Children and families news
Volunteers needed to help local children and families
Havering Council is looking for dedicated volunteers to support young people and their families.
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Havering Household Support Fund extended another year with £3m cash boost (updated 9 August 2023)
Havering Council and government have once again committed an extra £3.2 million to support residents with the cost of living crisis until the end of the financial year.
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Havering Youth Justice Service rated “Good”
Havering’s Youth Justice Service has received an overall rating of “Good” following an inspection by HM Inspectorate of Probation.
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Havering Youth Parliament members update on first six months
Six months on from being elected as Havering’s members of the UK Youth Parliament, Curtis Tobbs and Uno Borlasa tell us what they have been up to and how they’re settling into their roles.
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Young disabled people to boost their travel confidence
Young people with disabilities are being offered training to help them travel more independently on public transport in the borough.
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TV personality helps young people to chase their dreams
Young people in Havering went head-to-head with Chaser Shaun Wallace during a special visit to the borough.
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Havering celebrates local foster carers
Foster carers across Havering have been honoured for their service to children in care.
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Havering elects two new Members of Youth Parliament
Two new young people have been voted in to represent Havering in the UK Youth Parliament.
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Havering Youth Parliament elections launched
The race to become a member of the UK Youth Parliament has begun in Havering.
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Havering young people speak up for climate challenge
A survey by Havering Council of young people in the borough has found that almost two thirds of those asked are concerned about global warming.
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Havering Youth Councillor appointed as new chair of London Youth Assembly
Havering Youth Council member Jazzminejada George has been elected as the new Chair of London Youth Assembly.
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Supporting 16 Days of Action against domestic violence
Havering Council is supporting the annual White Ribbon Day campaign which takes place each year on 25 November.
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Council offers school meal support for October half-term
Local schoolchildren will continue to benefit from the School Holiday Meal Scheme this 2021 October half-term with new funding from the government.
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Mayor formally opens Harold Hill Community Hub
The new Harold Hill Community Hub has been officially opened today (14 October 2021).
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Children in care to receive free leisure passes
Children in care in Havering can now get free access to Council-run leisure facilities to help improve their wellbeing and fitness.
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Junior Citizens learn life skills for the future
Over 1,000 pupils from 14 schools across Havering have been learning skills to prepare them for their next step in life as part of the Junior Citizens Project.
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Havering Council extends school holiday meals funding support for summer holidays
Havering Council will continue to fund the School Holiday Meal Scheme for those most in need during the summer holidays.
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Local young people talk about life in lockdown
As we’ve started to come out of the pandemic, Havering Council has been asking local young people what life in lockdown has been like for them.
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Havering Council to provide school meals funding support for May half term
Havering Council will continue to fund the School Meal Holiday Scheme for those most in need during the May 2021 half term.
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Become a foster carer with Havering
Havering is celebrating Foster Care Fortnight 2021 (10-23 May) by speaking out about the importance of caring to encourage more local people to become foster carers.
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Havering Council to provide school meals funding support for Easter holidays
Havering Council will continue to fund the School Meal Holiday Scheme for those most in need during the 2021 Easter holidays.
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New funding to open for Havering early years providers
A new million pound package in grant support is being rolled out to help early years providers in Havering.
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Havering council to provide school meals funding support for February half-term
Havering Council will continue to fund the School Meal Holiday Scheme for those most in need during February half term.
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Havering schools and colleges to move to remote learning for start of spring term
Following the latest announcement by the Department for Education (DfE), all primary and secondary schools and colleges across Havering will be included in a country-wide move to remote learning.
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Fact check: Romford Recorder gets it wrong over free school meals story
Councillor Damian White, Leader of Havering Council, writes:
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Havering announces free school meal support for half term
Havering Council is funding free school meals for those most in need during half term.
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Volunteer family coaches needed
Havering Council Early Help Service is looking for volunteers to help local families navigate family life.
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Havering launches new service to keep young people safe
A new Council-led partnership to support and safeguard young people has launched with a week-long digital event involving more than 800 delegates.
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Schools and colleges eligible for free sanitary products
Schools and colleges across the borough are being reminded that they can apply for free sanitary products to help fight period poverty amongst young girls.
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Council launches new online tool to help communities stay connected during Covid 19 pandemic
A new online platform has been launched to bring the community together.
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Havering named one of the best for special needs pupils
Havering Council has been named as one of the best performing councils for supporting children with high educational needs.
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Help a child in care
Volunteers are urgently being sought to befriend young people in care who are living outside the borough.
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Mentors needed to support local young people
Scores of young people bursting with potential are waiting for local people to come forward as mentors to support them.
