Help & Support

We all need help and support at some point – there’s no point suffering in silence and it’s a sure bet that someone’s already been through what you might be going through right now.  Whatever it is, make that first step – and who knows where it might lead to….?

ACE Lifestyle

ACE Lifestyle

ACE can help you stop smoking for free! For more information about this service call 0800 022 4524 or visit www.acelifestyle.org

Birth Certificate, how to get a copy

Birth Certificate, how to get a copy

How to get a copy of your Birth Certificate

Bright Futures

Bright Futures

‘Bright Futures’ is a service which has been set up by Essex County Council and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, to work with Children, Young People and thei families; within the Tendring area, who are identified as not in education, employment or training (NEET) or who are at risk of becoming NEET in the future.

The ‘Bright Futures’ project works with you to identify the difficulties that are negatively impacting on your life. Then they will work alongside you; offering support and guidance to address these areas; empowering you to make effective, sustainable change.

For more information call 033301 38844

Catch 22 TLC (Talking Listening Changing)

Catch 22 TLC (Talking Listening Changing)

A community based early intervention service to address the needs of young people at risk of or involved in risky behaviours. We will deliver this project by providing 1:1 and group interventions based on individual assessment. Reducing risk, increase resilience and protective factors and promote self-esteem and emotional health. 11-18 Year olds.

catch22

Catch 22: http://www.catch-22.org.uk/

Child Benefit Extension

Child Benefit Extension

If a school leaver is unemployed and does not have a course or training place for September 2014, the parent/carer may be entitled to claim Child Benefit Extension. There is a time limit in which you can register your claim.

For more information contact the local Employability and Skills Intervention Team on 01255 253428, contact 0845 302 1444 or find out more online here.

universalJobMatch

Childline

Childline

Childline is a free, private and confidential, 24 hour counselling service for young people aged 5-25 years. Counselling is offered by phone, email and over the web.

Find out more online or call 0800 1111.

Citizens Advice – Tendring

Citizens Advice – Tendring

CAB

​Free, confidential and independent advice to help with ANY problem – contact details are here

Examples include:​

Benefits, Employment, Tax, Debt, Family, Health, Housing, Education, Communications, Consumer Affairs, Gas and Electricity, Travel Discrimination, Immigration, Legal System.

Our advice guide provides extra valuable information – http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/

Colchester & Tendring Youth Enquiry Service ( y.e.s.)

Colchester & Tendring Youth Enquiry Service ( y.e.s.)

If you need help, the answers y.e.s.

y.e.s. provides a confidential, non judgemental and informal service for young people between the ages of 11 and 25yrs across Colchester and Tendring, who are facing difficulties in their lives. Full contact details are available on the y.e.s website.

  • If you find yourself homeless and need housing advice
  • If you are overwhelmed with problems or in a family crisis, in despair, feeling desperate, low or depressed and would like to talk to someone or feeling very alone or suicidal
  • If you need advice on debt or money management or would like to know what benefits you are entitled to.
  • If you are pregnant and a teenager or a young family who needs support.
  • …then y.e.s. can help you.

Working from two town centre locations in Colchester and Clacton we provide Counselling and family mediation, homelessness, housing and welfare benefit support ( Colchester only)

Teenage Pregnancy and young parent information advice and support, Debt management casework (Colchester only). We also run Teenage parent drop-in groups every week in both locations and an Advice shop drop-in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, based in our Colchester centre but open to everyone.

Contact us on 01206 710771/01255434601 or email us on [email protected] or via our website www.yesyouthenquiryservice.org

YESA4Poster

Connect – Mid and North East Essex Mind ASD Service

Connect – Mid and North East Essex Mind ASD Service

Supporting young people aged 16 – 19 years with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through Connect

Connect offers wellbeing and employment support for young people aged 16 – 19 years with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Support through the service will allow young people to reach their full potential, improve their mental health and wellbeing and access employment opportunities.

Wellbeing Support

The Connect Service works alongside young people to assess and identify the areas that may be impacting on their confidence and self-esteem.

Specialist therapeutic support can be offered on a group or 1:1 basis and sessions will allow young people to explore and overcome any difficulties they may be facing to improve their confidence and emotional resilience. 8 sessions are offered and are available in Clacton or Colchester.

