Home School Link Worker
My name is Mrs Samantha Girvan and I am the Home School Link Worker (HSLW) for Ashford Park Primary School.
My role is to offer support, advice and information to the families within our school. I can support you with worries that you may have around your child’s education, behaviour, attendance or wellbeing in a sensitive and caring manner, working alongside the class teacher and other professionals where appropriate.
I am also here to support you the parent/carer. If you feel that you need to talk, I can make myself available. I may not have all the answers, but hopefully I can support you in working out a way to be able to find them.
Advice and support is confidential, however, any concerns relating to the safeguarding of children will always be dealt with in accordance with the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy.
Support I am able to offer includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Providing information and signposting to other services in the local area
- Advice and support in promoting positive behaviour at home
- Liaising with a range of external services, such as a school nurse, Early Help, local family centres, foodbanks and children’s services
- Advice and support for attendance, including support at school and with external agency meetings
If you would like my support in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me by calling the school office on 01784 250 305. Alternatively, you can email me via info@ashford-park.surrey.sch.uk and mark the email FAO: HSLW or S Girvan.
If I am not available, I will return your call at my earliest availability.
Parenting is both rewarding yet also challenging! Please find some links which may prove helpful during tricky times:
Parenting support:
123 Magic Approach: A parenting course designed to help parents with positive behaviour techniques for their child who has ADHD. The charity ADDISS have trained practitioners in Surrey to deliver this course, so parents can contact them to find out where their nearest group is. For details of local parenting support groups and online parenting courses please refer to:
What is CAMHS? CAMHS stands for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. CAMHS help children and young people up to 18 who are finding it hard to cope with everyday life because of difficult feelings, behaviour or relationships.
Most of the time when we are sad, angry, stressed or worried these feelings pass within a few days, but if they go on for a while and stop us enjoying and coping with life, then CAMHS can help.
Just as we go to the doctors when we are physically ill, sometimes we need extra help with our mental health.
Please find a link to CAMHS resources, that can be used both at home and at school: https://www.camhs-resources.co.uk/downloads
CYP Haven is a mental health and emotional wellbeing crisis drop-in for children and young people aged 10-18 in Surrey https://www.cyphaven.net/
Samaritans: www.samaritans.org 116 123.
Mind: www.mind.org.uk Links to helpline, self help resources and treatments for mental health disorders
Support with toileting before your child starts school: ERIC
Healthy Surrey Website: https://www.healthysurrey.org.uk/mental-wellbeing
NHS – Five Steps to Mental Wellbeing: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/
Book Recommendations (available for loan):
- Helping Your Anxious Child', by Rapee, Spence, Cobham and Wignall
- What To do When You … (WORRY too much), (GRUMBLE), (TEMPER flares up), (DREAD YOUR BED), (BRAIN GETS STUCK), (MISTAKES make you quake) (think it's UNFAIR) or (BAD HABBITS take hold) – A Kids Guides To Overcoming Anxiety, Negativity, Anger, Sleep, OCD, Perfectionism, Unfairness & Bad Habits', by Dawn Huebner
- 1,2,3 Magic Parenting Strategies', by Thomas Phelan
- Helping your child with fears and worries', Second edition, by Cathy Creswell and Lucy Willetts
- Overcoming Your Child's Shyness and Social Anxiety a self-help guide to CBT techniques', by Cathy Creswell and Lucy Willetts
- Relax Kids - Aladdin’s Magic Carpet', by Marnita Vegas
- The Whole Brain Child', by Dr Daniel Siegel
- The Brain', by David Eagleman
- Blame My Brain', by Nicola Morgan
