Contact Children's Services - Achieving for Children (AfC)

The service areas delivered by Achieving for Children (AfC) are:

• Prevention and early help
• Child protection
• Social care
• Education
• Health integration

Single Point of Access (SPA)

SPA deals with children's safeguarding issues. It is a multi-agency team that takes referrals and enquiries about child protection or new referrals. It is not for general enquiries about AfC services, or school admissions, free school meals, school transport, freedom of information requests or services for children with SEN.

If a child or young person is in immediate danger, customers must call 999.

Parents, carers and professionals can request for support or report a concern about a child or young person by completing the secure online referral form. 

Contact SPA by:

• Telephone: 020 8547 5008 from 8am to 5.15pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am to 5pm on Friday. 
• Out of hours team: 020 8770 5000

Find out more information about SPA.

Family Information Service (FIS)

FIS offer a telephone and web service, providing information for parents, parents to be, carers and professionals to help support children up to their 20th birthday, or 25th birthday if a child has a disability.

FIS offer:

• Information about childcare, including:
  • Registered childminders, nurseries, pre-school playgroups and out of school and holiday care
  • Career opportunities in childcare and play work
  • Help available to pay for childcare
• Advice about Early Education, including:
  • Funding for two, three and four-year-olds. Including the 30 hour childcare offer
  • Activities for children, including toddler groups and leisure and play activities
• Support groups and parenting information
• Free school meals

Contact the FIS by:

• Telephone: 020 8547 5215
• Email: fis@achievingforchildren.org.uk 

Visit the AfC website for more FIS information.

For information about free school meals:

• Telephone: 020 8547 5448
• Email: freeschoolmeals@achievingforchildren.org.uk 

To find out more visit the free school meals page on our website. 

School Admissions

The School Admissions team deals with:

• School places
• School admission
• Registering for a school
• Appeals

The team operates a call-back service only.

Contact the team by:

• Telephone: 020 8547 5569 - voice mail message only
• Email: richmond.admissions@achievingforchildren.org.uk 

Visit the AfC website for more school admissions information.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) team

SEN offers help and support with:

• Education and Healthcare Plans (EHCP) - replace statements of SEN

Transition includes:

• Preparing for adulthood  
• Transition to adult services 
• Children to adult specialist services 
• From school to FE College 
• Higher education  
• Employment 
• Training or apprenticeships 
• From paediatric to adult health services   

Contact SEN by:

• Telephone: 020 8547 5872
• Email: senteam@achievingforchildren.org.uk 

Contact SEN transport by:

• Telephone: 020 8547 4708   
• Email: sen_transport@achievingforchildren.org.uk  

Visit the AfC website for more SEN information.

Education Welfare Service 

This service offers:

• School attendance
• Absence from school
• Home education
• Specialist support for Travellers and asylum seekers
• Child licensing
  • Children in employment licensing
  • Children in entertainment licensing
  • Chaperone licences

Contact details for the Education Welfare Service:

• Telephone: 020 8487 5217
• Email: ews@achievingforchildren.org.uk 

Visit the AfC website for more educational welfare information.

Way2work

Way2Work deals with:

• Apprenticeships  
• Traineeships

Contact Way2Work by:

• Telephone: 020 8831 6353 
• Email: way2work@achievingforchildren.org.uk  

To find out more visit the Way2work page on the AfC website.

Procurement and tendering

Call 020 8891 7808 for queries about procurement and tendering for Children's Services.

Other teams

For further details about other teams, visit the AfC contact us page.