Free School Meals
As part of the package that ACE provides, we provide a choice of hot and cold lunchtime meals to all students who attend ACE however it is important that if you are eligible for Free School Meals, you still apply as this way not only can ACE gain extra funding, but we can also make sure that your child is considered for any additional holiday funding and pass this information on when they leave ACE and school meals are no longer automatically provided.
If you think as a family you might be eligible for Free School Meals for this school year, then you need to apply directly the Luton Borough Council’s website.
A new application needs to be made very school year.
One application will cover all your children at any Luton school and a full list of the criteria needed to qualify and the time it takes for an application to be considered are explained on the website.
If you need support in making an application then please contact ACE (01582 359370) or email [email protected]) and a member of the Pupil Progress Team can provide help.
Parents can apply online directly at: www.luton.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals
or download a paper copy of the application here
Online Safety Parent Guides
With out lives being increasingly full of devices, from laptops, to phones, to tablets to Games Consoles, that can all connect to the internet, the benefits but also the downsides of the internet are harder and harder to escape. We work with the students to promote a healthy use of and approach to the internet, and cover issues around online safety, the potential downsides of social media and cyber security.
An app you may come across “NGL” (Not going to lie) is an app which invites students to send in photos of themselves, and anyone can rate, send comments and message.
Parent Zone: Luton
What do Parent Zone Luton offer? Well, we’d like you to think about it like any other local service. Your library, your community centre, even your local supermarket. OK, we don’t sell baked beans. But we do offer the best expert advice and information around tech and digital. All to help you, and your family, feel a little more confident going online everyday.
You can:
- Watch live parent events to build digital skills and media literacy
- Read parent guides to feel more confident about family online spaces
- Try games and activities with your child
- And much more…
This May Help Website: Advice for supporting your child’s mental health
An NHS funded website, aimed at parents with practical advice and resources for supporting your child’s mental health and wellbeing.
Current topic areas with advice, guidance and resources include:
- Supporting mental health
- Supporting someone who self harms
- How to moderate your child’s video and online gaming
- How to establish trust and boundaries with a teenager
- What to do if you think your child has an eating disorder
- How to support a child that doesn’t want to go to school
This May Help has been created to support parents and carers with concerns about their child’s mental health.
The subjects covered on this website have been chosen by families and young people who have gone through their own mental health challenges. What helped them may also help you.
The films offer advice across six main subject areas, with ten additional films offering supporting information. The films can be viewed in any order at any time. Each film has a dedicated page where you’ll also find helpful advice and links to other resources. The text for each subject is available from the downloads page.
CHUMS
Please click the link below to access the current Families Wellbeing Brochure which details a number of free workshops, support groups and web sites that parents can access for support when working with children experiencing emotional and / or mental health challenges.
Autism Support
Autism Support can be found via Padlet.
Refusing School or Anxiety Around Attending School
The team have also been pulling together some info and resources for EBSNA.
Bedfordshire Police Pegasus Scheme
Our Pegasus scheme is for people who find it hard to communicate with us – we keep your pre-registered information safe on our computer and we can access it quickly if you call us. You don’t need to repeat all your details.
Who can register?
- Anyone who has a disability or illness that may make it hard to communicate with the police in an emergency or difficult situation
Registration is free, find out more below.
Finding it hard to sleep
The PDA society have a resource for sleep, which might be worth taking a look at.
Total Wellbeing Luton
Total Wellbeing Luton provides a vast range of FREE emotional health programmes for the people of Luton, who are over 16, living in Luton or are registered with a Luton GP. Along with the emotional health services we offer various physical health programmes as well.
Our Emotional Health Services include workshops and treatments which can be accessed by referral. We offer a range of subjects such as anxiety & worry, loneliness, sleeping issues, food habits and much more.
For General Enquiries about accessing Total Wellbeing Luton Services, please call us on 0300 555 4152 or email [email protected]
If you want to learn new skills in dealing with every day stresses then phone Total Wellbeing Luton for further information If you require further information please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation Campaign
A major new campaign has been launched bringing together different organisations to speak with one voice against violence, exploitation and organised crime in Bedfordshire.
Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation (BAVEX) will raise awareness around things like modern slavery, cuckooing and child sexual exploitation in the county.
