or Freephone 0808 808 4000
Black Country Futures
Black Country Futures supports those aged 16 and above to overcome barriers and move closer to employment through a wide range of tailored support services delivered across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Through friendly one-to-one sessions and small, group-based workshops delivered by our dedicated and experienced Project Officers, Black Country Futures can help participants with:
Employability & Skills Training, Confidence & Motivation, Volunteering Opportunities, Digital Skills, Financial Confidence & Debt Advice, Housing Support, Benefits Advice, Dementia Support, Social Care, Healthy Living & Practical Life Skills.
For further information please contact Bobbie Wearing on 07794 275119 or bobbie.wearing@bchg.co.uk
Financial Advice & Help
If you are worried about debt to Sandwell Council, please call 0121 569 5333
Council Tax Reduction, Discretionary Housing Payment, Welfare Rights, Self-isolation payments, Money Advice amongst others
https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/info/200354/coronavirus_advice/4460/get_financial_help
South Staffs Water
SSW Assure tariff can greatly reduce payments for customers who are struggling with their bills – they really do want to help with this: https://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/household/extra-help/help-with-paying
Resilient Residents
Lots of Advice and contacts for a whole range of needs (Benefits Checker, debt advice, budgeting and money management, employment advice and support, well-being, food, help in an emergency)
https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/info/200347/resilient_residents
LEAP: The energy and money saving service
LEAP is a free service that is helping people keep warm and reduce their energy bills without costing them any money. LEAP can also get FREE white goods and cookers for qualifying families.
Call (FREE) 0800 060 7567 8:45am – 7.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am – 12.00pm Saturdays
Sandwell Community Offer
The Community Offer will provide information, advice, guidance and low level practical support to meet your individual needs.
For more information please call the Single Point of Access 0121 726 3983 or email: ifa1996.community_offer@nhs.net
Foodbanks
https://www.blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk/
Telephone: 01384 671250 Email: admin@blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk
If you don’t have access to a voucher please call the above number.
Breaking Bread Foodbank 93/94 Walsall St, Wednesbury, WS10 9BY
Telephone 07936 744 177 Email breakingbreadfoodbank@gmail.com
Website https://breakingbreadfoodbank.co.uk/
Opening Hours: Wednesday 10.00 – 3.00, Friday 13.00 – 19.00
New Life Apostolic Church - 4 St James St, Wednesbury WS10 7DY
Foodbank hrs Sundays 10.30 – 11.30 no vouchers needed
Active Christians Food Bank, 49 Manifold Way, Wednesbury, West Midlands, WS10 0GB
Telephone: 07500416635
Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 11am to 2pm
Other locations https://www.blackcountryfoodbank.org.uk/locations/
Food Pantry
Open Heaven Church, Price Rd, Wednesbury
For a small weekly subscription of a £4.50, members at the Open Heaven Pantry will be able to purchase a weekly food shop including fresh fruit and vegetables and family favourites to stock up the cupboard and fridge.
Opening times:
Tuesday: 10am – 2pm
Wednesday: 10am – 2pm
Thursday: 10am – 2pm & 5pm -7pm
For further info contact Nicola Woodcock on 07778177624 email Nic.woodcock@outlook.com
Emergency Food Parcel
Midland Langar Seva Society 24hr Emergency Parcel Delivery: 07903 400179
Rethink Emotional Support
Rethink Emotional Support Helpline is a freephone service for those who are in need of support, reassurance and understanding.
The service can be contacted on 0808 802 2208 at the following times:
Monday- Friday 6.00pm – 3.00am
Saturday- Sunday 2.00pm – 3.00am
We are now offering Text/webchat support during our opening hours:
Text 07860 065 168
Webchat www.rethink.org/blackcountryhelpline
Kaleidoscope Plus Group
The Kaleidoscope Plus Group works to promote and support positive health and wellbeing https://www.kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk/self-help-tool.php
Chat to us via telephone, online through our website or directly through Facebook and a member of our team will be with you as soon as possible to talk
Call 0800 059 0123 Monday-Sunday between 5pm & 9pm
Messenger: Monday-Friday: 9am-8pm & Saturday-Sunday: 5pm-8pm
Children’s Emotional Health & Mental Health Support
https://www.blackcountryminds.com/about-your-camhs/who-are-we-sandwell/
Sandwell CAMHS is a specialist mental health service commissioned to provide interventions to those children, young people and their families who are experiencing/most vulnerable to mental health problems and present with concerns that are severe and/or complex in nature. We support young people aged between 5-18 years of age with a GP registered in the Sandwell area.