The Connect Service will also offer bespoke Social Skills Training on a group or 1:1 basis.

Our Young People’s Forum provides the opportunity to help shape and improve the Service in the future and our mentorship programme enables those that have accessed our Service to support others

Employment Support

Young people with ASD can access support to go into further education; brush up on interviewing skills and CV writing and explore employment opportunities.The Connect Service is also able to engage with prospective employers in order to negotiate and agree suitable environment and practical support within the workplace.

If you know someone who will benefit from the Connect service please call  01206 764600 or email [email protected].

Connect

Doctors Surgery Registration

Doctors Surgery Registration

How to register with a Doctors Surgery

ECL Sensory Service

ECL Sensory Service

ECL Sensory Service (on behalf of Essex County Council) works in partnership with other agencies to co-ordinate services for people of all ages with sight and/or hearing impairments.

ECL can provide specialist information, advice and guidance to children, young people and their families on sight and/ or hearing loss support.

ECL can also provide and refer to additional specialist services such as rehabilitation/ Reablement, registration, and emotional support once the young person turns 18 years of age.

Contact details:

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.eclsensoryservice.org/

Phone: 03330 133 262.

Textphone: 01245 261715

SMS: 07921 397547

 

This information is also available on the Local Offer.

Professionals can make referrals for children with sight and/or hearing loss requiring social care support through the Children and Families Hub. 

Telephone: 0345 606 1212 or email: [email protected].

Where Social Care intervention is required the referral will be directed to the appropriate Children with Disabilities Team and support will be provided to the allocated Social Worker by the quadrant’s sensory specialist worker.

ECC Internal referrals for specialist support by Occupational Therapists or the Habilitation Officer (for children with visual impairment)

Telephone: 0333 013 9951 or Email: [email protected]

(http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/habilitation/)

 

ECC has a Specialist Teaching and Preschool Service details can be found on the Local Offer.

The service includes a team of qualified Teachers of the Deaf who provide specialist educational and audiology advice and support for children and young people with a hearing impairment and their families from the point of diagnosis.  For babies and preschool children support is offered both in the home and in preschool settings.  The team includes British Sign Language instructors and Family Support keyworkers (http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/node/2253)

The service provides specialist educational advice and support by qualified Teachers for Vision Impairment (QTVI) for children and young people with vision impairment and their families from the point of diagnosis.  The role of the QTVI is specified in the RNIB factsheet (February 2014).

(http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/node/2251)

The service provides specialist support from a qualified teacher for multi-sensory impairment (MSI), as part of the service’s sensory impairment provision (visual and hearing impairments).  Specialist Teacher support is provided for those children with a dual sensory impairment, i.e. pupils who have a combination of visual and hearing difficulties, who are sometimes referred to as deafblind, but may have some residual sight and/or hearing. Some may have additional disabilities. (http://www.essexlocaloffer.org.uk/content/multi-sensory-impairment).

 

ECC provides short breaks for families with children with disabilities which can be found in the Short Breaks Services brochure.  The brochure contains details of services available to families, the eligibility criteria for these services and how the range of services is designed to meet the needs of the families with disabled children in Essex.  (http://shortbreaks.essex.gov.uk/media/1330/shortbreaks-brochure.pdf)

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://shortbreaks.essex.gov.uk/

Telephone: 03330 139889

www.facebook.com/ShortBreaksECC

Essex Youth Service

Essex Youth Service

Targeted Youth Advisers deliver a comprehensive package of support for young people not in employment education or training (NEET). The support focuses on the individual needs of young people, with the ultimate aim of getting them ready for work, education or training. Each young person has an experienced Targeted Youth Adviser throughout who is there to support, guide and mentor them.  This Support is available to young people who are 16-17yrs, who have a maximum of one GCSE A-C or who are being currently supported by the Youth Offending Service or Leaving and After Care.

For more details please contact Mark Kedian: 0300 003 1865 or email: [email protected]

Extra- Support for Families (EXTRA)

Extra- Support for Families (EXTRA)

EXTRAEXTRA can help you to develop your self confidence and parenting skills. This will help you bring out the best in your child, reduce conflict in the family home, improve family relationships and build confidence to cope with future changes.

