| Adoption | The County Council operates a comprehensive service for children and adults affected by adoption. We need applications from people of all backgrounds, who wish to adopt. |
| Fostering | Foster families look after children on behalf of Leicestershire County Council. Children who cannot live with their own families may need to live with foster carers for a few days, a few weeks or for the whole of their childhood. |
| Antenatal Advice | The BBC have provided some useful information about antenatal care and tries to answer some of your key questions. |
| Leicestershire and Rutland NHS | The Leicestershire and Rutland NHS website gives you a guide to local health services, get the right treatment and help in finding your local health service. |
| BBC Parenting | Having a baby? Find out how antenatal care will help you during your pregnancy. |
| Baby Centre | Antenatal classes may come in various forms, but all have the same aim, to help prepare you for labour, birth and early parenthood |
| Breast Feeding | What could be more natural? Breastfeeding gives all babies all the nutrients they need for the first six months of life and helps protect them from infection. Visit the website for information on how breastfeeding helps your baby, how to breast feed and who can help you with breast feeding. |
| National Childbirth Trust (NCT) | The UK’s leading charity for parents. Every year they support thousands of parents through the incredible life changing experience of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood. |
| Pregnancy and Counselling | The NHS website gives access to an interactive guide to having a baby, whether you are planning to have a baby, are already pregnant, or your new baby has just arrived, this interactive planner is for you. |
| Alcohol and Pregnancy | Facts about how alcohol can effect conceiving, pregnancy and your health. Information is available about talking to your midwife and visiting your GP. |
| BLAST | The BLAST directory is for young people aged 14+, teenage parents and young parents. It provides essential information, advice and support to young people in Leicestershire. It gives details of the sexual health services that young people in Leicestershire can go to for advice and information on issues like contraception and your choices and relationships. |
| Registering a Birth | Contact the Leicestershire Registration Service to register a birth, death, or obtain a copy of birth certificates. |
| Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society | SANDS is a national UK charity providing support for bereaved parents and their families. It offers support if your baby dies, during pregnancy or after birth. They realise that it can be hard to take in information, to make decisions or to imagine how you are going to cope. |
| Sudden Infant Death Syndrome | The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) is the UK's leading baby charity working to prevent sudden deaths and promote health. FSID funds research, supports bereaved families and promotes safe baby care advice. |
| Parent Line Plus | Provides parents with parenting advice and guidance on a wide range of parenting issues. |
| Cry-sis | Cry-sis is a well-respected, national charity. It provides self-help and support to families with excessively crying, sleepless and demanding babies. A Telephone helpline (0845 1228 669) is available to callers every day of the year between 9.00am and 10.00pm. Callers are referred to a trained volunteer member of Cry-sis who has had personal experience of crying or sleep problems within their own family. |
| Stop Smoking Help for Pregnant Women | Stopping smoking is not easy but it can be done. The QUIT website will give you practical guidance on how to quit. |
| Madeformums | Expert advice, information and support from trying for a baby through to pregnancy and from baby, to toddlerhood right through to caring for your school child. |
| Pregnancy.co.uk | An information site covering all things pregnancy related |
| Parent Line Plus | Got a teenager? Parentlineplus gives immediate help from volunteer parents. Parents and carers often need a listening ear and help through the problems they are facing. This is an online social networking website for parents of teenagers. |
| Young Minds | Any parent who is worried about their child’s mental health can call the helpline (0808 802 5544) for information and advice. |
| Centre for Fun and Families | Aims to assist parents and carers experiencing behaviour or communication difficulties with children or young people. Parenting programme groups / sessions are free to parents and parents are able to self refer. Also works with young people experiencing problems in relationships with adults. Centre also produces booklets, videos audio tapes for parents. Much of the material is available in Gujarati and some is available in Welsh, Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi. |
| Family Steps | Find out how to access the Family Steps Service - and what service each of the teams in Family Steps provides |
| Parent Line Plus | We’re here because parents are the most important person in a child’s life. We know that family life can be challenging and difficult for parents. We support parents, so that they can do their best. |
