Parents and Carers
What is Connexions?
If you’re a parent or carer of a teenager in Oxfordshire, Connexions can help you to help them achieve their best.
Connexions is a free and confidential service for all young people aged between 13 and 19, or up to the age of 25 for those with a learning difficulty or disability.
The level of support depends on the needs of the young person.
Connexions is provided by Oxfordshire County Council Integrated Youth Support Service.
Personal Advisers
All young people can see a Connexions Personal Adviser (PA), who can support them with information, advice and guidance on a wide range of issues. These might include:
- careers and job searches/searching
- education and training
- personal development
- leisure time and volunteering
- legal matters and the law
PAs are based in Connexions Centres, and also in schools, colleges and youth centres. Find your local Connexions Centre.
When young people need more in-depth help and support Connexions PAs can provide one-to-one guidance, or extra information, advice and guidance about all kinds of issues. These might include:
- relationships and counselling
- money and housing
- drug and alcohol abuse
- health and sexual health
PAs are there to help find the answers to questions and problems. If they don’t have the answer themselves, they will refer the young person to a specialist adviser or organisation that can help.
Advisers can help you, too
As well as helping young people, our job is also to support you. By working together, we can help young people to:
- understand all their options
- carefully consider their choices
- make their own decisions
Some young people will only want to access information on careers and education, while others may need long-term guidance to help them overcome a range of problems. But whatever their situation, the young person will benefit from having you involved too.
Ways a Connexions PA can help you:
- Spending time with you, either at school parents’ evenings or at your local Connexions Centre
- Answering your questions, and giving you all the information you need.
- Giving you free publications, leaflets and educational materials.
- Working with you to help young people make the right choices.
Don’t forget that you can contact us yourself about the support we offer to young people.
Connexions Direct
Connexions Direct is part of the Connexions Service and offers young people aged between 13 and 19 quick access to information and advice on a wide range of topics through one easy to use website.
You or your son or daughter can also speak to a trained Connexions Direct Adviser by telephone, webchat, email or text message. They are trained to listen, offer confidential advice and provide practical help.
Connexions Direct Advisers are available to take calls from 8.00 am to 2.00 am seven days a week.
- Phone: 080 800 13219 (they can call back to save your bill)
- Text: 07766 413219 (no picture messages please!)
- Web: www.connexions-direct.com
Confidentiality
Connexions PAs will encourage young people to discuss any support they receive from us with their parents or carers. We find that agreements, plans and actions have the best chance of success when parents and carers are actively involved.
All discussions and meetings are confidential, unless the young person gives us permission to talk to someone else. This might include contacting a potential employer on their behalf, or sharing information with a specialist adviser.
PAs have a duty to protect young people from harm, so very occasionally they have to break the confidentiality agreement. However, if this happens, we will always let the young person know.
