Guidance and support

Advocacy and helpline support

For advocacy helplines to help children and young people understand their rights and access the support they need visit the following websites:

• BECOME - The charity for children in care and young care leavers
• Coram Voice Advocacy Helpline
• Children’s Commissioner - Help at hand
• National Youth Advocacy Service SafetyNet

Care leavers support

​​For information about the Essex local offer for care leavers visit our Local offer for care leavers web page.

CHwSW support

DfE defines children with a social worker (CHwSW) as children who’ve been assessed as needing support under Section 17 or Section 47 of the Children Act.

This means children placed on a child in need (CIN) or child protection (CP) plan.

DfE says any child who has previously been known to social care on a CIN or CP plan in the last 6 years is part of this group. That is because children who’ve been known to social care often face some barriers to learning and need extra education support even once social care has stepped away.

For more information on CHwSW for school and parents and carers download the following FAQ documents:

• FAQs for schools and other professionals working with children with a social worker (Word, 64KB)
• FAQs for parents and carers of children with a social worker (Word, 72KB)​

Employment and job support

The Essex Youth Service runs a service to support young people with work experience and an education programme to help them gain skills for apprenticeships and employment.

The service is open to 16 to 18 year olds (or aged 19 to 24 year olds with SEND) who live in Essex and are looking for a job, education or training.

For more information visit the Essex Youth Service Education, Employment and Training Support web page.

Foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) support

FASD is a brain-based condition caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb. For more information visit the National Organisation for FASD website.​

SEMH support

For mental health and wellbeing resources for children, young people and teachers visit the following websites:

• Anna Freud school and college resources section
• Classroom wellbeing with Tes web page
• Charlie Waller Trust - CoRAY web page

For our specific range of SEMH guidance for children and young people visit our Let's Talk guidance and resources web page.

Trauma support

For trauma support and resources to help children and young people visit the following websites:

• Beacon House Therapeutic Services developmental trauma resources resources
• DDP Network
• Touchbase
• Theraplay UK
• Trauma Informed Education