| Dads Space | Aimed at dads to engage their interest in parenting skills and information. They provide interactive resources that boost fathers’ knowledge and their confidence in being a dad. Dads Space is a social networking website where fathers who are separated from their children can build and enhance their relationship. |
| Center for Young Women's Health | A guide for teens - dealing with divorce or separation can be really hard to get used to. This guide was written to answer the most common questions teenagers have about coping. |
| Community Legal Advice | Your rights if your marriage or civil partnership breaks down. Downloadable information and factsheet available. |
| Relate | Offers counselling for couples facing separation or divorce and information sessions to help parents manage the effect on children. Many centres also provide counselling for children affected by divorce. |
| National Family Mediation | Provides details of local mediation services to help couples resolve practical difficulties with minimum conflict. |
| Advice Now | Details of resources to enable you to work out your next steps after a separation and understand what family mediation is and how it can help. |
| Citizens Advice Bureau | For advice on money, housing and legal issues. |
| AIM Mediation | AIM Mediation are a specialist family mediation service based in Leicester but covering the whole County that help separating couples make arrangements for children, property and finances and any other issues arising from your separation so that you avoid costly legal fees and also court. Legal aid may be available upon proof of income which means mediation is free. |
| Domestic Violence | Provides information if you need to talk to someone about a violent or abusive relationship, or if you need advice or practical assistance. |
| Domestic Violence Helpline | If you are concerned about violence in your home you can call 0116 255 0004 for confidential support - Monday to Thursday 7pm to 9pm. |
| Women’s Aid | The key national charity working to end domestic violence against women and children. |
| Home Start | Through a network of more than 15,000 trained volunteers we support thousands of parents who are struggling to cope. Our families need support for many reasons including post-natal illness, disability, bereavement, the illness of a parent or child or social isolation. Parents supporting other parents to cope. |
| Family and Parenting Institute | The Family and Parenting Institute produces a wide range of information (books, guides, factsheets, presentations from our conferences, survey results and web pages) for parents, practitioners and the general public. |
| Healthy Start Voucher Scheme | With Healthy Start, you can get free vouchers every week which you can swap for milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and infant formula milk. You can also get free vitamins. Healthy Start replaces the Welfare Food Scheme. |
| Parent Line Plus | We’re here because parents are the most important person in a child’s life. We know that family life can be challenging and difficult for parents. We support parents, so that you can do your best. |
| Children Centres | Offer access to a wide range of services and activities to improve outcomes for children aged 0-5 years and their families. |
| Macmillan Cancer Support | Macmillan Cancer Support and South Leicestershire Citizen's Advice Bureau are working in partnership to offer free confidential advice for people affected by cancer, their families and carers. They can help with issues such as benefits, employment, debts and housing |
| Grandparents Association | A grandparent’s website dedicated to all grandparents' issues. We offer a newsletter, factsheets and advice line. |
| Grandparents Plus | Grandparents Plus, a national charity, promotes the vital role of grandparents and the extended family in children’s lives, particularly where parents are no longer able to care for their children. |
| Lone Parents | If you are bringing up a child as a lone parent you may be entitled to some financial help |
| One Parent Families | Gingerbread is the leading national charity working to help 1.9 million lone parents and their children in the UK. |
| Lone Parent Helpline |
The UK’s free independent helpline for lone parents and anyone affected by the issues surrounding one parent families. Tel: 0800 018 5026 Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Wednesday 9am – 8pm
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| Job Centre Plus |
Find out more about New Deal for Lone Parents. It’s a voluntary programme specifically designed to help lone parents into work. Local Job Centre Plus offices:
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| National Family Mediation | A network of local not-for-profit family mediation services which offer help to couples, married or unmarried or who are in the process of separation or divorce. |
| Relate | Offers counselling for couples facing separation or divorce and information sessions to help parents manage the effect on children. Many centres also provide counselling for children affected by divorce. |
