Family Intervention Resources and Support Team

About FIRST

The Family Intervention Resources and Support Team (FIRST) provides information, workshops and courses around sleep and distressed behaviour.

The team includes:

• qualified Sleep Practitioners
• Therapeutic Thinking and Foundations for Attachment Practitioners
• a Family Support Worker

First supports parents and carers who have a child or young person with a disability.

Watch this short video to find out how FIRST supports children and young people with disabilities on our YouTube channel.

Services available and who can access them

FIRST offers the following services:

Sleep and distressed behaviour workshops

You can attend a workshop if you are a parent or carer who:

• lives in Wokingham Borough
• has a child with a disability
• has an interest in sleep hygiene or supporting distressed behaviour

If there are spaces available, you can also attend a workshop if you have a child or young person who does not have a disability.

Sleep and distressed behaviour formal courses

You can access a formal sleep or distressed behaviour course if you are a parent or carer who:

• lives in Wokingham Borough
• has a child or young person aged 3 to 18 years who has a disability or is on the pathway for an autism assessment

If there are spaces available, you can also access a formal sleep course if you have a child or young person who does not have a disability.

Sleep and distressed behaviour family support

You can access family support if you have completed a formal sleep or behaviour course with FIRST and are identified as needing additional support.

FIRST also accepts referrals for family support, identified through a social care assessment, or where this is the most suitable type of support based on the needs of a family.

Once a family has been identified as needing family support, FIRST will carry out an assessment and develop a personalised plan of time-limited support with the family.

How to access the service

There are 2 ways to access this service.

Refer yourself (self-referral)

If you are a parent or carer you can refer yourself if:

• you are supporting a child with a disability
• you are interested in attending a workshop or formal course

If your child or young person does not have a disability, you can refer yourself and will be invited to attend a workshop or sleep course when there are spaces available.

To self-refer, contact FIRST using the contact details below.

Referrals by professionals

Professionals can make referrals for family support, identified through a social care assessment, or where this is the most suitable type of support based on the needs of a family. 

Referrals to FIRST for family support must be made through the Duty Triage and Assessment Team.

Download and fill in the Multi-Agency Referral Form (MARF) and return it to the email address below.

Contact FIRST

If you have a question about the service or would like to refer yourself, contact the team.

E-mail: First@wokingham.gov.uk

Phone: 0118 974 6000 (option 5)