Advice and Support

Advice & Guidance

• Parenting offer

  Havering run a range of sessions for parents to help them in a variety of ways to help with different challenges they may face with their children.  Please see below for the different ones we have on offer.

• Safety for all.... After School

  You might be thinking about using a tutor or out of school setting for a child or children you care for. This could be: for help with their homework or to improve their grades to learn a musical instrument to take part in other out…

• The Havering Empowering Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC) Hub

  The Havering Empowering Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC) Hub offers accredited courses for parents and carers. Designed by the NHS Centre for Parents and Children, the hub offers high-quality content; which is supervised by the local EPEC Hub Co-ordinator and quality assured by a National EPEC…

• Services and support for parents

  NHS services for new parents Local authority services for parents Local advice centres Websites, helplines and other support for parents Parent and baby groups    NHS services for new parents Registering your baby with a GP Register your baby with your GP as early as possible…

• Tips for new parents

  As a new parent you're bound to have questions on everything from getting breastfeeding started, to washing and bathing your baby and changing their nappy. Here's a quick guide to everything you need to know about caring for your new baby during those exhausting but wonderful early weeks.…

• Preventing colds and flu

  Many people believe vitamin C can cure the flu and echinacea can prevent colds. But is there scientific evidence to back this up? Can vitamin C stop a cold? "Research has found no evidence that vitamin C prevents colds," says Dr Hasmukh Joshi, vice-chair of the…

• Menopause: five self-help tips

  The menopause can make you feel as if you're not in control of your own body, but there are ways to ease the symptoms, as these five self-help tips show. 1) Keep cool Hot flushes and night sweats are the most common symptoms of the menopause. They're…

• Sexual health Q&A

  Sex doctor Anne Edwards answers questions on emergency contraception, chlamydia and HIV. I had unprotected sex last night. What should I do? You can get emergency contraception (also known as the morning after pill) at pharmacies. Some pharmacies provide free emergency contraception to women of all ages, including…

• Mental health

  There's nothing unusual or shameful about mental illness. Most of us have problems at some time in our lives, such as money worries, stress at work or the death of a loved one, which can affect our mental health. Find out how to recognise the signs and where…

• Domestic violence and abuse

  Domestic violence or abuse can happen to anyone. Find out how to recognise the signs and where to get help. If you're worried someone might see you have been on this page, find out how to cover your tracks online. Domestic violence, also called domestic…

• Coping with bereavement

  The death of a loved one can be devastating. Bereavement counsellor Sarah Smith describes some of the feelings that can arise from losing someone, and where you can go for help and support. Bereavement affects people in different ways. There's no right or wrong way…