The project, which launches on today’s (Thursday) national child exploitation awareness day, has worked with a series of different groups in Bedfordshire to spread its messages as far as possible.
BAVEX is backed by a wide range of different organisations in the county, both statutory as well as charities.
BAVEX is backed by a wide range of different organisations in the county, both statutory as well as charities.
As well as the police, this includes the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Bedford Borough Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Luton Council, the Bedfordshire and Luton Clinical Commissioning Groups, the Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit (VERU), Azalea, Crimestoppers, Link to Change, the Luton Homeless Partnership and the Modern Slavery Helpline.
Cerebral Palsy Guide
The Cerebral Palsy Guide is an online resource for anyone who has been affected by birth injuries, brain injuries, cerebral palsy, Erb’s palsy or other disabilities.
The organisation was created to provide answers and guidance to help families and children get all the assistance they need to help improve their overall quality of life.
Aim Group Free Courses For Parents
The following information has been passed to us by The Aim Group who have received Gov’t Adult Education Funding to make a number of online courses free to any adults / parents / careers who might be interested.
Please contact The AIM group direct for any further information.
Pav Slyzyak Qualifications Executive. Tel 0203 900 3091 [email protected]
www.theaimgroup.uk
Due to Government Funding in the Adult Education Budget. We have several Free online Level 2 Accredited Courses available to Parents to help better understand some key issues around young people’s mental health and wellbeing.
We currently have the following subjects available.
- Understanding Children and Young Peoples Mental Health (Understand factors which may affect Young Peoples mental health, the impact that they have and how to support them with these issues)
- Understanding Autism (learn how individuals process sensory information, understand characteristics, understand conditions, learn how speech, language and communication differ in people with Autism)
- Understanding Behaviour That Challenges (supporting positive behaviour, effective communication & how to manage challenging behaviour)
- Understanding Specific Learning Difficulties (understand characteristics of ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia & Dyscalculia, importance of early diagnosis, assessment methods available to diagnose learning difficulties)
On average the courses take between 20-35 hours to complete within in a 6-week window and are completed on a laptop or computer at the learner’s home. No Exams, end point assessments are involved, the courses are purely Q&A based and are available to you 24/7. You can do as many as you like, however you can just do one at a time.
The only criteria the learner must meet to be eligible, is the following..
- Aged 19 or over on or before 31st August 2020
- Have lived in the UK/EU for 3+ years
- Not already on a Government funded course (Apprenticeship for example)
The course is completely free, but the learning provider reserves the right to charge a drop out fee in the event a learner enrols but then drops out. That said, the college will grant extensions if the learner has a reason as to why they won’t be able to complete it within the 6 weeks.
If you are interested in undertaking one of these Free Online courses, then please complete the following link asap. This will then allow me to contact you and send over the relevant Enrolment details and of course, answer any questions you have.
Luton Family Partnership Service
The New Family Partnership Service has now been launched and we would very much like to share with you the following updates. We look forward to working collaboratively with you in order to meet the needs of children and young people in Luton.
The Family Partnership Service
The Family Partnership Service will provide intensive support to our vulnerable children, young people and their families. We strongly believe that children belong in their family networks with people they know and who love them and will keep them safe. Our aim is to help children have safe permanent relationships as a basic entitlement.
We will do this by offering:
- Evidence based parenting programmes (such as Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities, and Incredible Years).
- Domestic violence interventions and support for the whole family.
School readiness support. - Substance misuse guidance, advice and support for all family members that require it, through one to one and group sessions.
- Mental health and self-esteem support for all family members that require it, through one to one and group sessions.
- Support to prevent teenage homelessness.
- Support for families with no recourse to public funds. Advice, guidance and limited support for people from abroad who are not eligible to receive benefits and are destitute but are ‘ordinarily a resident’ in Luton.
- Support for children and young people who have special educational needs.
Other support services which will come under the Partnership umbrella will include:
- Supervised contacts and young carers.
- Direct work with children and young people specifically capturing the voice of the children to aid life story work.
- Families who are likely to need extra help to cope with the demands of family life will be offered the opportunity to attend support groups and activities at venues close to them in their local communities where they feel comfortable. For example, in the local library, community centre.
The Family Partnership Service is an agile service and will be working within the community based at various locations which could include, in the family home, virtually, Manor Contact Centre, Beech Hill Primary School, London Road Resource Centre and Limbury Fields Community Centre.