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Hundreds of children to receive laptops to access online learning
Havering Council has taken delivery of laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers from the Department for Education (DfE) to help children who are most in need access online education.
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Libraries, children's centres and MyPlace to close
Havering Council to close libraries, selected Children's Centres, and MyPlace in response to latest Government Coronavirus advice.
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Adoption information session changes
Adopt London East is currently following Government advice to support the containment of the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
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Fostering information session changes
We are currently looking into innovative ways of how we can deliver the sessions online.
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Carrie and David Grant get to the heart of adoption in London
A new adoption agency, which brings together 23 London boroughs to help find new homes for children in care and speed up the adoption process, launched this week.
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Havering outclasses other boroughs for school places
Havering is one of the top London boroughs, offering almost 80 per cent of pupils their first choice of secondary school place for another year running.
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New Members of Youth Parliament elected as young residents cast their vote
Two students from Havering have been elected as new Members of the UK Youth Parliament (MYP) for Havering. Results were announced at Romford Town Hall on Tuesday 25 February.
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Young politicians go head-to-head in Havering youth elections
Young people across the borough have taken to the polls this week to vote for their next members of the Youth Parliament
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New course to provide teenage parenting tips
If you’re the parent of a teenage child and need a few tips, come along to the Council’s new eight week parenting course.
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Double scoop for children’s services at prestigious awards
Havering Council is celebrating winning two prestigious awards for its work with children and young people.
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Havering Council appoints new director of children’s services
Havering Council has appointed Robert South as its new acting director of children’s services.
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Havering cracks the code to supporting young women in tech
Over 100 female students from seven local schools took part in the Havering Young Entrepreneurs Programme to help develop their digital and entrepreneurial skills.
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New tri-borough group to safeguard children at risk
Havering teams up with Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge to support vulnerable children and families
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West Ham players are a treat for Veggie Run pupils
Veggie Run pupils receive a surprise visit from West Ham United players
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Havering Council set to boost Ofsted rating
Council set to improve the way it delivers services for children and young people
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Council takes action on serious violence
Cabinet approves serious gang violence strategy
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Council's Veggie Run app tastes success at London food awards
Havering Council's Veggie Run Campaign has been successfully recognised as the Veg City Champion of London, at last night's Urban Food Awards held at City Hall.
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Join us in the fight against Child Sexual Exploitation
National Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day (18th March 2019) and Havering Council is asking everyone to unite against child sexual exploitation #CSEDay19
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Veggie Run wins prestigious healthy eating award
Veggie Run wins healthy eating award
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Making room for a foster child in Havering
Latest fostering drive seeks people with a spare room.
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Veggie Run strikes again
Veggie run kicks off healthy eating plan with West Ham United Foundation
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Centre for young people nominated for prestigious award
The Cocoon is nominated for a prestigious national award
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Having fun in Havering this summer
Who said the summer holidays are boring?
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Havering on track to deliver cycling fun
Havering Council has once again joined forces with Cycle Confident to offer free cycle training across the borough this summer.
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Havering Talented 30
Thirty of Havering’s most gifted young people received recognition for their talents in a range of cultural and sporting activities at the 2018 Havering Talented 30 awards evening at myplace Youth Centre in Harold Hill on Monday 9 July.
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Are you looking after someone else's child?
Are you looking after someone else’s child, or is your child living with someone else who isn’t a family member?
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Volunteer and empower parents
Havering Council is recruiting passionate parents, grandparents and carers who have experience of looking after a child aged from two - four years to become Parent Group Leader volunteers.
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'MAKE IT' for Prom
As the summer school term gets into full swing many Year 11 and 13 students are excitedly preparing for their prom, Havering Council is launching ‘The Prom Project’, to make sure young people who can’t afford a new dress or an outfit – don’t miss out.
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Special Education Needs and Disability report 2018
Councillor Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Children's & Learning, said:
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Havering marks Foster Care Fortnight
Havering Council is on the lookout for great new foster carers as part of the Fostering Network’s annual national awareness and recruitment campaign: Foster Care Fortnight 2018.
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Help get young people Prom ready
The Council’s Youth Services is appealing to residents to make sure young people who can’t afford a new dress or an outfit can MAKE IT for prom by launching ‘The Prom Project’.
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Recruiting Havering Parents
Share your parenting skills and become a volunteer parent group leader.
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New Members of Youth Parliament announced
The Mayor of Havering announced the two new Members of Youth Parliament (MYP), Emily Thompson and Sila Urgulu, during a formal presentation at Havering Town Hall on Thursday 22 March.
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Council hosts their first film premiere
Havering Council hosted their first film premiere on March 6 at Premiere Cinema, Romford showcasing a recent documentary produced and edited by children in care.
