Introduction to Somer Valley Children's Centres

Family Information Service The Family Information Service (FIS) holds accurate and up to date information about all Ofsted-registered childcare (including childminders, nurseries, pre-schools, out-of-school clubs and holiday playschemes).

We also have information about Leisure Activities, Working with Children and Family Support.                

Childminders.

Information website for 0-20 year olds (1BigD).

Nurseries.

Out of School Clubs and Holiday Playschemes.

Parent and Toddler Groups.

Paying for Childcare.

Play Out, Hang Out - 28 new playspaces across B&NES Pre-schools and Playgroups.

Registered and Non-registered childcare.

Support and information for parents and carers of disabled children/children with special educational needs.

Triple P tip sheets.

Choice Advice - Secondary Schools Admissions Support for Parents.

Children's Centre Services.

Parental Support.

Teenage Pregnancy.

Voluntary Part of the Childcare Register.

working together for health & well-being

Introduction to Somer Valley Children’s Centre Services (covering Peasedown, Radstock, Midsomer Norton, Paulton and surrounding villages)

If you would like further details, please see our website: www.bathnes.gov.uk.

To talk to someone about childcare or play, please call:

0800 073 1214.

Email:

fis@bathnes.gov.uk.

Write to us:

Keynsham Town Hall, Temple Street, Keynsham, BS31 1ED.

Children’s Centre Services Early education, childcare, health and 12 support for children and their families.

Children’s Centre Services Early education, childcare, health1and support for children and their families.

Administrators Karen Eyre Rae Billing

Dear Parent/ Carer, Welcome to your Sure Start Children’s Centre introductory guide.

This booklet will tell you more about the services that you can access through your local children’s centre. The Children’s Centre could be useful to you in a variety of ways particularly if you are a pregnant mum, dad to be or a parent/carer with children aged 0 to 5 years.

Please have a look at this booklet and feel free to contact me if you feel that we can help you in any way.

Yours sincerely

Business Marketing Manager Office Manager and Finance (Cluster wide)

Family Support Team Based at Radstock Children’s & Youth Centre, Church Street, Radstock, BA3 3QQ Snr Early Years Practitioners/EYP Outreach/Family Support Worker

01225 395447 01225 395447

Family Information Service Worker (P/T) Funding Advice Officer (Tues)

0800 073 1214 01225 396660

Southside Project Based at

Southside, Meade House, Wedgewood Road Bath BA2 1QN

Family Support Workers Manager: Lucy Fordham

Heidi Limbert Children’s Centre Services Manager Somer Valley Children’s Centre cluster

01225 331243

Comments or questions

Contact Telephone number 01225 396660 If you would like this information in another language or format such as Braille, large print or audio, please ask us.

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01225 396660 01225 396660

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Contact Details for your local Children’s Centre

Contents Peasedown Children’s Centre Youth and Children’s Centre, Bath Road, Peasedown St John BA2 8DH Co-ordinator: Administrator: Link Health Visitor:

Judith Parr Judi Grabowski Judith Heath

Radstock Children’s Centre Youth and Children’s Centre, Church Street, Radstock, BA3 3QQ Co-ordinator: Administrators: Link Health Visitor:

Nicky Holt 01225 396660 Rae Billing / Chloe Fletcher Angela Madeley

Radstock Children’s Centre Nursery, Kilmersden Road, RADSTOCK BA3 3QH Co-ordinator: Administrators:

Kelly Murphy 01761 420892 Kirsty Bayford Lisa Pullin / Deborah Barrow

Westfield Children’s Centre (Annexe) Longfellow Road, Westfield, Radstock BA3 3XX Link Health Visitor:

Judith Sellers

Page No

01225 396792 Welcome Statement

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Contents Page

3

What is a Children’s Centre?

