Family Support

Many parents need a little help and support during the early years.  There’s is no rule book for raising a family and sometimes it can seem overwhelming. We can offer regular emotional and practical support. 

There are many reasons why parents need support and these can include:

  • Feeling isolated or lonely, maybe without family nearby and struggling to make friends

  • Feeling exhausted, low or depressed

  • Having post-natal depression or anxiety

  • Finding it difficult to cope with a child’s illness or disability

  • Coping with your own illness or disability

  • Having a hard time with the demands of young children

  • Having a hard time looking after the physical and emotional demands of having twins, triplets or more than one child under the age of 5.

  • Relationship difficulties

  • On a low income and struggling to make ends meet particularly with worries around rising bills and the cost of living

Who can we support?

  • Anyone who is expecting a child or pregnant or has a child under 5 or in primary school

  • Anyone living in Bookham, Fetcham, Effingham or Leatherhead

We will need the consent of the family to make contact. We aim to make contact within three weeks of the referral.

What Kind of Support We can Offer

We can meet families in their own home, at the centre or out in the community.  Depending on what you want or need, we may visit weekly, fortnightly or monthly.  Sometimes this may just be for one or 2 visits to point you in the right direction until you get on your feet again.  For other families the support may carry on for a longer period of time.  You can stop the support whenever you want to. 

Here is a list of some of the things we offer support with, but if you need help with anything else please do ask. 

  • Parenting support around child development and play, behaviour issues, managing children’s emotions and conflict resolution, sleep and bedtime routines, children’s self esteem, and accessing parenting courses in person or online

  • Practical support to carry out tasks around the home, meal planning, healthy eating, cooking, budgeting, home safety.

  • Supporting families who have a child with special needs such as autism or ADHD, through assessments and the SEND process.

  • Support to check you are getting all the right benefits and help to apply for benefits.

  • Connecting you with free debt help, foodbank vouchers and community fridge

  • Support to attend appointments and meetings, for example with health, education or children’s services.

  • Help to find out about and access other local amenities and services

  • Connecting you with support to think about work, training, CVs and applying for jobs.

  • Emotional support to help parents find ways to manage and resolve problems.

  • Direct support for children including playing, listening, having fun, establishing routines, encouraging development.

  • Outreach and family groups so parents can get out, meet others and become more involved in their own community.

  • Helping you access counselling, therapy or other mental health support

  • Emotional support relating to relationship difficulties, relationship breakdown, being a solo parent.

  • Connecting you with support where there is domestic abuse or controlling behaviour from a partner or ex-partner.

  • Supporting you to get the furniture, equipment, clothing or toys you need for your family.

Who can refer?

Anyone can refer a family, as long as they have the permission of the adult(s) in the family first.  Sometimes people refer themselves.  Sometimes we receive referrals from family friends, pre-schools, health visitors, Mole Valley Family Centre, home-school link workers, churches or any other organisations.

Getting Support

If you think you’d like support you can give us a ring on 01372 811313, drop us an email on familyservices@bookhambaptist.org or fill in the form below.