Support for children and families

Portsmouth City Council is committed to helping city families. Follow the links below to see how we support parents and children. Professionals working in children and family care will also find useful information.

In a perfect world, we would be able to give everyone everything they need. In reality we have to decide who needs help most urgently. We have rules for deciding who receives services from us.

These are called eligibility criteria. If you would like a copy, or for more information, please phone 023 9283 9111.

At some time in their lives many children have a special educational need of some kind:

• respite care – regular breaks for children and young people, and for children and young people with disabilities
• child protection – how to recognise child abuse
• hospice care – for children suffering from life-limiting conditions and their families in a home-from-home environment. You can contact a hospice yourself (Naomi House is nearest) or be referred by your doctor, health visitor or social worker.

• residential care for children – follow the link to find out more about what residential care for children means.
• are you a young carer? – if you provide look after someone in your family, such as caring for one of your parents or younger brothers and sisters, visit  our Carers page and scroll down to the Young Carers section for help
• supporting children with HIV – the council’s social services can arrange help for you. When you contact us or someone refers you (for example, your doctor), our staff will carry out an assessment. This means they will talk with you and look at ways to help you. You can have a friend or family member with you for support or to help you put forward your views. The assessment is voluntary and you can stop it at any stage.

Any information you give is confidential. If we need to share it with other people who need to know about your situation to help you, we will always ask your permission first.

Sometimes we may also need to help a member of your family who is caring for you, so they can help you. The person who cares for you could also be an adult friend of your family. Find out more about HIV on the Let’s talk about it website.

• Missing children – the protocol to follow
• Strategies, policies and forms underpin the council’s commitment to work with families
• Portsmouth Local Offer – help for parents and carers of disabled children and the professionals that work with them

Protecting children from abuse
Residential care for children
Respite care for children
Short breaks for disabled children and young people
Missing children – guidance for professionals