4-5

Children’s Centre Vision for Families

6

Comments and Suggestions

7

Policies and Procedures

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Contact Details for your local Children’s Centres

10 - 11

Family Information Service (FIS)

Back page

01225 395431

Midsomer Norton Children’s Centre Pow’s Orchard (off car park behind Sainsbury’s) Midsomer Norton BA3 2HY Co-ordinator: Administrator: Link Health Visitor:

Juliet Davis Elaine Cowley Karen Jones

01225 396858 01761 408358

Paulton Children’s Centre Services Plumptre Close, Paulton, BS39 7QY Co-ordinator: Jed Parsons Administrator: Helen Reading Link Health Visitors: Karen Holman 10

01225 396997 01761 408378 3

Children’s Centres

How can Children’s Centres help me?

Children’s Centres are there to make it easier for you to find and use a range of activities and services including quality childcare. They give you opportunities to meet and share experiences with other parents and carers.

They also provide you with simple and straight forward access to help.

What is a Children’s Centre?

A Children’s Centre aims to join up services for you and your young child(ren) (0-11yrs).

Each Children’s Centre is different, with activities, services and facilities tailored to meet the particular needs of local children and families.

Where is my local Children’s Centre?

Services are delivered in different venues across the community.

Contact details on page 10.

Some examples of this might be: • Health advice such as giving up smoking or healthy eating.

• Parenting support such as ideas about how to manage difficult behaviour.

• Financial or benefits advice such as working out Working Tax Credit.

• Help with finding a job or a local college course.

Who works at the Children’s Centre?

A wide range of agencies who work with young children and families are linked to the Children’s Centre.

These include Health Visitors, Childminders, Family Support and Early Years Workers, Teachers, Information and Advice Officers as well as Speech and Language Therapists and, occasionally, Midwives.

Health and Safety: Health and safety matters are important to us all. Everyone who uses the centre or our services has a responsibility.

We want to minimize and avoid hazards to health and safety wherever possible and therefore aim to make all staff, parents, carers, trainees and volunteers and children aware of any health and safety issues.

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Please refer to Food and Nutrition Policy, No Smoking Policy, Health and Safety Policy.

At the Children’s Centre we must also comply with the terms of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and all subsequent and relevant legislation. When you first have contact with the Children’s Centre you will be given a tour of the premises and will be informed about our health and safety principles. This is to help you to keep your family and other families safe and protected from possible harm.

Meeting Families’ Individual Needs: The Children’s Centres welcome all families regardless of disability, race, age, gender, sexuality, class or religion.

We understand that all individuals and families are different and will try to make sure that we can provide for your family’s unique needs and circumstances wherever possible.

The main rules that we ask parents and carers to comply with are as follows:

Please refer to Access and Inclusion Policy Equal Opportunities Policy Behaviour: In the Children’s Centre we will always encourage and support parents and carers to deal with children’s behaviour in a supportive and constructive manner.

Hot drinks.

To ensure child safety, we are unable to offer hot drinks at our fun-filled child-focussed groups unless our venue / activity risk assessment demonstrates it is safe to do so. Parent-support focussed groups will offer hot drinks where possible. We thank you for your support around this.

What services will the Children’s Centre provide?

Children’s Centres will provide you with information about local childcare and early years provision, family support services, drop-in sessions for families and links to health visitors, midwives and Job Centre plus.

No Smoking.

Smoking is not permitted in the building or in the grounds that surround our building.

We do understand how hard it can be to stop smoking and will support parents and carers who are trying to give up to access relevant services. .

Please refer to Promoting Positive Behaviour Policy.

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The Children’s Centre staff team has a statutory duty to discuss any serious Child Protection In order to make sure that our concerns with appropriate services for families are safe, agencies. We will always aim to healthy, of good quality and meet discuss such concerns with everyone’s needs, we have a set of relevant policies and procedures. parents before passing them on.

These provide information about Please refer to our Child what we aim to achieve in our work Protection Policy for more with families and how we will work detailed information. to achieve them.

Mobile Phones You are welcome to read all of We ask that you do not use your our policies and procedures. mobile phone or camera whilst at The ‘Children’s Centre Services the Children’s Centre.

