Helping Hands Black Country Service (Family Action)
Run by national charity, Helping Hands Black Country is a service for parents of little/young people with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or are being assessed.
What do we do?
We offer a Helping Hand to families where a little/young person has ASD/ADHD or being assessed, from across the Black Country. Offering support and guidance for understanding their little/young people and how behavioural needs can be understood and supported at home and in the wider community.
What support do we offer?
Welcome call to explore individual needs/support
Access to virtual This Is Me TIM) workshop: Understanding my behaviours as I have different needs workshops. Building a TIM plan a “window to the little/young person behaviour”
Sharing Rooms: safe space to be yourself, relax and chat with staff and other parents. Signposting and connection into local services. Once a month at different venues across the Black Country.
School service: TIM face to face workshops- am TIM little people: Understanding my emotions as I have different needs workshops- pm (bespoke sessions that only schools can refer into)
Family sensory sessions: A safe place for families to meet other families where little/young people have ASD/ADHD or being diagnosed. These are delivered over the summer holidays at venues across the Black Country.
To access the service please contact us via email, one of the team will get back to you.
Who to contact
More Information
Helping Hands offers support, advice and guidance to parents/careers and their families, diagnosed or on a pathway for autism or ADHD.
TIM Workshops: Parent/carers and in-school sessions
Developed by volunteers & parents with lived experience, we offer virtual and face to face TIM (This Is Me) workshops that look at understanding behaviours. Centred around understanding individual feelings, these workshops act as a window to the young persons behaviour and can be shared with any one that has contact with the little/young person. They can also form part of ECHP plans.
We also deliver TIM workshops in schools to young people aged 4-11years. Doing different activities each week, exploring the many pieces of me, making potions and creating breathing dragons. Each little person receives a sensory book, a set of mood cards and a certificate.
“The the journey before, during and after diagnosis is subjective, and parents and professionals are always learning. The TIM programme helped with structure around understanding conditions & behaviours. It has given us lots of information to consider and reflect on.” Feedback: A Parent's experience.
Our Monthly Sharing Rooms
Parents are also invited to attend our monthly sharing rooms – informal coffee mornings that create a safe space for parents to be themselves, meet other parents and build effective relationships. We also have books/resources for families to access if required and signpost into other services when appropriate.
Family Sensory Sessions
Family sensory sessions, delivered during the summer holidays, creating a space for families to make connections with other families that have similar lived experiences. These sessions provide opportunity to PLAY and interact with art/crafts and other sensory activities.
Social prescribing/peer support.
Our social prescribing/peer support element looks to create effective 'lived experience' support through promoting peer mentoring or befriending.