Home School Link Worker

At Oxted School, we are committed to fostering a strong partnership between home and school, ensuring every student has the support they need to thrive.

Miss Mills is our dedicated Home School Link Worker (HSLW), whose role is to act as a bridge between home and school life. She is here to provide support, advice, and guidance to families and students, helping to ensure that any challenges faced at home or school are addressed effectively. Whether you have concerns about your child's well-being, school attendance, behaviour, or emotional development, Miss Mills is available to help. 

Helpful Resources to Support Your Child:

• Talking Teens Programme (free), click on the QR code
• Tips for parents whose children are struggling to attend school - Children's Commissioner
• Emotional Health and Wellbeing Support 
• Helping Ourselves and Our Loved Ones
• Free Parenting Courses 
• Self Help Apps
• Anxiety - Supporting your Teen 

For useful websites and information to support you - The Howard Partnership Trust - Support for Parents

The role of a Home School Link Worker (HSLW) includes: 

• Offering support to students and families in school and at home (one to one support) 
• Improving attendance and punctuality to ensure our pupils get the most out of their education
• Signposting to other agencies - i.e. Information of local services and community activities
• Support groups and courses for parents/carers
• Support in accessing Early Help Intervention
• Parent Workshops and resources

Who can the HSLW help: 

• Parents/carers experiencing behavioural issues with their children
• Offer a listening ear and practical solutions for families dealing with mental health concerns, family stress or transition in family life
• Families who are reacting to change, such as parental separation or bereavement
• Parents/carers to improve attendance and punctuality
• Difficulties impacting on family life e.g. illness, domestic violence, disability, financial difficulties
• Signposting – benefit entitlements and community activities
• Supporting parents in completing forms and documentation for benefit applications
• Children who are experiencing difficult times or are withdrawn or anxious

How to contact the HSLW:

Please email - OXTHSLW@oxted.thpt.org.uk

Useful Links 

Here are some useful links to organisations that can offer family support:

• Surrey's Family Information Services provides information, advice and assistance for families with children and young people aged up to 19 years (up to 25 years old for young people with special educational needs). https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/families
• Childline have launched a new website called Calm Zone which looks at supporting children with their mental health. https://www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/calm-zone/
• The Howard Partnership Trust’s Child Psychologist has created a number of videos which are accessible via the THPT’s YoutTube channel addressing mental health, wellbeing  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn1V8bgrDjZFaYdH6jBLJZg/videos
• Care for the Family has lots of useful leaflets to download and articles to help build a healthy family https://www.careforthefamily.org.uk/
• Family Voice Surrey supports families of children and young people with additional needs in Surrey https://www.familyvoicesurrey.org/
• Family Lives is a charity with over three decades of experience helping parents with challenging family life. https://www.familylives.org.uk/
• Young minds provides advice and support relating to children's mental health https://youngminds.org.uk/
• Kooth offers a range of therapeutic tools & wellbeing activities including text-based counselling https://www.kooth.com/
• North Surrey Domestic Abuse Service offers confidential support https://www.nsdas.org.uk/
• Money Matters offers financial advice http://www.moneymattersweb.co.uk/
• Think U Know aims to protect children online https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
• Young carers looking after someone in the family https://www.actionforcarers.org.uk/who-we-help/young-carers-under-18/
• Citizens Advice Bureau offers confidential advice https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/