We also offer the Sandwell Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Crisis Intervention and Home Treatment Team (CIHTT) aims to provide a timely and effective service for children, young people and their families/carers who present in a mental health crisis.
We offer a specialist CIHTT service 8am – 8pm 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The team can be accessed via the CAMHS Single Point of Access on 0121 612 6620 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday or via the team mobile on 07816075218 5pm – 8pm and at weekends.
At times we will all be with clients and therefore you will be asked to leave a message. Please ensure you leave the correct telephone contact when leaving a message.
BEAM Sandwell well-being service
We are an emotional health and well-being service for young people aged 5-18 (or up to 25 if you're a care leaver) who are registered with a GP in Sandwell.
Our team of experienced well-being practitioners and volunteers will listen to whatever is troubling you.
We help with anything relating to emotional well-being. In simple terms, this is your emotional health and happiness.
You are emotionally healthy if:
- you function in society - at school, college, uni, work, or with friends and family
- you are able to cope with life's challenges by drawing on your strengths
- you understand and manage your emotions
Face to Face sessions are held at:
Haden Cross Fire Station (Halesowen Rd, Cradley Heath B64 7JU) —Tuesdays, 2.00pm - 6pm (last young person seen at 5pm)
Dorothy Parkes Centre (Church Road, Smethwick, West Midlands, B67 6EH) —Wednesdays, 12.00pm - 5.30pm
Open Heaven Gospel Hall (Price Rd, Wednesbury, WS10 0EZ)
Thursdays, 2.30pm - 6pm
If you turn up to one of our face-to-face locations without having registered with us and being allocated a session, you will need to register and wait and see if there is availability that day.
There may sometimes be a wait time before your session, however we aim to keep to time as best we can, and so ask that you attend your sessions on time too! We are unable to allow waiting on site.
Safety and quality of care is our priority. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, and that space is limited at our locations, we ask that only one child and one adult attend a session (where possible).
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/young-people/well-being/services/beam-sandwell
Hopeline
Hopeline is a confidential support and advice service for children and young people under the age of 35 who are experiencing thoughts of suicide
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINEUK for confidential support and practical advice.
Call: 0800 068 4141
Text: 07860039967
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Opening hours: 9am – midnight every day of the year (Weekends and Bank Holidays included)
Childline
When you call us on 0800 1111 you’ll get through to a counsellor, they’re there to listen and support you with anything you’d like to talk about. You can speak to a counsellor by calling 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat between 7.30am and 3.30am every day.
Kooth
Free, safe and anonymous online mental health support for children and young people aged 11 – 25. Just some of the things you will find on Kooth are a magazine with helpful articles, personal experiences and tips from young people and our Kooth team, Discussion Boards where you can start or join a conversation with our friendly Kooth community on a whole range of topics. Chat to our helpful team about anything that’s on your mind, either message us or have a live chat and you can write in your own daily journal to track your feelings or emotions and reflect on how you’re doing.
Time for You
Relate offer Time for You: 1-1 counselling for those aged 8-18 in various locations in Sandwell either face to face or via Zoom. Contact Michelle Jones on 0121 824 0303 or email: timeforyou@relatebirmingham.co.uk
Future Foundations
Murray Hall offer Future Foundations: a counselling service for those aged 5-18 in various locations in Sandwell either face to face or via Zoom. Contact Creative Therapy Services on 01902 826 306 or email: cts@murrayhall.co.uk
Lyfeproof
Aspire4U offer Lyfeproof: offering 1-1 counselling to those aged 12-18 years either face to face or via Zoom. For more information, please email MHteam@lyfeproof.co.uk
Communities in Sync (CIS) has set up a new mental health service which is delivered by four of our member organisations, all of which have a track record of supporting people with mental health needs. The service is free to access for any Sandwell resident aged 18 plus.
