Newsletter January 2011 Dear All Since our last newsletter we have seen our local Sure Start Children’s Centres grow from strength to strength, with particular highlights being – •The official handover of Abbotts Langley and Shenley Village Children’s Centres. •Being able to report that we have over 3436 children now registered and accessing services across our 10 Children’s Centre areas. •The start of the building works of the long awaited Bushey Children’s Centres, The Reddings, which will be on the site on Bushey Meads School and Bushey Mill Children’s Centre which is part of the rebuild of Highwood Primary School. •And also the building works have started at the Furzefield Centre and we hope to be able to begin to use the Furzefield Children’s Centre early in the New Year. The last few months have also been a time of challenge, we, with so many other service providers, have anxiously been waiting to understand how the Government’s recent Comprehensive Spending Review will impact on the service we offer. It does appear that the Government are committed to the continuation of Sure Start, however, we still are waiting on receiving details of our future funding. www.hertsmere-children.co.uk Even in this time of uncertainty we have remained positive and proactive. We have been working hard to ensure that the services we offer are high quality, cost effective and making a difference to local children. As part of this work we have been encouraging local parents and carers to give their views, we would like to say a big thank you to so many parents and carers who have taken the time to give us feedback either through informal chats with staff, evaluation questionnaires, sitting on our various Advisory Boards or through volunteering at the Centres, all these contributions have been invaluable. Liz Applin, Children’s Centre Director Peppa Pig attends the opening of Abbots Langley Children’s Centre Peppa Pig visited Abbots Langley on Friday 22nd October to help local children and their families celebrate the opening of the new Abbots Langley Children’s Centre and Breakspeare Community Pre School. The new building in School Mead opened its doors on Friday afternoon and a hundred or so families turned up to see the new building and to have their photos taken with Peppa Pig. The opening ceremony was marked by Councillor Ron Spellen, Chairman of Three Rivers District, making a speech and introducing Phil Collins, Chief Executive of Hertsmere Leisure. Councillor Spellen said: ‘It is a pleasure to see so many of you here today and I am sure you will appreciate the hard work put in by staff to make the day such a success. This is a welcome addition to Abbots Langley’. The ribbon was cut by little Sophie Miller who regularly attends the Children’s Centre. To contact Hertsmere Leisure’s Children’s Centres head office please ring: 020 8386 4038 Hertsmere Leisure is a registered charity. Charity no: 1093653 Councillor Jane Pitman, Lead Children’s Services; Sophie Miller, Peppa Pig, Councillor Spellen and Phil Collins January 2011 Children at Abbots Langley Children’s Centre welcome Peppa Pig Healthy Lifestyles in Potters Bar and South Mimms Building Work Has Begun In Bushey The building work is now taking place at Highwood School. We were very pleased to take part in the official Grass Cutting on the 11th November to mark the start of the work. Our Children’s Centre will be called Bushey Mill Children’s Centre and will be at the front of the new school building, this will take a year to build and will be open for services in January 2012. We will keep you posted on the progress and our team very much look forward to working from there. We have been working really hard this last term to promote Healthy Lifestyles. There are a variety of sessions running throughout the week that support and promote Health Lifestyles for the whole family. For children and parents we run two physical activity sessions called ‘Sticky Kids’ and ‘Move It’. These sessions are designed to develop children’s physical skills and provide parents and carers with a pretty good workout too!! Madelieine Honour Bushey and Radlett Children’s Centres First Aid sessions are on offer through the Children’s Centre and parents / carers will learn about resuscitation and how to manage emergency situations. These sessions are really popular and we have had great feedback. If you wish to book onto a First Aid course contact your local Children’s Centre. Since October half term we are delighted to have been offering a ‘Post Natal Toning’ class in partnership with the Furzefield Centre. The uptake for this class has been really positive and we have received some fantastic comments from the ladies that have been accessing the course so far. If you live in Potters Bar or South Mimms and would like to book a place on this class please contact PB1 Children’s Centre on 01707 658 547. Hertsmere Leisure is now offering a lifestyle management programme free of charge to residents of Hertsmere who want to make a change to their lives. Funded by Hertsmere Together the programme is run over 12 weeks, each programme is designed to look at the individual’s lifestyle and identify where changes can be made. Participants will receive one to one sessions with an instructor, will be given the opportunity to try out a variety of activities at their Local Leisure Centre free of charge and everyone who completes the programme will be rewarded with one month’s FREE membership. If you are interested please contact sharon.west@hertsmereleisure.co.uk Toy Library Transport Timetable To Spring 2011 y Library Davina Wilson Potters Bar and South Mimms Children’s Centres Children’s Centres Hertsmere Leisure Children’s Centres Ages and Stages Group In Bushey Ages and Stages is a growing group which meets every Tuesday at St James Church, Bushey, between 1 pm – 3 pm. The group enables parents to drop in and discuss the various challenges parenting can bring. It is an “ informal group where parents can support each other and share ideas and information over a nice cup of tea while their children play happily in the crèche. Parents are supported by our Children’s Centre Staff covering subjects on behaviour, routines, play