Accessing support

If you or your family need support there are a variety of ways you can find it through our Family Hubs Leaflet.

Family Navigators

You can talk to one of our Family Navigators who are based in our Family Hubs offering free, confidential and non-judgmental support if you are a parent or carer living in Lewisham. If you wish to receive support from one of our Family Navigators, please complete this quick form and one of our Family Navigators will then be in touch with you to provide free, confidential and non-judgmental support by connecting you with on site and local support services, led by you. 

Family Support

Our Family Practitioner Service provides 1:1 support to families facing difficult periods and challenges in their lives.

We work in partnership with families and a range of professionals to provide focused support for the whole family, intervening as early as possible and preventing escalation to more intense and specialist services.

We aim to achieve

• sustained positive change
• stop recurrence of issues
• give families strategies and coping mechanisms to deal with future challenges by themselves.
• create a network of friendship and support around the family to reduce isolation and link families into local services as part of that network.

We enable families to reflect on their challenges, starting with their own perspective, looking at where they want to be, and capturing the voice of the child.

 What does the Family Practitioner Service support with?

• Immediate practical needs linking to local services such as food banks, medical support, providing information and advice about the borough’s services.
• Supports families to access Children and Family Centres and local services, particularly when isolated and/or new to the borough, including health services, SEN support, nursery and school.
• Supports families in navigating systems and services to meet their needs, including support with form filling and online registrations (our centres can provide access to computers if needed)
• Provides regular 1:1 support early to prevent problems escalating to more specialist services.

To access this service please email Family.Hub.Referrals@Lewisham.gov.uk

Family Hubs directory

You can also search by post code for local authority services that meet your needs through Find support for your family - Find support for your family - GOV.UK (education.gov.uk) or you can talk to a Family Navigator who can connect you to a voluntary, community or faith sector partner who may be able to help you.

Lewisham LOCAL

Lewisham Local is the name of the charity that has existed for over 20 years serving local communities in Lewisham. Their website contains links to voluntary, community and faith section organisations who may be able to help you. Support For Individuals - Lewisham Local

Making a Professional Referral

The focused support you can refer families to via our referral form below, includes:

• 1:1 Family Support
• Parenting Courses
• Domestic Abuse Recovery Programmes

All completed referrals for our focused support services can be sent to our secure email Family.Hub.Referrals@Lewisham.gov.uk where the Family Services Panel will assess the referral and place it within the correct service or programme to meet the family’s needs.

For more information about the focused support we offer please download our info sheet.