Policies & Procedures’ file is This is because we hope you and available in each foyer. your child have the best We would particularly like to draw opportunity to play and learn your attention to the following together during your session. issues as we need to make sure We also have an obligation to that you are aware of them. protect your own or other people’s children so that images Child Protection: of them are not being shared.

The Children’s Centre fully recognises the contribution that it Confidential Matters: must make in protecting, Mutual trust between the supporting and promoting the Children’s Centre Staff and the welfare of children. families who use our centres is The staff team is committed to essential for the successful ensuring that children are safe, provision of services. All personal Child Protection practice is information will be treated as effective and procedures are confidential and we will seek followed. The staff will make consent from parents and carers every attempt possible to ensure prior to sharing information with that children are safe from abuse other agencies. The only or harm during their time at the exception to this is where we centre, and be vigilant in their have concerns over matters observations of children who may which are related to Child be exhibiting signs or symptoms Protection. of harm.

Please refer to ‘Confidentiality Policy’, ‘Child Protection Policy’.

Policies & Procedures

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You and your family could benefit from Children’s Centres in lots of ways. For example: 

We are keen for local parents to be involved in deciding what services and activities are provided and when they are run.

Providing somewhere to chat with someone who understands the highs and lows of being a parent and carer.

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Giving your child regular opportunities to play with other children which will help build their confidence and social skills.

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Helping you develop your parenting skills through understanding more about things such as how children learn through play.

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Helping you choose childcare that might help you balance work and family life.

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Gaining support surrounding difficulties you may be having in any of your relationships.

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Attending one of our popular parenting courses to support you in understanding your child’s behaviour.

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How can I find out more and get involved?

We have regular meetings planned in your local Children’ s Centre area which we hope parents will attend, alongside others, to tell us what the needs are in the area, what is working well and what’s not.

We also actively encourage parents to work with us as a volunteer within our groups.

If you are interested in either of these please ring us on 01225 396660 or 01225 396858.

How do I contact my local Children’s Centre?

Accessing the internet for information surrounding latest job vacancies and on-line support services.

For details and locations of our buildings as well as associated staff, please see pages 10 and 11 of this booklet.

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Children’s Centre Vision for Families

Comments and Suggestions

Our Aim:

Your comments and suggestions are welcome….

Somer Valley Children’s Centre Service’s aim is to support all children and families to reach their full potential by enabling them to stay safe, be healthy, to enjoy life and achieve their personal goals, participate in community life and work towards achieving their own financial security.

As a family using the Children’s Centre we are always keen to hear what you think of the services that we provide. By hearing your views, we can plan for the future and hopefully continually improve and develop.

Our Objectives:  Whenever a child or family has contact with Children’s Centre services they will feel valued and respected.

If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions to make about any aspect of our service, please write your feedback or suggestions on one of our “Comments and Suggestions” forms available in each of our Children’s Centres, and post it in our comments box.

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The Children’s Centre and associated agencies will provide a range of services which are available to all families and can be tailored to meet individual families’ needs.

Families can ask for support from the Children’s Centre as and when they need it. If we are unable to help, we will assist families to find the support that they need.

We will then do our best to act on what you tell us.

If you would rather speak to someone in person or you have a serious concern or complaint that needs immediate attention, please speak to a member of staff.

Written complaints may also be sent to:

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The Children’s Centre will support families at the earliest opportunity to try and prevent small issues turning into big ones.

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When families find it difficult to come to the centre we will make alternative arrangements to support them.

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We will listen to what families say about our services and will ensure that we develop them over time.

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The Children’s Centre will provide opportunities for families and other centre users to develop new skills and experience.

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All families will be encouraged to take an active part in the running of the Children’s Centre.

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Heidi Limbert, Children’s Centre Services Manager Radstock Children’s & Youth Centre, Church Street, Radstock BA3 3QG. By the way, any good comments that you want to make are welcome too!

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