EXTRA is here to help you meet the challenges of being a parent. EXTRA offers local opportunities to meet other parents at one-off workshops,support groups and parenting courses.Courses are for parents/carers of children of all ages including those with additional needs. Activities are free, with refreshments and many have a crèche. EXTRA can help you to develop your self confidence and parenting skills.This will help you bring out the best in your child, reduce conflict in the family home, improve family relationships and build confidence to cope with future changes.

Jaywick Young Parents Group: An informal friendly group with free hot drinks, breakfast, activities and toys. The group is for young parents (up to 25 years old) living in Jaywick and their children. Every Tuesday 10.30 – 12 noon at the Jaywick Community Resource Centre. Thanks to the Essex Millennium Fund, regular attendees can go on fully funded day trips – such as Jimmy’s Farm, Colchester Zoo and Maldon Splash Park. For more details about this and EXTRA’s other activities, click on : www.extrasupportforfamilies.co.uk

Family Plus

Family Plus

‘Family Plus’ inspired by our successful Early Support Programme, will add value, through innovation, involvement and collaboration; enabling families of children/young people with SEN/disabilities (5-19) to build resilience resulting in improved family relationships, with reduced violence and aggressive behaviours and increased skills/capacity within families to function more effectively.

Families InFocus (Essex)

Family Solutions

Family Solutions

Family Solutions work with young people and their families to help them understand themselves and others and to enable them to improve their relationships and opportunities in life. We work with the whole family and the individual to build confidence, improve relationships, education and employment opportunities and make other changes. We can work with you and your family for up to a year.

familySolutions

For further information on who Family Solutions can work with and how to request support please see:

http://essex.gov.uk/familysolutions

Fearless

Fearless

Fearless.org is the new youth brand and website from the charity Crimestoppers.

Young people can use the site to get non-judgmental information about all crime types and learn about the ways to give information to the charity anonymously.

You can do this through the 0800 555 111 telephone number or online at Fearless.org through a secure online form – both 100% anonymously.

We never ask for their name or take any personal details, we can’t trace calls/online forms, we don’t record calls and those giving information don’t have to go onto to give a statement to police or go to court.

Fearless provides a safe alternative to police, parents, school teachers etc…. for those young people unsure who to turn to when they have information about crime.

for more information or to get some help and advice please use the link to the Fearless website: www.fearless.org

 

Food Banks

Food Banks

salvationArmy

  • Clacton – Salvation Army, 103 Old Road CO15 1HN – 01255 421 689
  • Harwich – Salvation Army, George Street C012 3ND – 01255 502 502
  • Manningtree – Oasis Café, Foundry Court, Colchester Road, CO11 1EJ – 07870 967353
  • Walton & District Foodbank – Walton Community Centre , Standley Road C014 8PT – 07926 015276

Also in Clacton every night in Sainsburys car park in Clacton at 8pm they will give out free soup, sandwiches, drinks .

Other free food and refreshments in Clacton…….

  • Mondays; 9-11 breakfast – Salvation Army, Old Road , Clacton. 12:30 -2pm lunch – Trinity Methodist Church, Pier Avenue Clacton
  • Tuesdays; 12pm lunch – Seventh Day Adventist 86 Wellesley Road, Clacton
  • Wednesday 2:30-3:00 small food parcels – Salvation Army , Old Road, Clacton
  • Thursday 9-11am – breakfast – Pier Avenue Baptist Church, Clacton
  • Friday 10-12 tea and toast Pier Avenue Baptist Church, Clacton
  • Saturday 12:30 lunch – Seventh day Adventist, 86 Wellesley Road , Clacton
Free Early Education

Free Early Education

Free early education information

https://www.gov.uk/free-early-education

universalJobMatch

Frisky & Risky

Frisky & Risky

friskyOrRiskyProvides a confidential and trusted sexual health drug and alcohol service to young people.

Works with young people in schools and colleges delivering PSHE and to encourage prevention of teenage pregnancies.

Promotes positive safe drinking messages and safety through work in the bars and clubs of North East Essex.