| AIM Mediation are a specialist family mediation service based in Leicester but covering the whole County that help separating couples make arrangements for children, property and finances and any other issues arising from your separation so that you avoid costly legal fees and also court. Legal aid may be available upon proof of income which means mediation is free. |
| Centre for Fun and Families | Committed to promoting the welfare of families by supporting families experiencing behaviour and communication difficulties, a range of programmes is available free of charge. People can self refer. |
| Children Centres | Offer access to a wide range of services and activities to improve outcomes for children aged 0-5 years and their families. |
| Gov.uk | There are already many different social services available from Leicestershire County Council, but for more information on these services go to Gov.uk |
| Support for Children and Young People | Provides social care and support for people. We also have a legal duty to protect people, including children and young people from harm, neglect or abuse. People may need social care or support during a crisis, because of their age, long term ill health or disability, or because they are caring for others. This website gives information about the services we provide directly or through other (partner) agencies. |
| Local Social Care Offices in Leicestershire | You should contact your local Social Care Office - children's services if you are concerned about the welfare of ay child or adult: |
| Prisoners' Families Helpline | National helpline offering information and support to anyone with a relative or friend in prison. Tel: 0808 808 2003. Downloadable information sheets are available on a range of issues affecting prisoners’ families. |
| Action for Prisoners' Families | An umbrella organisation working for prisoner families. Tel: 0208 812 3600. |
| The Prison Service | Details of all prisons in the UK, with addresses, booking line information and visiting times. |
| Assisted Prison Visits Scheme | Help for families on certain benefits with transport costs to visit a close relative or person in prison. Telephone Helpline 0845 300 1423. |
| Affect | Support for the families of those accused of serious offences. Telephone Helpline – 01329 832 254 / 0143 583 264. |
| Ormiston Children and Families Trust | Various downloadable resources - including My Mum / Dad’s in Prison packs and Guide for Schools: Working with Children and Families of Prisoners. |
| PACT | Prison Advice and Care Trust is a charity which provides practical support to prisoners and their families. |
| Prison Visiting (Transport) Service | Offers transport for family and friends wishing to visit someone in prison. |
| Women in Prison | National free-call advice line for women in prison and ex offenders living in the community. Tel 0800 953 0125 |
| Blast Directory | A directory for young people aged 14+. It provides details of sexual health services that young people in Leicestershire can go to, for advice and information on issues like relationships and contraception choices. |
| Talk to Someone in Confidence |
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Contraception
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Where to get advice and information:
The below numbers will be answered when the clinics are running - at other times use the central booking number 0116 295 1212
Or call into any school based clinic, GP surgery, Connexions centre or Youth service site. Virtual visits to your local Contraceptive Services Have you been put off visiting a sexual health clinic because you are not sure how or where to go? Attending any sexual health service for the first time can be daunting. The prospect of finding a clinic inside a hospital, or asking for directions may be scary too. Watch a virtual visit to your local Contraceptive Service so that you can see where it is, how to get there and the support you can access!
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| School Age Family Support (SAFS) |
This is a non-statutory service providing support to school aged parents and parents to be. To enable them to remain in school until such time as maternity/paternity commences. Contact 0116 305 6347 / 07966 111 019
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| Learning Opportunities | The Parents Under 20 website provides information about learning opportunities for young parents. |
| Teenage Pregnancy Midwifery Clinics |
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| Support for Young Families |
For both Young mums and dads - the Youth Service run Young Parents Groups across the County. To find out more contact Santosh Verma
Teenage Pregnancy County Co-ordinator Tel: 0116 3055797 Email: santosh.verma@leics.gov.uk |
| The Young Parent Outreach Worker Team |
The Young Parents Outreach Worker Team can offer accredited learning opportunities to support pregnant teenagers and young parents across the city and county. The learning offer will support young people as they prepare to become parents or to manage the changes in their lives that come with becoming parents contact ypow@connexions-leics.org
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| Smoking and Pregnancy |
0116 295 4141 (City) 0800 022 4332 (County) www.nhs.uk/gosmokefree |
Page Last Updated: 25 April 2013