The four CIS member organisations delivering this service are:
- Kaleidoscope Plus Group
- Ideal For All
- Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation
- Murray Hall Community Trust
The new service allows residents who are struggling with their mental health to have choice and control over their support options (e.g., counselling, peer support, culturally relevant support), which encourages uptake of the offer and continued engagement.
Referral pathway
Once a referral has been received, the triage process will begin and this conversation will determine which service or combination of services a person can receive support from. Please click the service information sheet which provides further details about each organisation’s offer.
If the individual has any other need in addition to their mental health needs (e.g. financial issues), CIS will ensure that they are concurrently supported via another project, the Sandwell Community Offer.
Making a referral
Please ensure that you download the referral form (word format), complete all mandatory sections and email it to SPA@kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk Hours of Service: Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
Bereavement
There are many organisations who can help.
Cruse Bereavement Care has online resources to support you and your family during this distressing time. They offer a free helpline: 0808 808 1677
Black Country NHS Mental Health Support 24/7
Our mental health support phone line is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is available to Black Country residents of all ages. Call 0800 008 6516
If you are experiencing increased distress or anxiety during these uncertain times, please don't suffer in silence, pick up the phone and speak to one of our specialist mental health professionals who will be able to support you.
We continue to provide support through our Healthy Minds / Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services which offer psychological therapy services for people experiencing common mental health problems such as low mood, depression, anxiety and stress. You can also access free online CBT via our SilverCloud platform.
https://www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/contact-us/help-crisis
Black Country Women’s Aid
0121 552 6448 (24/7 Helpline)
07384 466181 (Text or WhatsApp 9am – 9pm)
Families Together Programme
The Families Together Programme recognises that there are many difficulties families will experience which could lead to family conflict and develop into more severe problems if left unresolved. Families Together is a unique programme designed to support men, women and children to recognise and overcome domestic abuse, enabling families to develop their awareness, confidence and self-esteem. Ultimately supporting families to feel safer and have the tools to improve their family relationship.
Families Together Programme is currently continuing to be delivered as a condensed programme of six sessions via Teams or 121 telephone support.
Should you wish to discuss a referral, please contact myself via email or alternatively, you may wish to contact my colleague Randeep Samra on 07967 316 715 between Monday – Wednesday 9.30am – 2.30pm.
Should you wish to make a referral, please send completed referral to email: familiestogethersandwell@family-action.org.uk and you will receive an automatic email acknowledgement.
Sonia Randhawa
Senior Support Worker - Domestic Abuse
T: 07816 086 861
E: sonia.randhawa@family-action.org.uk
N.B: My working hours currently are Monday 9.30am – 1.30pm only
E: familiestogethersandwell@family-action.org.uk
Communities in Sync (CIS) has set up a new mental health service which is delivered by four of our member organisations, all of which have a track record of supporting people with mental health needs. The service is free to access for any Sandwell resident aged 18 plus.
The four CIS member organisations delivering this service are:
- Kaleidoscope Plus Group
- Ideal For All
- Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation
- Murray Hall Community Trust
The new service allows residents who are struggling with their mental health to have choice and control over their support options (e.g., counselling, peer support, culturally relevant support), which encourages uptake of the offer and continued engagement.
Referral pathway
Once a referral has been received, the triage process will begin and this conversation will determine which service or combination of services a person can receive support from. Please click the service information sheet which provides further details about each organisation’s offer.
If the individual has any other need in addition to their mental health needs (e.g. financial issues), CIS will ensure that they are concurrently supported via another project, the Sandwell Community Offer.
Making a referral
Please ensure that you download the referral form (word format), complete all mandatory sections and email it to SPA@kaleidoscopeplus.org.uk Hours of Service: Monday to Friday 9.00 am – 5.00 pm