Developing partnerships
The Family Partnership Service will be collaborative in its approach with our partner agencies which will include primary and secondary schools, nursery provisions, the Early Years Alliance, Health colleagues, other Council Services and communities. If the support required by a family is best met from within the community, then either an Early Years coordinator or a family support worker from the new service will assist in identifying the most appropriate resources and referral routes to these services.
Referral Route into the new service:
To make a referral into the Luton Partnership Service you can use the online referral which is available for both professionals and the public. This can be accessed through the Luton Borough Council Website, children’s safeguarding page.
As from the 9 April 2021 there will no longer be the need to complete an Early Help Assessment to access the new service. The new on line form will cover referrals for both Social Care and the new Partnership service.
We welcome any questions about the service, please direct these to the Head of Service, [email protected].
Luton Health & Wellbeing Services
The link below takes you to a Luton directory for Self referral to a range of health and well being services that are free to access.
The following is a list of local services that offer free and confidential advice and support to Luton residents, especially (but not limited to) school age / young adults. These services are all free to access and you may contact them directly with out going via ACE. The list of groups include face to face work, phone lines, text services and web based sites.
Luton BC Children and Families Services (MASH)
01582 547653 or out of hours 0300 300812 – Social services support
Luton CAMH
Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services – Floor Charter House, Alma Street, Bedfordshire, LU1 2PL – 01582 708140 or 0333 4050087 – provides outpatient assessments, support and treatment for children and young people up to the age of 18 experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems
Luton CHUMS
Mental Health and Emotional Well-being Service for Children and Young People – 01525 863924 – Mental Health and Emotional Well-bveing support for children, young people and their families.
Luton Sexual Health
1st Floor Arndale House, The Mall, Luton, LU1 2LJ – 01582 497070 or 07976 40609 or 07976 406912 – We can give you free, confidential advice on a range of sexual subject: – sex and relationships, using condoms, LGBTQ, STI and contraception.
Luton Youth Advice
1st Floor Futures House, The Moakes, Luton, Bedfordshire – 01582 548340 – Service that can help you with everything from careers to contraception
Luton Youth Offending Service
Ground Floor The Albany, 4 Cardiff Rd, Luton Beds, LU1 1PP – 01582 547900 – Services to tackle and reduce youth offending in Luton.
Luton Total Wellbeing
0300 5554152 – totalwellbeingluton.org – Support people living in Luton with total well-being to improve physical and emotional health.
Tokko
Tokko Youth Centre, 7 Gordon Street, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 2QP – 01582 544990 – Youth counselling service
Kooth
Need to talk – access to Kooth is immediate, the service is available 24 hours and 7 days a week – kooth.com – Emotional and mental health support.
Resolution
Young People’s Alcohol & Drugs Service – 0800 054 6603 or email – Free and confidential drug and alcohol service for young people between 10-18
Luton Parent / Carer Forum
What is the Luton Parent / Carer forum?
A parent carer forum is a group of parents and carers of disabled children. Their aim is to make sure the services in their area meet the needs of disabled children and their families.
They gather the views of local families and then working in partnership with the council, education settings, health providers and other providers to highlight where local services are working well, or challenge when changes or improvements need to be made.
For details of a series of monthly meetings that have been arranged, for parent / carers to meet with representatives from the Educational, Health and Social Care teams, then please click on the link below.
Empowering Parent, Influencing Change (EPIC)
Empowering Parent, Influencing Change (EPIC) Luton Parent Carer Forum (PCF) is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) for the Luton Borough.
We are a group of parents and carers of children and young people aged 0-25, who have additional needs and/or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). We have formed a committee to re-establish a PCF in this area to give SEND families a collective voice.
Email contact: [email protected]
Contact Number: 07564 786544
Luton Youth Services
Luton Youth Services work with anyone in the town up to the age of 24 yrs and provide a range of advice, guidance and support services.
The three main strands of service are:
- Advice and Support (personal, relationships, finance)
- Jobs and Training (inc support for those 16-24yrs with no education or employment in place)
- Activities, Youth Clubs and things to do
Head Office: Integrated services, Futures House, Coulter Building / The Moakes.
Luton, LU3 3QB
Tel: 01582 546000