Children s Centre Activities and Services Enfield Children s Centres Activities and services that Enfield Children s Centres offer, including descriptions. Please find your local children s centre at www.enfield.gov.uk/if 0800 694 1066
Health Baby Weighing Health Volunteers There are several opportunities to volunteer in Enfield Children s Centres and work can include a range of tasks, such as admin duties, family support work, play and communication support work and crèche work as required by the children s centre. Breastfeeding Peer Support Midwives working within a children s centre provide a range of services including support to families in the local community. Midwives working in this way act as a resource for a range of local activities and opportunities that can be accessed through children s centres to enhance parenting skills. Peer Support available during baby clinics and other Children s Centre sessions with dedicated Breastfeeding Drop-in groups running at some Children s Centres. These groups provide a relaxed setting for women to seek ongoing support from other mothers as well as from skilled supporters. Older children as well as babies are very welcome at both groups. 2 Antenatal/ Postnatal Midwifery A drop-in baby weighing sessions, which gives parents the chance to discuss any concerns with a Health Visitor of Early Years Practitioner. Red books should be brought to these sessions. Health Visitors Health Visitors support various aspects of the universal offer and will be present at certain drop-in sessions. They also Health visitors write to all parents when their child is around 8 weeks old and invite them to a Baby Talk session at their local centre.
Change 4 Life Delivered by Children s Centres to encourage healthier eating and more exercise, as part of a national programme of activities and learning. Oral Health Service commissioned by Enfield Public Health, aimed at improving oral hygiene in children under 5, minimising dental decay in children (particularly in areas of high deprivation) and recruiting Parent Dental Advisors (PDAs). Enfield Parent Infant Partnership (EPIP) Health Immunisations Signposting, advice and information regarding immunisations before 1st and 2nd Birthday and prior to starting school. A service for parents-to-be and parents with babies (up to 18 months at referral) at risk of developing postnatal depression. The service works with parents to help understand and work out the feelings that they may be experiencing around issues such as PND, attachment and anxiety. 1 Year & 2.5 Year Checks Developmental check of 1 and 2.5 year olds delivered in Children s Centres by Health Visitors/Early Years Practitioners. Checks gross/fine motor skills, vision, communication, hearing, social skills, behaviour and safety. 3
Advice and Support Parents Forum Regular discussion sessions held at Children s Centres, giving parents the chance to voice their opinion on the running of and activities delivered by the centre. Family Support Family support work delivered with social work supervision and using the Family Star Plus tracking tool to assess progress and measure outcomes. Families may be targeted by the Children s Centre or may enter the service via a SPOE referral. Enfield s Hidden Harm Parental Substance Misuse Service A family focused service addressing the multiple and complex impacts of substance misuse on children and family life. The service provides needs based interventions to families where there are parental drug and / or alcohol issues, recognising the importance of whole family working wherever possible. Hidden Harm also offers Play Therapy, which is child led and non-directive, meaning that the child is the one in control of what he/she brings into the Play Therapy room. 4 Baby Massage Baby massage is introduced to parents via universal sessions as a means of promoting movement and physical activity and can also be offered by centres as a targeted programme to support attachment. Incredible Years Evidence-based accredited parenting programme. Each hub can provide one Incredible Years Programme each year, consisting of 12 weekly group contacts with each family being visited prior to the course during the setting up period. To be co-delivered by CAMHS and the centre s Family Support Worker.
Time to Listen Monthly parenting Educational Psychologists provide consultation slots delivered monthly hub meetings with SEND by the CAMHS/EP service to professionals, the Early Years Team & consider relationship issues, Children s Centre workers (Virtual SEND & early identification of Emotional Well-Being Team) to ensure that there SEND and emotional and is a timely and co-ordinated response to children behavioural needs. EPs will work with identified with SEND. referred children in a The team also tracks advice & support given co-ordinated way with other to PVIs so that good SEND practice, skills and professionals from the Virtual Team to knowledge can be embedded by providing ensure that each child s needs are: them with a co-ordinated service and assessed over time and in different contexts supports assessment, intervention his/her progress is mapped through using and schools readiness for a Plan, Do and Review cycle children with SEND. plans are in place for transition into school SENCO Assists Children s Centres and PVI settings to appropriately support Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disability. Advice and Support Education Psychologists and to ensure that: parents feel that there is a shared understanding of their child s needs and they feel confident that there is a robust transition plan when they move into the school setting This will involve termly contact with each referred child and interventions planned and reviewed with parents and PVIs (where applicable). 5
