Partner updates
Partner updates
Read helpful information in our partner updates, see the:
Current partner update: January 2025
In this partner update you can read about:
- Parenting and Solihull programmes - Free support, information and courses available for parents through the Raise York partnership
- Family Foundations - Free training in an evidence based parenting programme
- Family Information Service (FIS) - Promotion of our free, impartial and universal information service for all families in York
- New Youth Strategy - Young People belong in York
- Healthy Weight in Under 5s - New Healthy Families Service launching in 2025 and links to local support
- Don't keep us a secret - Get Family Hubs posters containing details of useful contacts and services for families and professionals in York
- Your comments or questions - provide feedback on this partner update
Parenting and Solihull Programmes
We know that being a parent or carer can be one of the hardest jobs. We know that often those working with families aren’t always sure what other support is available.
The Raise York partnership is aiming to help with this and has worked to ‘catalogue’ all the available courses and support groups available for parents in York. There’s more than you might think!
Visit www.raiseyork.co.uk/families/parents to find out about the free online and face to face courses for families to help parents and carers deal with challenges and help their children. You can search by theme; the age of the child; the level of need and for online only. You can also find a wide range of peer support groups here too!
New to York is the ‘In Our Place – Solihull Approach’ suite of online courses and resources covering all aspects of support for parents and carers. This is paid for by Raise York for all York residents that want access.
It’s great that there’s a whole range of options but it’s no good if people don’t know about them. Please help us by ensuring these key messages are shared with the families you work with and all your colleagues who work with families.
Family Foundations – free training
We are offering free training for professionals working with families in York on the Family Foundations programme, available through the Changemakers programme. This evidence-based parenting course is designed for couples expecting their first child together.
The training will take place from 9.30am to 3.30pm at West Offices on:
- Tuesday 21 January
- Wednesday 22 January
- Monday 24 February
While the training is free, we are unable to cover backfill costs.
For more information or to sign up, please email: [email protected].
York Family Information Service (FIS)
Family Information Service (FIS) is a free and impartial, universal service for all families in York from pregnancy until children reach 19 years old or up to 25 years old if the child or young person has special educational needs or disabilities.
FIS operates on an ‘ask us anything’ basis, and provides information on a range of topics, including:
Ofsted registered childcare which includes childcare for the under 5s, wraparound childcare for school aged children, holiday clubs and a brokerage service to support families struggling to find childcare that meet their needs.
Activities and things to do including clubs and groups for children aged 0 to 25 including specific inclusive groups aimed at children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Support services including emotional health and wellbeing, finances, housing, employment, parenting, education and training and many more...
The service and information can be accessed via the following:
- Telephone: 01904 554444 (Monday to Friday, between 10.00am and 4.00pm)
- Email: [email protected]
- Text: 07786202241
- In person: venues across the city; see details via: www.raiseyork.co.uk/warm-welcome
- Social media: Facebook and X
- Online: www.raiseyork.co.uk
New Youth Strategy
City of York Council and the York Youth Network have developed a new Youth Strategy for the city entitled Young People Belong in York.
The strategy is focussed on the role youth provision plays in the city, and sets out the following vision:
- York is a place that young people belong
- Young people in York have places to go, things to do and someone to talk to
This demonstrates from the outset our commitment to young people in our city having access to the right support they need.
Our strategic priorities are:
- Young people have safe places to be with their friends
- Young people have a range of activities to do
- Young people are supported by people with the right skills
To help deliver our shared ambition key partners have committed to exploring and developing a local youth partnership. Local Youth Partnerships are developing in a number of areas across the country.
Local Youth Partnerships are cross-sectoral partnerships that are established and led at the local level with the goal of convening, supporting, and sustaining youth work delivery in a specific area.
Healthy Weight in Under 5s
In York, we want all children to grow up happy and healthy, but we recognise that there are many barriers to achieving this. Through the coordinated efforts of various organisations, including the NHS and the Local Authority, different types of support are available to help overcome these challenges.
This year, the Public Health team is shifting its focus from being primarily ‘weight-centric’ to a more holistic approach centred on overall ‘health.’ This transformation aims to foster a more compassionate, supportive environment for families. As part of this shift, the NEW Healthy Families Service will be launched in September 2025, offering a comprehensive, health-focused approach to supporting families with weight concerns.
Current support available for families with Under 5s weight concerns includes:
Healthy Child Services Support
Support regarding healthy weight for under 5s can be accessed from our Healthy Child Service who is made up of health visitors, school nurses, Children and Young People Health Outreach nurses, Child Health and Development Workers and Health Child Screening Support Officers
Our Healthy Child Service offers self-weigh sessions for children in York aged 0 to 5 as part of our Healthy Child Drop-In Clinics. You can visit our drop-in clinics at:
- Hob Moor Children's Centre, YO24 4PS - Mondays, 9.00am to midday
- Avenues Children's Centre, YO31 0UT - Mondays, 1.00pm to 3.00pm
- Clifton Children's Centre, YO30 6JA - Thursdays, 9.00am to midday
Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young (HENRY)
The HENRY programme is free and offers a 2-hour session for 8 weeks for families who are looking to be more physically active, become a healthier weight, wanting to eat better or who are looking for support with family life. Sessions are run by two health practitioners and provide free childcare for your child or children. To access HENRY please speak to a Health Visitor.
National Resources
The Better Health website has useful information for families on food, activities and healthy weight, see: www.nhs.uk/healthier-families.
Please circulate awareness of these free services and programmes within your teams to make families more aware of what is available.
Don’t keep us a secret! Family Hub Posters
To spread the word about Family Hubs we have posters relating to:
- useful contacts
- services (single or double)
- Raise York
If you would like digital or printed copies, please get in touch and we'll arrange this.
Your comments or questions
If you have any questions, suggestions or comments on the information in this update, please email: [email protected] or [email protected].
Previous partner update
As our updates are released, we'll provide the previous issue for your reference (January 2025 is the first issue provided online).