Resources for families

What is MECSH?
A home visiting programme providing professional support for you and your family as your baby grows and develops.

How does MECSH work?
A health visitor with specialist knowledge in child and family health will come to your home and provide support to meet your family’s needs and share information about child development and give guidance around practical issues e.g. feeding/settling. The same health visitor will continue to visit except for times when they may be away so another health visitor will then help out.

The health visitor can help to link you to other health services and family support services as well as activities (e.g. parenting groups) within your local area. If mutually agreed, visits may be at places other than the home (e.g. a park or playground) or be done by phone or video call.

MECC is not aimed at telling someone how to live their life, but intended to provide greater access to local support to help people to be healthy.

Children’s centres offer a friendly environment with a range of groups and activities for all families and carers with children age 0-5 years, as well as offering advice and support.

Barnet Sure Start Children’s Centres information leaflet

Find your nearest children’s centre here.

Learn more about the Barnet 0-19 Early Help Hubs here

View the 0-19 Early Help Hubs information leaflet here

Home-Start helps families with young children deal with whatever life throws at them. They support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children.

The benefits of their support include improved health and wellbeing and better family relationships. Volunteers visit the family’s home for a couple of hours every week.

They tailor-make their support to the needs of the parents and children. Volunteers are very committed and will keep visiting until the youngest child turns five or starts school, or until the parents feel they can stand on their own two feet. http://www.home-start.org.uk/

Click here to learn more about 15 hours of free early education child care in Barnet

View the leaflet here

Barnet Integrated Clinical Services (BICS) provides mild to moderate mental health services to children, young people and families in the borough.

View the service information leaflet here

CAB provides the advice people need for the problems they face and improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives. They provide free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. They value diversity, promote equality and challenge discrimination.

http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Domestic abuse is very common and can ruin lives. The police estimate that they get a call every minute from someone who is a victim of domestic abuse. The term refers to threats, violence or abuse between people who have a relationship with each other (or have had in the past).Some organisations use the word ‘abuse’ instead of ‘violence’, but these terms are interchangeable.

Domestic abuse can take different forms:

Physical abuse: Pushing, hitting, punching, kicking, choking and using weapons.

Sexual abuse: Forcing or pressuring someone to have sex (rape), unwanted sexual activity, touching, groping someone or making them watch pornography.

Financial abuse: Taking money, controlling finances, not letting someone work.

Emotional /psychological abuse: Making someone feel bad or scared, stalking, blackmailing, constantly checking up on someone, playing mind games.

Stalking or harassment – such as following their victim, appearing at their home or workplace, repeatedly making phone calls, sending texts and emails.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – Female genital mutilation (sometimes referred to as female circumcision) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is illegal in the UK. If you have, or know someone who has, experienced FMG, you should advise them to seek medical treatment as FMG can cause a number of medical complications.

If you become aware that a young person is being prepared for FMG, you should report the matter to Children and Young People Services or to the Police

FGM Leaflet

NHS advice

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/abuse/Pages/domestic-violence-help.aspx

Mens advice Line – Offers support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse.

0808 801 0327

http://www.mensadviceline.org.uk/mens_advice.php.html

Mankind – A charity that supports Male victims of domestic abuse

01823 334 244

Forced marriage and “honour” crimes

Contact Karma Nirvana (0800 5999 247) http://www.karmanirvana.org.uk/ or The Forced Marriage Unit (020 7008 0151)

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people experiencing domestic violence.

Broken Rainbow UK provides support http://www.broken-rainbow.org.uk/

The Healthy Child Programme 4 Barnet Health Visiting service works closely with other professionals to ensure that the health needs of vulnerable children are recognised and assessed early and that they receive the services most appropriate to their health needs.

We work in partnership with, midwives, social workers, children’s centre staff, therapists, paediatricians and dieticians to name a few.

If you have a concern about a child’s/children’s welfare contact:

Barnet Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) –  020 8359 4066.

NSPCC – Don’t wait until you’re certain. If you are worried about a child or need advice, contact the free 24/7 adult helpline on 0808 800 5000 or text 88858.