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Who is your child talking to? Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is closer than you think.
Havering Council is supporting national CSE Awareness Day on Sunday 18 March. We hope to raise awareness amongst parents and carers that CSE is impacting more and more children across London, and inform parents that this can sadly start whilst their child is at home on their phone, tablet or computer.
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Foster your skills to go the extra mile
This month Havering Council launches their latest fostering campaign, ‘Foster your skills to go the extra mile’ with the aim of recruiting five new foster carers from the borough or surrounding areas.
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Developing Recruitment Opportunities for Care Leavers
Havering Council hosted their first recruitment event specifically aimed towards children in care and care leavers on Friday 16 February 2018 at The Cocoon - a dedicated support hub for young people in Romford.
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Harold Hill Kitchen Supervisor victorious at regional heats for School Chef of the Year
Michelle Creed, 45, of Rush Green, who works at Broadford Primary School, Harold Hill, for the past 11 years, made it to the regional finals on Thursday 11 January.
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Council launches mental health support group for expectant and new parents
The first mental health group to support new parents and parents to be launches next week in Havering.
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Create new memories this year
Havering Council is urging residents to make a difference this year and foster a local child. There are currently 260 children living in care who need foster carers from the borough or surrounding areas to support them in 2018.
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Havering Social Worker wins prestigious national award
The Social Worker of the Year Awards took place at a glittering ceremony in The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on Friday 24 November. 2017. In total, more than 80 social workers and teams competed.
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Havering Council launches 'Give the Gift of Fostering'
As the year comes to an end, Havering Council is urging anyone who can give the gift of fostering this Christmas to come forward.
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The Cocoon set to transform lives of Havering’s children in care and care leavers
The Cocoon, one of east London’s only dedicated support hubs for children in care and care leavers, has been opened in Romford.
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Havering launches a new dedicated space for care leavers and children in care
Havering Council is launching The Cocoon, a support hub for children in care and care leavers.
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Help us to keep siblings together
Havering Council is urging residents who have grown-up children and spare rooms to help keep siblings in care together. The Council is responsible for 259 children living in care and nearly half of these children are made up of sibling groups.
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New term - new friends
With children settling in to the new school year, Havering Council is reminding all parents to place close attention to who has access to their children. As Child Sexual exploitation can occur anywhere.
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Generation shake-up
Students across Havering have been shouting out with excitement this morning (Thursday 24 August), as GCSE pupils picked up their results after one the biggest shake ups in education.
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Havering A-level students buck national trend
Students in Havering have achieved outstanding results, with A-Level exam passes exceeding the national pass rate once again.
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A Night at the Oscars’ - Celebrating Havering Children in Care and Care Leavers
More than 200 guests attended the first Havering Council Children in care and Care leavers awards.
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£835K win for Children’s Services
On Thursday the 6 July, the Department for Education (DfE) awarded the North East London Commissioning Partnership £835k
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Celebrating achievements in Havering
More than 200 staff from 19 schools and colleges assembled for a gala evening to celebrate the first Havering Learning Partnership awards.
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Support the hidden children in Havering
Havering Council is appealing to people to contact them if they have someone else’s child living with them. People may not realise they are in a private fostering arrangement, but if they are caring for someone else's child for more than 28 days, they need to inform Havering Council. This call to action coincides with Private fostering week 3 – 7 July.
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Over 100 turn out for foster children fun day
Havering Council hosted the second annual Family Fun Day for children in care and their foster families.
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Havering Annual Alternative Provision Awards Ceremony 2017
Seventeen pupils from the borough’s primary and secondary schools have been commended by Havering during The annual Alternative Provision Awards.
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Council Children's Services wins prestigious award
Havering Council's Children’s Services has won a prestigious award at the annual Mind of My Own (MOMO) conference yesterday.
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Fostering – Transform lives and support Foster Care Fortnight 2017
Havering Council currently have over 250 children in care, but not enough local residents are able provide them with a home.
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£2.4m to boost children’s services announced
Children’s Services in the Borough will receive a £2.4m boost over the next two years Havering Council and the Department for Education announced today (Monday 20 March).
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Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness Day 2017
Havering Council is supporting Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Awareness Day on Saturday 18 March.
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Mayor says “thank you!”
The Mayor of Havering, Cllr Philippa Crowder, had a chance to thank again all the performers from the Store Room Youth Theatre in Hornchurch who helped her float in London’s New Year’s Day Parade.
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This Christmas give the gift of fostering
Foster carers are urgently needed to look after some of the borough’s most vulnerable young people and the Council is urging anyone to come forward and give the gift of fostering this Christmas.