CHEXS Family Support: Making a Difference This Half Term!
Our CHEXS Family Support Team has had an incredibly busy and inspiring half term, working hard to support families, strengthen community connections, and deliver invaluable training. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to and what’s coming next!
CHEXS at the Family First Conference
Last week, our very own Lee had the honour of speaking at the Family First Conference at Broxbourne Council offices. Reflecting on the experience, Lee shared:
“I was thrilled to be part of such an inspiring and collaborative event. It was an honour to be invited to present and share the incredible work CHEXS does, highlighting the real difference we make in the lives of the families we support.”
A huge thank you to Karen Dorney for welcoming everyone and setting the stage for insightful discussions. Events like these help us showcase the power of community-driven support and highlight how we’re making a lasting impact on families.
Community Connections with the CHEXS tram on our partner school gates
Building strong relationships is at the heart of what we do. Our team member, Ang, received a warm welcome at Flamstead End School, where she was met by Natalie from pupil support and the wonderful school team. A simple cup of tea and open conversations at not just this school, but all of our partner schools help reinforce our shared commitment to supporting families in our community.
📚 Empowering Through Safeguarding Training
In early January, our Family Support team delivered Level 1 Safeguarding Training at one of our partner schools. Training feedback was overwhelmingly positive:
✔️ “The training was great—interesting and informative. Thank you!”
✔️ “I’ve taken away so much and feel more confident.”
Both Lee Routledge and Andrea Bye are NSPCC Level 4 ‘Train the Trainer’ qualified in Safeguarding—the highest level—ensuring our sessions provide expert knowledge and real-world application. Our ability to offer bespoke in-house training and face-to-face support makes a meaningful difference to the families and schools we work with.
Powerful Parent Support: Real Words from Families
We take immense pride in the connections we build with parents. Some of the heartfelt feedback from families we’ve supported this term includes:
“It’s nice knowing you can always be here for me, even though the case is now closed.” “Thank you so, so much. You have massively helped me. I appreciate all your help, I really do.”
Supporting Families with Generous Donations
With the rising cost of living, every little bit of support counts. Thanks to generous donations from Tesco (at the pond) and another local clothing company, we were able to provide school uniforms and outerwear to families and schools in need.
Over 60 families have benefited from this initiative, proving that small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
Join Us for Real Talk at Tesco Brookfield!
Our Real Talk sessions take place every other Wednesday at the Community Room in Tesco Brookfield. These inclusive and friendly meetups offer a space for parents to discuss anything—whether they’re navigating the challenges of a baby, toddler, tween, or teen!
Led by our fantastic Family Support team member Andrea Baxter, these sessions also feature guest speakers from SPACE, B3 Living, and experts on topics like energy advice and AI in parenting. If you’re looking for support, advice, or just a friendly chat, why not pop along to the next session?
🚀 Looking Ahead
As we move into the next term, our Family Support team is excited to continue:
- Delivering expert-led safeguarding training
- Expanding our community outreach
- Offering support and guidance to families
- Running more Real Talk sessions with fantastic guest speakers
At CHEXS, we are committed to empowering families and creating positive outcomes for children and young people.
Together, we can build a stronger, more connected community.
💙 Thank you for your continued support—see you at our next session! 💙
