The HUT
Helping Us Thrive
At Weston Mill Community Primary Academy we have a dedicated base known as ‘The HUT’.
HUT stands for Helping Us Thrive
Our Multi Academy Trust places a great emphasis on the importance of ensuring that every child develops positive mental health and resilience.
Our aim is to:
- Support children to make sense of their experience(s).
- Find positive and effective ways to manage their emotions and feelings.
- Create an environment of safety, connection and compassion at all times.
- Ensure children are supported to maintain the capacity to thrive and learn, despite difficult events that may occur in their lives.
The Hut staff are specially trained practitioners led by our Inclusion Co-ordinator (INCO) Mrs Clare Burch. These trusted, emotionally available adults support children who are identified as requiring additional support. This support may be offered in 1:1 sessions, or in small groups. As a result of this support, children become more self-assured, resilient and readier to engage with life and learning.
We have a robust system for assessing children who might benefit from this support throughout the day or through access at Break times and Lunchtimes.
Here are a selection of websites that you might find useful for additional information and online resources:
The Autism Education Trust (AET) (https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/)
- This website provides tailored advice and resources for professionals, parents, carers and children and young people. The Autism Education Trust manages online resources for children and young people. ‘The Kids Zone’ provides younger children with information, advice and games and ‘The Den’ is an interactive area for teenagers on the spectrum featuring personal experience films, ask the expert films , games and quizzes.
National Autistic Society (https://www.autism.org.uk/)
- The National Autistic Society is a charity for people with autism (including Asperger’s) and their families. They provide information, support and pioneering services and they campaign for a better world for people with ASC.
Cerebra (https://cerebra.org.uk/get-advice-support/)
- Cerebra support children up to 16 years with neurodevelopmental disorders and conditions, their parents, carers and professional practitioners.
Friends and Family (https://www.friendsandfamilies.org.uk/)
- Friends and Families of Special Children is run by a team of professionals that come from a range of backgrounds including social work, youth work and counselling. The group organise family activity days during all school holidays for all the family to attend and have fun together.
Family Matters (http://www.familymatters-plymouth.co.uk/wp-site/)
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Family Matters is dedicated to providing a service to individuals and families who want safe and professional support for their relationship difficulties and who are registered with a Plymouth GP
PIAS (https://www.plymouthias.org.uk/)
Plymouth Information, Advice and Support for SEND (PIAS) provides information, advice and support relating to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for parents, carers, children and young people within the Plymouth Local Authority area.
PIAS provides parents, carers of children and young people with SEND and also the children and young people independently with:
- support at meetings
- support around education and training issues.
Plymouth Parent Carer Voice (https://www.plymouthpcv.co.uk/home/plymouth-parent-carer-voice/about-us)
The Plymouth Parent Carer Voice (PPCV) brings together parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Plymouth.
PPCV is Plymouth’s official parent carer forum. They are a group of volunteer parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Together they work in partnership with the local authority, to help shape and improve the range of services in education, health and social care for families in the Plymouth area.
Parent Carer Forums like PPCV are run by volunteers and funded with a grant from the Department for Education (DfE). They receive this and other forms of support from ‘Contact’, who work in partnership with the DfE. They are a member of the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) from whom they receive regular guidance and support.
Simply Counselling (https://www.simplycounselling.org/)
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Simply Counselling is a Community Interest Company established in 2006 to offer affordable quality counselling for everyone living and working in Plymouth and its surrounds. Starting in the police cells in Devonport Guildhall we have grown and expanded. We now have over 30 counsellors and are based in premises in Stoke Village.
Simply Counselling has a sliding scale of fees based on household income, which are regularly reviewed.
Jeremiahs Journey (https://jeremiahsjourney.org.uk/)
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Children from Plymouth and the immediate surrounding area are put in touch with Jeremiahs Journey for support when they have experienced or are anticipating the death of someone special. This is often a call into the charity’s first Steps Advisory line. Jeremiahs Journey usually begin with a conversation with each family. For some this might offer enough reassurance or ideas to help. Where a family would like more, then an initial home visit is usually offered so that Jeremiahs Journey can hear how things have been and decide together, how Jeremiahs Journey can be of most help.
Livewell resources (https://www.livewellsouthwest.co.uk/childrens-services/parents-resource-centre)
Livewell have resources for parents on:
- Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people.
- Mental health in young people.
- Bowel and bladder health for all children and teenagers.
- Speech and language.
- The first stop for information on children’s communication.
- Change 4 Life.
- Mental health, wellbeing and resilience for your whole school.
- Routine immunisation schedule.
- Drug and alcohol information.
- Smoking advice.
- Children’s sleep.