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Children in need

Most children in Middlesbrough will grow up within their own families and have their needs met by families, friends and services within the community. However some children will have additional needs at some stage during their childhood and will need extra help. These children are known as 'children in need'.

What are additional needs?

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Examples of additional needs could include:

  • special educational needs
  • disabilities
  • poor nutrition
  • poor school attendance or exclusion
  • ill-health
  • anti-social or disruptive behaviour
  • lack of parental support or boundaries
  • being a victim of bullying
  • housing difficulties
  • pregnancy/parenthood

What support can I get?

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Whether you come directly to us for help, or someone else asks us to help you, we will always:

  • try to find out from you what the problems are
  • look at ways of helping you cope with the problems
  • work with the whole family to plan solutions

Our help might include:

  • social work support and advice
  • family centres
  • parenting groups
  • community activities
  • home care
  • respite care

It might sometimes be necessary for us to intervene if a child is at risk - however we will always try to work with you first, and always keep you informed of why actions are being taken.

Contact

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To get in touch about your own child or about the child of a relative, friend or neighbour whom you're worried about, please contact:

Children's Services (Middlesbrough Multi-Agency Children's Hub)
Phone: 01642 726004

Find out more about reporting child abuse (for members of the public) or making a safeguarding report (for professionals).