Children and Families
Bexley Social Services provides services to children and families who are experiencing difficulties. The service given depends on the need, and can range from simple advice and helping with playgroup fees to arranging for a child to live with foster carers.
Who does the Children and Families Service help?
All families with children below the age of 18 who live in the Bexley borough can receive advice and information from the Children and Families service. Other services are given to families whose children are in the greatest need, to ensure that help is given to those children who need it most. For example, we can help:
- Children looked-after by the Council
- Children who have been, or are at risk of being harmed
- Children and families where a court has ordered that Social Services become involved
- Privately fostered children
- Children with severe disabilities
- Families where children are likely to suffer long-term harm unless they receive help from Social Services
To find out more simply click on the service you are interested in.
Child Care Social Work Service
(East and West Child Care Units)
This service is available to children and families in the Bexley borough where children are vulnerable because of family crises, severe relationship difficulties and/or developmental behavioural needs.
Social workers discuss difficulties with parents and children, speak to other professionals who know the child, and undertake an assessment of a family’s need. They will then identify services to meet those needs, and then either give or arrange that help.
Child protection referrals are undertaken by these teams, and staff also offer support and guidance to anyone concerned about a child in the community.
The Duty Social Workers will also look into cases where children may be at risk of harm, and take steps to protect children where this is necessary.
The aim of this work is to reduce the risks to the child. In a few cases where this is not possible, social workers apply to the Court for orders to protect children.
This service is split into two main teams. Each team provides the same services for families and children living in its area.
West Child Care Unit
The West Child Care Unit offers a social work service to children and families in the west of Bexley who live in the following ward areas:
Blackfen & Lamorbey, Brampton, Belvedere, Christchurch,
Danson Park, East Wickham, Falconwood & Welling, Lesnes Abbey, Sidcup, St
Michael's and Thamesmead East.
To contact us:
Telephone |
0208 303 7777 (main)
0208 320 6300 (direct) |
Fax |
0208 320 6321 |
Address |
Southlake Centre
Seacourt Road
Thamesmead
London SE2 9XB |
East Child Care Unit
The East Child Care Unit provides a social work service to families living in the east of Bexley borough. The ward areas covered are:
Barnehurst, Blendon & Penhill, Colyers, Crayford, Cray Meadows, Erith, Longlands, Northend, Nortumberland Heath, Sidcup and St Marys.
To contact us:
Children's Planning
Unit
The Children's Planning Unit is a multi-agency team that provides support to social workers in providing services to children who are either looked after, on the child protection register or "in need". This team can offer members of the public and other professionals specialist advice, support and guidance about child protection and looked-after children.
The Unit maintains a register of children thought to be at risk of abuse or neglect in the borough, and works to ensure that plans are made and implemented on their behalf.
 Child Protection Courses
By arrangement, we are able to provide advice sessions to introduce the concepts of Child Abuse and Child Protection to inter-agency groups and to use the basic concepts learned to inform the key processes involved in working with actual/possible Child Protection concerns.
There are also introductory courses for all professionals and volunteer groups in Bexley who have contact with children and young people in the course of their work. Advice about these courses is available through the OD Team. Please contact joanne.powell@bexley.gov.uk for administration only.
London Child Protection Procedures
Bexley use the London Child Protection Procedures. To
read more.
Services for Families
Barnes Cray & Birkbeck Nursery Centres
These nursery centres offer full and part-time care for children between the ages of 2 and 5.
Children attending the centres may have severe behavioural difficulties, or developmental delay; they may be at risk of harm, or their parents may have major difficulties in caring for them. Each nursery runs its own programme offering day care and group work with parents.
Children are referred to the nurseries by social workers.
For more details and enquiries please contact 0208 300 0429.
Wilkinson House Family Centre
The Family Centre works with children under 12 and their families. The centre runs groups for children and parents, and activities during school holidays. The aim of the work is to support parents in the care of their children, and to reduce children's emotional and behavioural difficulties. Children are referred to the Family Centre by social workers.
How can you contact us?
Telephone |
020 8310 8055 |
Address |
Powys Close, Bexleyheath, Kent, DA7 5RS |
Belvedere Family Resource Centre
For further details.
Disabled Children's
Service
This team works with children and young people who are registerable as disabled, or who need support as a result of chronic ill-health. Services available include short-term care for children, domiciliary care, family support and counselling.
Families and young people can refer themselves directly, or the team accepts referrals from professionals in the Health, Education and Voluntary Sector.
Further links:  More on the Disabled Children's Service
Child and Adolescent
Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
CAMHS is a joint service provided by the Council and Oxleas NHS Trust. It includes psychological, psychiatric and social work services for children and adolescents (up to 18 years old) with severe, complex and persistent mental health needs, and their families or carers.
Social workers and other professionals make referrals to this clinic.
How can you contact us?
Telephone |
020 8836 6418 |
Address |
Memorial Hospital,
Shooters Hill,
London. SE18 3RZ |
Day care services
Services for children in Bexley are provided by a number of sources. Social Services provides some Day Nurseries and the Wilkinson House Family Centre.
Day Nurseries
Who can use the service?
Parents and children, between the ages of 2 and 5 years who
are referred by a social worker. Nurseries are at: Birkbeck School and Barnes
Cray School.
What do we do?
Each nursery runs its own programme offering day care and groupwork for discussion, support, guidance and information on:
- understanding children's needs
- the management of difficult behaviour
- fun day sessions
- self esteem
How do we work?
We aim to promote the welfare of each child and help their family in providing them with the best care. To do this we will first agree a care plan with you that is designed to meet the needs of your child. This will be reviewed at regular intervals.
How can you use day nurseries?
For more details and enquiries please contact the individual schools (links above).
After school and holiday services
Bexley's Social Services Department does not directly offer after school clubs, or holiday activities but here you will find links to other organisations who can help.
What's On
For information about activities available around the borough during school holidays and after school, please see our What's On webpages.
Family Information Service
The Family Information Service is a new initiative
which aims to provide parents with information on the availability of childcare
for all children aged between 0 and 14 (up to 16 years for children with disabilities). To
find out more.
 The National Internet Service can offer full listings of registered childminders in this, but the service offers much more from the local office.
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