Contact details here

Harwich Community Consortium

Harwich Community Consortium

The Harwich Community Consortium brings together a range of partners who work with young people and who all share the vision of improving services for young people from 0 to 25 in Harwich and making Harwich a great place for them to live.

harwichcc.co.uk

Health in Mind

Health in Mind

Health in Mind helps people with a variety of mental health problems in and around Colchester and Tendring.

Can you help me?

We help people living in and around Colchester and Tendring with a variety of different mental health problems, such as:

  • Mood problems
  • Anxiety
  • Traumatic Stress

Please telephone for enquiries and self referrals: 0300 330 5455

Home Start

Home Start

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

Housing Advice

Housing Advice

Have your parents asked you to leave home?

TDCLiving at home can be difficult and you won’t always see eye to eye with your parents, carers or siblings. If you are having problems at home, moving out is not the only option. Living independently from your family can be difficult and ideally you should stay with your family until you can leave home in a planned way.

Further information and advice

ID card, how to get one

ID card, how to get one

How to get ID

Inclusion Ventures

Inclusion Ventures

Drop in session and project work with young people identified as involved in ASB and criminality specifically on the Percy king estate and in west Clacton. Engage approximately 200 young people.

inclusionVentures

Inclusion Ventures was set up as a response to concerns about vulnerable young people on the Percy King Estate. At that time the estate was very run down and incidence of youth crime was unusually high. Outreach work led to a realisation that young people were involved in anti-social behaviour, and specifically criminal damage of the community centre, as a result of feeling excluded.

We opened the doors of our drop-in session and welcomed in the first of many young people to engage in our project.

Some of our young people experience discrimination, and exclusion as a result of poor reputations due to past behaviours, family notoriety or simply because of the location in which they live. Discouraged from taking control of their lives, and exacerbated if family life is strained and education a struggle, these young people often spiral into a negative pattern of behaviour with little hope or aspiration. If they feel undervalued it is often difficult for young people to feel empathy for others which can lead to crime. In opening the drop-ins we gave the young people something to belong to, and take ownership of.

We offer young people a specialised staff team that understand the underlying issues that lead young people to challenge. With respect and genuine understanding, and after building trust, we gradually encourage them to understand the responsibility that goes hand in hand with their rights.

We include young people in decision making and have a commitment to community based solutions. Young people are provided with safe facilities and interesting activities that they can take a pride in. Our organisation provides opportunities for personal and accredited development to support their education, health and encouragement to become responsible members of their community and society.

Our sound relationships with other local organisations enable us to liaise and provide a broad range of support.

Our mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable young people from the most disadvantaged areas of West Clacton, supporting them to discover individual prospective beyond their current expectations and to achieve a positive future that fulfils their potential.

http://www.inclusionventures.co.uk/

TEL: 01255 476947

Mind

Mind

Mind or The Junction

The Young People’s Service can help by offering one to one support, group work, workshops, advocates and talking therapies. If you are aged 15-18 you can speak to one of our friendly and helpful staff who can offer advice and talk to you about the things you want to make to better. To find out more about the services visit www.colchestermind.org or call 01255 479226

National Insurance card replacement
Open Road

Open Road

Open Road is a local charity providing confidential advice, support and treatment for anyone affected by drug and alcohol problems. Services available include:

  • Information, support and advice
  • One to one support
  • Family support
  • Structured day programme
  • A range of counselling services
  • Relapse prevention
  • Help and advice on gaining skills, training, education and employment opportunities
  • Outreach support

Open Road has recovery centres across Essex and Suffolk, including Clacton and Colchester, for a full list of our centres and outreach services please look at our website: www.openroad.org.uk

Contact us:

132a Wellesley Road, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. CO15 3QD.

Tel: 01255 434186

5a Queen Street, Colchester, Essex. CO1 2PG.

Tel: 01206 766096

open-road

Remap Essex

Remap Essex

Remap exists to design and make, or adapt, equipment people with disabilities where no suitable alternative is available. This service is provided free to you and is delivered entirely by volunteers.

Any piece of equipment is tailor made to suit your specific needs and is for your personal use only.

For more information contact Lynne Askham. Telephone- 07906256118 or email [email protected]

Respect not Fear

Respect not Fear

respectnotfear

Information written by young people, for young people….

