Early Help Offer – Bamford Primary School

Bamford Primary School is committed to providing appropriate Early Help for families who may need some local, lower -level help. Early Help may involve working with your child in school to support their emotional and mental health. We offer several interventions, including transition groups, meet and greet support and emotional support through a range of interventions including (but not limited) to Positive Play, Nurture, Time to Talk and Therapeutic Play.

Additionally, we employ a Family Support Worker (FSW), Eric Millington, who is available to support our families (see below).

This support is arranged by school. If you feel that your child or your family may benefit from some support, please contact the school office to arrange an appointment, in confidence, with Mrs Gemmell.

Family Support Worker

My name is Eric Millington, and I am the Family Support Worker. Based at Hope Valley College, I also have responsibility for seven other Primary and Junior schools in addition to Bamford. My role is to offer support to families who may need help over and above that which is routinely available to all of us. I don’t have all the answers but having spent twenty-eight years helping people in the public sector, I have a good idea of where to start to look for them. We all need a helping hand sometimes – whether that’s dealing with debt, our mental health or the trials and tribulations of raising children. If the circumstances dictate, I may use a slightly more formal tool called an Early Help Assessment, which is just a way of gathering information about a child and their family so that we can identify their needs and signpost them to the relevant agencies.

Eric Millington Student and Family Support Worker. Hope Valley College and feeder Primary Schools. T: School: 01433 620555 (Extension 2425). Mobile: 07912 259122 E: emillington@hopevalley.derbyshire.sch.uk

(Working hours: Monday to Thursday 0830-1530).