General help and advice
Support with the cost of living:
General advice:
Citizens Advice support with a range of issues, debt, housing, immigration, legal advice
Cost of living support: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Financial support:
CAP work with individuals and families experiencing debt and/or poverty, giving debt advice and support and helping people to manage their money.
Oxford Churches Debt Centre – Home of the CAP Debt Centre in Oxford
Housing:
Better Housing: A service supporting residents to keep warm, stay safe & live well in their homes.
Home – Better Housing Better Health (bhbh.org.uk)
Feeding a family:
The BBC , among other organisations, has some useful guides to eating on a budget for a variety of dietary requirements.
Giving children a Healthy Start in Oxfordshire
Budget recipes and advice – BBC Food
Eating healthy on a tight budget: 6 top tips – BHF
Some tips to save money on food – British Nutrition Foundation
Eat well, spend less | British Dietetic Association (BDA)
Some supermarkets are selling fruit and veg boxes for as little as £2.
The Centre for Early Childhood
Shaping Us (centreforearlychildhood.org)
Child developmental and emotional milestones
What to expect when. If you have any concerns your child is not meeting these milestones please contact us (see above)
Child developmental and emotional milestones 0-5 (Solihull Approach)
Children with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND)
Children’s Integrated Therapies ( including Speech and Language, Physiotherapy , Occupational Therapy ) https://www.oxfordhealth.nhs.uk/cit/
For children with special educational needs or disability: Early Years SEN toolkit | Oxfordshire County Council
Please also see our webpage of support services here: Support for children with additional needs – Health Visiting ServiceHealth Visiting Service (oxfordhealth.nhs.uk)
Short breaks and activities for disabled children: Short breaks for disabled children | Oxfordshire County Council
Children who were born premature
For babies and children who were premature: For babies born premature or sick | Bliss
Courses for parents and carers
The Solihull Approach team at “Our Place” run free courses for parents. The Solihull Approach is an evidence based way of understanding and relating to your child while also support your own emotional wellbeing.
You can access the free course here:
All about Health
Easy read healthcare information for people with a learning disability, their families, carers, professionals and anyone who supports them – All About Health | (oxfsn.org.uk)
Single parents
Gingerbread is the national charity for single parents. They provide free support services for single parents:
Twins or more!
If you have had twins (or more!) the Twins Trust (previously TAMBA) is here to help you:
Support f0r adoptive parents
“Early Help” – if you feel you need extra support
At times any families may need a bit of extra support – and when that happens, it’s ok to ask for help. Early help is there to make sure worries don’t become bigger and you get the support you need at the right time.
- There are lots of different reasons you might need early help:
- You could be worried about your own or your child’s health, development or behaviour, or how things are going at nursery.
- You could be caring for others, or maybe you’ve had a bereavement in the family, and it’s made life a real challenge.
- It may be that you’re worried about money or housing and how it’s affecting your family.
Maybe you or your family are affected by domestic abuse, mental health, drugs, alcohol or crime
If you feel your family and children may benefit from extra support and early help please speak to your educational setting childcare manager, or your health visitor via the 0-19 SPA cyp0-19@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
see leaflet below
Early-help-guide-for-families-Sept-2023.pdf (oscb.org.uk)
General information
Resources For Families & Individuals | Oxford Brain Story — Oxford Brain Story | AFWI
Oxford Health links to useful websites and apps: Links – Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
Oxfordshire Family Information Service: Family Information Directory (oxfordshire.gov.uk)
Birth to Five book: Birth to five 2021
Page last reviewed: 5 March, 2025