Support for Families
When your child joins Summerbank Primary Academy, you become part of our school family. We want to help all our thrive and understand that all families can find themselves facing difficult challenges.
We can offer support in a number of different ways as well as signposting families to other services. The information below will help you to understand what we can offer and what is available within our local area.
What can school do to help?
Help with who to contact
If you are experiencing issues with things such as housing, finance, food and clothing, substance abuse or mental health then staff in school can advise you of other services to contact. Your first point of contact should be Mrs Potts. Mrs Potts is available by phone (ring the school office and ask to speak to her) or by asking at the office to meet with her. Meetings with Mrs Potts can also be supported by bilingual assistants, please let us know if this would help you.
If you prefer to search for services yourself, then a really helpful search engine for services local to Stoke can be found here
The Societas Trust produce a Family Directory each year which provides details of useful support services for children and their families.
Help coordinate support
Sometimes it may be necessary for more than one service to work together to provide more help to families. It may then be necessary to identify a lead worker to pull together the help needed using something called ‘Early Help’. The Lead Worker could be a member of school staff or it might be that a Family Support Worker would be more appropriate, this will depend on the type of support needed.
If you think you may benefit from Early Help from school then contact Mrs Potts via the school office.
If you think you may benefit from Early Help led by a Family Support Work then more detail can be found Introduction to Supporting Families
Help where issues are complex or more challenging
Sometimes it may be necessary to receive help from a higher level. In this instance you may benefit from regular support from a Social Worker. Social Workers have the ability to draw on more specialist services and this is coordinated through a Child in Need or Child Protection Plan.
If you feel like you are experincing issues at this level, talking to school at an early stage is always a good idea, you can do this by asking for Mrs Potts either in person or on the phone.
If you feel the need to make a referral to Social Care yourself you can contact the Children’s Advice and Duty Service (ChAD) :
between office hours (8.30-6pm Mon-Fri) on 01782 235100
for out of hours 01782 234234
in an emergency 999
Who else can help?
Family Advisors
Our local Family Advisor is Becky Foster (telephone 07752470798)
- Family Advisors can help support with many different things including:
- Local Doctors, Dentists and health providers
- Parenting courses
- Local playgroups an activities
- Foodbanks
- Filling in important forms
For more information and contact details click here
Family Support Groupwork Courses
The Supporting Families Service provides a number of groups that operate on a termly basis. These groups are available to all parents where a little extra support may be needed in the most important job of bringing up children. All of the courses are led by skilled professionals who are trained to help parents increase knowledge and skills whilst also having fun and getting to know other parents.
The courses are:
- My Baby and Me
- My Toddler and Me
- My Child and Me
- My Teen and Me
- My Family and Me
- Just Me
Anyone can get in touch to find out more or to book a place. School can do this for you, or you can get in touch yourself by calling 01782 232977
Download Family Support Groupwork Programme to get more information about each of the courses.