and home safety. (limited spaces available in the crèche, please ring the booking line on 020 8421 7140 or 020 8421 7113) Madelieine Honour Bushey and Radlett Children’s Centres Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 10:00 – 10.45 Park Street Village Hall Olivers Close Park Street St Albans AL2 2NJ Dates:10 Jan – 4 April (not 21st February) 9:30 -12:00 The BECC Shakespeare Drive Borehamwood WD6 2FD All year 9:30 – 11:00 PB1 Chace Ave Potters Bar EN6 5NP Dates: 12 Jan – 6 April (not 23rd February) 10:00 – 11:30 Furzefield Children’s Centre Mutton Lane Potters Bar EN6 3BW Dates: 3 March - 7 April (not 24th February) 9:30 – 10:15 Abbots Langley Community Centre Manor House Grounds Abbots Langley WD5 0AP Dates: 14 Jan – 8 April (not 25th February) 1:30 – 2:30 The Venue Elstree Way Borehamwood WD6 1JY Dates:11 Jan – 5 April (not 21st February) 1:30 – 2:30 First Place Nursery Falconer Road Bushey WD23 3AQ Dates: 12 Jan – 6 April (not 23rd February) 1:15 – 2:00 Radlett Library Aldenham Avenue Radlett WD7 8HL Dates:13 Jan – 7 April (not 24th February) 11.00 – 12.00 Shenley Chapel Radlett Lane Shenley WD7 9DW Dates: 14 Jan – 1 April (not 25th February) “ 11:00 – 12:00 The Hartspring Community Centre Hartspring Lane Watford WD23 2BJ Dates:10 Jan – 4 April (not 21st February) Abbots Langley and Park Street & St Stephens Children’s Centres Team News On 21st September our very first Children’s Centre baby was born! Little Harry arrived and made Sam Glynn of the Abbots Langley & Park Street team a very proud mum. Sam is currently on maternity leave enjoying every second of being a new mum and the team have welcomed Tina Miller to the team, who is covering for Sam. Meet Our Staff At The Market Stall In Borehamwood Visit the Children’s Centre stall at the Market on Shenley Road, Borehamwood every Tuesday morning from January 2011. Come and have a chat with our friendly staff and see what the Children’s Centre has on offer for families with children aged 0 – 5 years. There are a range of exciting FREE fun activities and workshops families can easily access. Staff are on hand to offer advice, support and signpost families if needed. All you have to do is register with the Children’s Centre and you will open up a whole new world for you and your family to explore together. Boards in Schools In the last two years the Children’s Centre has built up strong links with our local pre-schools and schools in the Borehamwood, Elstree and Shenley areas. Our latest project has been to have our own Children’s Centre Promotional Boards in settings. Almost every pre-school and school in the local area has given the thumbs up to this idea and we are now thrilled to be able to promote and inform parents/carers and their children what the Children’s Centre has on offer . Boards will be updated on a half termly basis to keep families informed of new developments, activities, workshops etc…Keep your eyes peeled and see if you can spot our new boards! Helping Children Enjoy and Achieve One of our biggest achievements in the Autumn term has been the strong links we have made and are continuing to make with our schools and pre-schools in the Borehamwood and Shenley areas. The Borehamwood/Shenley Team have been busy this term working closely with individual schools and providing a tailored service for parents/carers and their children to support their children’s learning and development. Parents/carers and their children from Parkside Primary School in Borehamwood have been getting messy and having lots of fun in our Creative Play sessions on Thursday afternoons. Children and their parents/carers have enjoyed exploring different materials and using household objects to create wonderful pieces of Art. The children from St Nicholas Primary School in Elstree have been enjoying learning new songs and listening to new Stories at our Fun with Stories sessions on Tuesday afternoons. In addition, they have been using their practical skills producing pictures, making sandwiches and creating musical instruments. In the Spring term we are looking forward to a Sticky Kids, music and movement, session which will take place at Saffron Green Primary School on Wednesdays. Susie Scutt Team Leader for Borehamwood, Elstree and Shenley Children’s Centres Rospa’s Safe at Home Scheme with Hertsmere Leisure Did you know that the majority of injuries to children under 5 happen at home? For babies and young children, the family home is their world. As they grow it becomes a big world of discovery with new experiences waiting around every corner. This is how they learn – but all too often this can lead to serious injury in the place where they should be safest of all. The startling fact is that the overwhelming majority of injuries to children under five happen at home. From scalds and burns to bumps, falls and accidental poisoning – the list goes on and on. You don’t want to wrap them in cotton wool, but just what can you do to keep them safe in the home? If you live in Hertsmere and are unemployed or on low income and in receipt of benefits and have an under 5 year old in the house, then we can offer to come and do a free home safety check and supply and fit some home safety equipment that could include: Safety Gates, Window Restrictors, Non-slip bath or shower mat, Fireguard, Cupboard locks and Corner Cushions For more information contact The BECC Children’s Centre on 020 8386 4038. This session is to enable children the opportunity to develop their concentration, listening, spatial awareness and balancing skills whilst ‘playing’ and having fun with their parents/carers. The Children’s Centre foster an active learning environment and promote parents as children’s first teachers from informal learning through opportunities to accredited learning. Through offering parents/carers the opportunity of attending a range of sessions along with their children, we hope to increase their knowledge and understanding of their children’s development and enable them to implement new strategies to support their children’s learning. We hope this will result in parents/carers feeling more effective as parents and ultimately able to enjoy the experience of parenting fully. Susie