Andy Munns
Children, young people and families can have access to a wide range of information, advice and support as a new online platform goes live this week.
All Together is a new set of pages which provide a one-stop shop of information from a range of key partners so that children, young people and families, as well as those working with them, can quickly and easily access information about things to do, places to go and who to talk to if they need support.
The pages are a precursor to the Family Hubs model which will be rolled out across Wiltshire in April 2024 ensuring support and advice is available from 0 – 18 years and 0 – 25 for those with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities.
The pages will enable access to information on a range of topics, including:
- Support for parents and carers including parenting tips and advice and financial support
- Information for families on events and activities in their local area
- Advice for young people on emotional wellbeing
- Support for those with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities
Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services said: “We know families prefer to access information and support in a variety of ways. Face to face is still invaluable and it’s important we retain those resources.
“However sometimes you want to access the information in the evening, perhaps when you’ve put the children to bed, or check out advice or activities while on the go. For a young person having the support digitally when they want it can be a real benefit.
“We have asked our families and young people how they prefer to access help and support and this request for a mixture of both face to face and digital is very clear.
“These new pages are a great way to share really important information. It’s about support and advice but there’s also information on activities and what is happening locally.
“We hope people find it a useful tool and tell us what they think so that we can develop it further in the future. It is very much a joint venture and we’re thankful to all the partners who are supporting this initiative.
“It’s a real bonus that these pages are hosted on the wider Wiltshire Together community website which provides residents with access to an even wider range of information on the same website and underlines the importance of joint working.“
The All Together website has been developed through the Families and Children Transformation (FACT) Programme and will sit on the existing Wiltshire Together platform. FACT is made up of the council, health partners, police and voluntary and community groups.
Jenn Holton, Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Lead for Wiltshire Police, said: “This is a really good all-encompassing one stop resource for people who need to access support – whatever that is. Like the council and its partners the police are of course very much part of our local communities here to help.
“You’ll find a whole host of police information in these pages, including advice on what support is available if you are a victim of crime, what to do if you have to give evidence at court, and how we can help young people through schools and colleges learn more about the law and policing.
“These pages will continue to be updated so we can bring our communities the latest information to tackle crime and keep people safe.”
Amber Skyring, CEO of Wessex Community Action said: “Our communities tell us they lack up to date information about services and support available to them, so our challenge is keeping information up to date and current.
“Wiltshire Together/All Together is managed by the community and partners who take responsibility for posting and sharing their information, support and activities, so it’s in their interest to keep it current and accessible so they can be accessed and reached easily. It’s very much a team effort where everyone is pulling together.”