The following pages include information pages for young people who define as LGBT, young people that are disabled and information on forced marriage, female genital mutilation and honour based violence.

http://respectnotfear.co.uk/youngpeople/

Safe in Essex

Safe in Essex

eypdas

A pilot scheme providing awareness and intervention options for children and young people (CYP) targeting runaways, sexual exploitation and risky sexual behaviour, domestic and relationship violence; developing informative resources for professionals, parents/carers, to reduce these and other CYP risk taking behaviours, positively impacting upon identified problems and improving future outcomes.

9-19

Whole families

The Children’s Society Essex Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Service

http://www.eypdas.org.uk

Sure Start Children’s Centres

Sure Start Children’s Centres

Support for young people with children from pregnancy, through pre-school years to primary school. They aim to help give your child the best start In life and are a one-stop shop for children under five and their families. To find your local centre visit www.gov.uk/find-sure-start-childrens-centre

sureStart

TACMEP (Tendring and Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership)

TACMEP (Tendring and Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership)

endring and Colchester Minority Ethnic Partnership (TACMEP) was formed in 2003 as a minority partnership to promote awareness and understanding of religious, ethnic and cultural difference in the administrative districts of Colchester and Tendring and to serve as a voice for ethnic minority issues for service providers.

TACMEP Services & Activities

  • Help with the English language, such as informal classes, conversation practice, assistance with filling in forms and accessing interpreters.

  • Advocacy and advice on matters of welfare, such as health, housing, education and the law.

  • Casework provision of information and support.

  • Organising events which celebrate all our cultures and the benefits of diversity.

For more information contact 01206 769789, email [email protected] or visit www.tacmep.org.uk

Teen Talk (Harwich)

Teen Talk (Harwich)

Supporting young people aged 11-25 years in the Tendring area.

teenTalk

We offer a free and confidential information and support service that you can just drop in to whenever you need support. You can talk to us about anything that you feel stuck with or need support with and we will try to help while remaining informal and non-judgemental.

As well as providing one-to-one support we also offer a range of practical workshops to help you build your skills and confidence, from hands on activities such as cookery and garden projects, a youth forum to develop abilities is fundraising, event organisation and administration, to employment skills to make sure you’ve got your CVs, cover letters and more ready to go.

For further information on any of our activities:

Call: 01255 504800

Facebook: Harwich Teen Talk

Twitter: @TeenTalkHarwich

Email: [email protected]

Visit: 17 Cliff Road, Dovercourt, Harwich, Essex, CO12 3PP

Visit the website by clicking here

The Cybersmile Foundation

The Cybersmile Foundation

A multi-award winning cyberbullying non-profit support organisation for young people experienced cyberbullying. Committed to tackling all forms of online bullying and hate campaigns. Call on 0845 6887277 or find out more at www.cybersmile.org.

scd-20

WDP Family First

WDP Family First

WDP Family First is here to support parents and children with complex issues including substance misuse, mental health and family relationship problems.

We support families who have children aged between 5-15. We work with parents and carers. We believe we can have a positive influence on all members of the family and make a real impact and improvement in the lives of the children who come into contact with WDP Family First.

We offer Parenting one to one- to enhance parenting skills and offer practical and emotional support.

Therapeutic play- a time for children to express and work through their thoughts and feelings through the medium of non-directive play, to find a voice and build resilience.

Practical support – to enable parents to gain control of their families finances with budgeting advice. Encourage and support families to enhance structure around meal times and offer advice on healthy eating and food preparation.

Need Help? Got Any Questions? [email protected]

Freephone 0800 8815115

Childline
Childline is a free, private and confidential, 24 hour counselling service for young people aged 5-25 years.
Call 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk

NHS advice
If you are feeling unwell and need a telephone health assessment, please call the NHS service free of charge from any phone.
Call 111 or visit www.nhs.uk

Cybersmile
A multi-award winning cyberbullying non-profit support organisation for young people experienced cyberbullying.
Call 0845 6887277 or visit www.cybersmile.org

Samaritans
To offer a listening service for those going through a personal crisis and want to talk about their despair or suicidal feelings.
Call 0845 790 9090 (24 hours) or visit www.samaritans.org

Crisis Helpline
Emergency support team covering Colchester & Tendring.
Mental health and Wellbeing.
Call 0845 038 0800 (24 hours)