Scutt Team Leader for Borehamwood, Elstree and Shenley Council Potters Bar and South Mimms Team Fire Safety at Potters Bar We have had another busy term with lots of families accessing our services. Of the families with 0-5 year olds 62% of children registered in Potters Bar East and 42% of children registered in Potters Bar West and South Mimms. We are delighted that so many families are now attending Children’s Centre services but would like to increase these numbers. If you have any family or friends that aren’t currently registered with us please bring them along to a session to meet the team and fill out a form. Our topic of the month for November was ‘Fire Safety’. Information is displayed at sessions and staff are on hand to support families further if required. As part of this weeks focus we invited Potters Bar Fire Service to our Play and Stay session. The children had a great time and a big thank you to Potters Bar Fire Service for taking the time to come. We are working really hard to gain families views about the Children’s Centre services and the community as a whole. We have introduced ‘Question of the Week’, which we are asking families to participate in. Feedback boxes can be found at all Children’s Centre sessions and in the foyer at PB1. Your feedback is invaluable and helps shape future services so please continue to provide us with your views. Davina Wilson Potters Bar and South Mimms Children’s Centres Davina Wilson Potters Bar and South Mimms Children’s Centres Frequently Asked Questions Top Ten Frequently asked questions from parents Q) Why do sessions change or move location? A) We evaluate all our activities and may make changes to suit the wider community we serve, we also move location to make sessions available to all parents/carers in different parts of the areas. Q) What’s the difference between Ages and Stages and Parenting Puzzle? A) Ages and stages is informal drop-in session where parent can support each other through the challenges of parenthood with children 0-5 years. Parenting Puzzle is far more structured giving strategies to help children and parents manage their feelings and behaviour. Q) How much is it to attend your sessions? A ) All our sessions are free although you need to pay a £1.00 to put your child in the Crèche Q)Do you have any groups that support parents of children with additional needs? A) We will be hosting a monthly Additional Needs Support Group at The BECC from January 2011 – times and dates to be confirmed – for more information please contact The BECC on 0208 386 4038. Q) Is there a drop in session that I can come to for support and advice? A) Yes, we run a Parent Support Group at the BECC on a Monday from 12.45pm – 2.45pm (term time only). There is a crèche facility available for parents with children aged from 0-5 years (a fee of £1.00 will be charged per child).This group gives parents a chance to meet and talk about how your child is developing. A great opportunity for parents to get together and have the chance to share information and give other parents valuable tips and strategies in a relaxed and friendly environment. Q) What groups are available for specific ages? A) Most sessions are for children aged 0-5 years but we do have other groups that are targeted for specific ages such as Baby Massage and Welcome to the World. Q) What else do you do? A) We run targeted groups, signpost families on to other professionals and make links with the wide community e.g. Pre-schools, Primary Schools, Doctors and Nurseries. Q) How are you funded? A) Hertsmere Leisure Children’s Centres are funded by Sure Start and managed by Hertsmere Leisure. We do not charge for sessions but those who wish to pay are welcome to put money in the donation pot available at all sessions. Q) What qualifications do your staff have/need? A) All the Children’s Centre staff are qualified in Childcare, Healthcare or Social Care to at least Level 3. We regularly attend extra training, such as Safeguarding children, First Aid, Food Hygiene and Baby Massage. All members of staff need to enjoy working with children and families. Q) How can I get involved with Children’s Centres? A) There are lots of opportunities to volunteer in your local Children’s Centre. Also you may be interested in attending your Advisory Board. How can parents/carers help children to love learning? To a young child every experience is new and different. New foods, new journeys, new friends, new songs, new stories and a new day every day. There are many practical things parents/carers can do to assist a young child’s love of learning. Many learning activities can be incorporated into everyday activities such as helping within the home, on an outing to buy shopping, a bus or train journey or a visit to family or friends. Encouraging young children to join you in your daily activities provides them with opportunities to develop their independence and learn along the way. “If you play with me… “If you sing to me.. “If you read to me.. “If you talk with me… Then I’ll know what it’s all about!” Helping within the home allows for many learning opportunities whilst playing “grown ups”. Young children love to use their imagination and pretend to be the adult. When sorting clothes for washing, you can help your child sort clothes by colour, size, type and fabric providing many opportunities to extend their skills. When shopping with your child, if they are able, let them have their own basket to collect items. Again they can sort products – would they like to choose a red or green apple, small potatoes or large potatoes, the long bread stick or round bread rolls. A bus or train journey allows young children to look out of the window and see the world about them. Different buildings, bridges, cars, lorries, animals, fields, different trees and so much more. Sometimes a bus journey from home to the shops provides children with an awareness of their wider environment. A visit to family or friends can provide opportunities to develop positive relationships with others, a sense of belonging, exploring feelings and sharing. Sharing food, sharing toys, sharing books, sharing new experiences every day. Lydia Christensen Qualified Teacher