Advice and Support Social Worker The named Children s Centre social worker will provide clinical supervision to family support workers and oversee the development and suitability of case file management and motivational interviewing techniques, as well as ensuring that both staff and service users are appropriately safeguarded. Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities An inclusive, evidence-based parenting programme, designed to promote protective factors which are associated with good parenting and better outcomes for children. This is generally delivered in Children s Centres for parents with a higher level of need than would be accessing Incredible Years. Early Help/SPOE The SPOE is a multi-agency response designed to make it easier for professionals and agencies to access early targeted intervention and support when they have concerns about a child, young person or their family that requires a single / multi-agency response. The core members of the SPOE are Parent Support, Education Welfare, Social Care, Police and Health - they make up the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH.) This core group jointly risk assesses referrals and decides which service(s) need to be involved and where a multi-agency response is required. In certain cases Children s Centres will be required to adopt the role of lead agency and be responsible for engaging families and convening Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings. Children s Centres also provide an offer of early help to families that they engage with through day-to-day activities, delivered by Family Support Workers and Early Intervention Workers. 6
Service aimed at supporting parents of young children suffering domestic abuse, to provide a valuable part of a package of care and support in relation to the emotional damage and family breakdown that can be a consequence of this abuse and to facilitate resilience-building and coping mechanisms within the family unit. Early Intervention and Planning Meeting Monthly hub meetings for PVI SENCOs to raise concerns about children at an early stage of identifying additional needs and to provide them with a problem solving opportunity to consider their response and next steps. To also consider developmental issues that are pertinent to the Children s Centre development of SEN practices Therapeutic Team within EY settings. Early therapeutic intervention work with children under 5 and their parents is carried out by the CCTT. Referred MAPS families can receive up to 5 clinical Programme for sessions in the community. families with young The CCTT provides timely access to the Domestic children diagnosed with service for families who would normally Abuse Support Autism. The programme aims to have to wait for 12+ weeks if purely Practical support for help parents to learn more about assessed against CAMHS Tier 3 survivors of domestic abuse, Autism, understand how it affects criteria e.g. severe and enduring delivered through 1-2-1 a child s development, learn about presenting issues. face-to-face and telephone communication needs, understand support and often as part possible reasons for challenging of a multi-agency behaviour and know response. what resources are available. Advice and Support Counselling 7
Play and Communications Play and Communication Programme The Enfield programme is based on the methodology used by the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (LBBD) - this programme has been delivered in LBBD for several years and a strong evidence base exists for its success. Full details are available in the Play & Communication Programme Manual. Baby Talk Baby Talk is a 12 week rolling is a stay and play programme for children aged from 2 months old to 12 months. The Baby Talk programme is delivered by a range of professionals, including children centre staff and provides an informal play and stay session. Within these sessions parents are also offered information advice to help them understand on how babies develop and learn to communicate. Each session will have a different theme such as baby massage, 1st Aid and keeping babies safe and sleep patterns. During the 12 rolling programme there will be regular opportunities to meet with other professionals including those from health and there will be regular opportunities for baby weighing. Toddler Talk Toddler Talk is a 12 week rolling stay and play programme for children aged from 14-16 months old to 28 months. For parents Toddler Talk provides an inform session that supports them to understand how children learn to play and communicate as well as health issues. For children it provides a play and stay crèche activity. 8
Child Talk Child Talk is a 6 week programme for children who will be starting school nursery or school within 12 months. The sessions focus on health and child development with a strong emphasis on school readiness. Speech and Language Therapists A commissioned whole time equivalent speech and language therapist provides a support and development role to the Play and Communication programme. This includes TalkACTivity, advice sessions with parents, support to EI Workers using the profile tools and coordination of the programme. See the Play and Communication Programme Manual for more information. TalkACTivity Up to 11 week course for parents of children with identified minor SLCN, delivered as part of the Play and Communication programme. Play and Communications 9
Training/Outreach Numeracy & Money Management Advice Volunteer Programme/Training Numeracy courses (commissioned by the Integrated Commissioning Service) are delivered by Enfield Citizen Advice Bureau to support the ESOL provision detailed above. CAB also provide money management advice sessions to parents on a 1-2-1 basis and support staff to deliver such information through training sessions. Encouraged through training programmes delivered at Children s Centres by the Enfield s Early Years Quality and Outcomes Team and through regular engagement with parents. Parents will also be able to access work experience opportunities, helping them to develop the skills necessary for work. ESOL ESOL is commissioned by the Integrated Commissioning service and provided by the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London. It delivers a minimum of 18 courses per year (mainly at pre-entry level) for learners and tracks their progress on individual learning plans. 10 Job Centre Plus Access to Job Centre Plus advisors, training and employment opportunities.
Benefits & Employment Advice In addition to the above, CAB also provide advice and guidance on welfare benefits and support parents into employment through CV writing and training. Children s Centres also employ a welfare benefits advisor to provide additional support. AET Training A national, face-to-face 3 tier training programme for all professionals working in various early years settings for children up to 5 years. Including the early years autism standards and the early years autism competency framework. Training/Outreach Family Learning A range of learning activities, including ESOL, numeracy, introduction to childcare, volunteering opportunities and work experience. 11
Enfield Children s Centres To find your nearest Children s Centre and their up to date timetable of activities visit www.enfield.gov.uk/if Alternatively call 0800 694 1066 www.enfield.gov.uk/if