City of Edinburgh has excellent support for families. Please click on the image below to find out more about this:
We’re aware that family life can bring different challenges at various times and we’re here to support you. We understand that you may not feel comfortable contacting the school, but we’d like to make it as easy as possible for you to contact us.
How can we help?
We’re here to listen and provide any support we can if there is a change at home. Please get in touch via email or call the office and ask to speak to Mrs Cullen or Mrs Ashbrook.
The City of Edinburgh Council has a team of staff who support families, children and young people who are Care Experienced. The We Matter Care Experienced Team offer support and advice to those who have been in foster care, kinship care, in a residential placement or who have been adopted. The team can help with training, signposting families to additional resources and direct support for children and young people. If you would like to speak to one of the team or like to inform us that your child is Care Experienced, get in touch via email or call the office and ask to speak to Mrs Lippok, our Principal Teacher, who leads with care Expereinced children.
We’re committed that cost should never be a barrier for your child to participate in a school activity. If you would like to speak to Mrs DeBonrostro about support, please use this form Financial Support
We’re also here to support children who are Young Carers. A young carer is somebody who cares for or is affected by someone else at home (usually a parent or sibling) who suffers from physical or mental ill health, or who has substance misuse issues. If your child is a Young Carer, please do get in touch with us via email or call the office and ask to speak to Mrs Cullen or Mrs Ashbrook.
- Financial Support available to families with young children from Social Security Scotland
Please find below a message from Social Security Scotland:
The Scottish Child Payment (£40 every four weeks for eligible children under six) starts on 15 February and we are encouraging parents to apply now.
https://www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment/
- Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods
Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods are payments that help towards the costs of being pregnant or looking after a child. They’re part of the 5 family payments you may be able to get from Social Security Scotland, along with Scottish Child Payment.
Best Start Grant is made up of 3 one-off payments:
- Pregnancy and Baby Payment
- Early Learning Payment
- School Age Payment
https://www.mygov.scot/best-start-grant-best-start-foods/
- Changeworks
Fuel billing and debt support for households contact https://www.changeworks.org.uk/what-we-do/energy-and-fuel-poverty/fuel-poverty-services/refer-clients-to-fuel-poverty-services
- Citizens Advice Edinburgh Online
Advice and support at https://www.citizensadviceedinburgh.org.uk/get-advice
Tel 0131 510 5510
- CHAI (Community Help and Advice Initiative)
Help with: Income maximisation, Employability support, Family support, Money advice, Welfare rights, Housing advice. You can contact Maximise via: Tel: 0131 442 2100 www.chaiedinburgh.org.uk
- Family and Household Support
Can offer support and advice with family relationships, parenting, mental health and well-being, employment and learning, housing options and neighbour disputes. Help with accessing food banks, debt, budgeting, welfare benefits, applying for grants, funding or furniture. southwest.familyandhouseholdsupport@edinburgh.gov.uk
- Home Energy Scotland
Free and impartial advice for anyone worried about energy bills. Home heating and energy use will be affected by people staying home to avoid picking up the Coronavirus. If you’re worried about your energy bills or struggling to stay warm at home, you can contact them. Advisors are briefed with the latest information from energy suppliers and from the Scottish Government, and they are up to date with any new developments.
Advice is free, impartial and funded by the Scottish Government. Phone 0808 808 2282 to chat to a friendly advisor. Call for free on 0808 808 2282. Lines are open Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm, and Saturday 9am – 5pm. Please note phone lines are often quite busy in the evenings and at weekends. By email: Complete our contact form and select ’email’ when asked how you’d like us to get back to you. We’ll aim to be in touch within 5-10 working days. Or request a call back on our website: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/home-energy-scotland/lets-talk
- Food banks
Edinburgh Food project
Money advice service from Edinburgh food project
https://edinburghfoodproject.org/access-the-money-advice-service
Social Care Direct- Children and Families Social Work Request help or advice about a child or vulnerable adult requiring support due to illness, disability or at risk or harm. Tel: 0131 200 2324 Out of Hours 0800 7316969. socialcaredirect@edinburgh.gov.uk
NSPCC For parenting advice and support, contact trained online helpline counsellors Tel: 0808 800 5000, weekdays 10am to 6pm and weekends 12am to 4pm, email help@nspcc.org.uk or visit www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/our-services/nspcc-helpline/
Lone Parent Helpline-One Parent Families Scotland Free information and advice for single parents. Open Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.00pm Tel: 08088 010323 www.opfs.org.uk
Domestic abuse helpline – 0808 802 3333
Children 1st – 0131 446 2300
NSPCC – 0808 800 5000
Samaritans – 116123 or jo@samaritans.org
Parent line Scotland – 0800 028 2233 Home Link – voluntary agency offering advice or support for families – 0131 661 0890
Home Start – voluntary agency offering advice or support for families – 0131 564 1540
Cedar – voluntary agency offering advice or support for children affected by domestic abuse – 0131 315 8116 / 07850 515 283
Circle – voluntary agency offering advice or support for families – 0131 552 0305
CHAI- voluntary agency offering advice, housing support and employability support –
0131 442 1009
Buckstone Primary School 