Eastcotts Children's Centre 2007
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Eastcotts Children’s Centre Eastcotts Children’s Centre 2007: what we have achieved so far… “At Eastcotts, the staff are a welcome fountain of knowledge, and always reassuring if there is something we are unsure about. It’s useful to talk to other parents, too, as there is always “I have never been anywhere quite like someone with a piece of helpful Eastcotts. It is exactly what I needed, advice, and we really welcome when I needed it, a great place for that feedback.” families, and for us.” Lee Francis Amanda Badhan In this report you can meet some of our parents and children, and hear about their Foreword: Challenges and Achievements journeys through the Centre’s services and programmes…and see clearly what type of impact it has had on their lives and how they have benefited!’ Best possible start in life Every Child Matters Construction and Centre opening Foreword: Five main achievements of We aim to help every child in Eastcotts to achieve We are also working closely – through our Core Clare Jolly, Manager, the best possible start in life through supporting their Offer – to the Government’s five Every Child Matters Eastcotts Children’s Centre education, health and family activities. We also Themes (developed in consultation with children), Clare Jolly takes us through what she Eastcotts Children’s Centre aim to involve families fully in planning and which are: reviewing our activities. sees as Eastcotts Children’s Centre’s five • being healthy main achievements. Popular activities and services • staying safe 1) The development and building of the Children’s Centre • enjoying and achieving Activities we have run recently include the very itself. For a long time it looked as if Eastcotts would not get • making a positive contribution popular Cooking with Catherine classes, the ‘How • achieving economic well-being. a building, or the services it had been lacking. But it did! To Get The Best Out Of Family Life’ parenting puzzle programme, and the Once Upon a Time early 2) We were the first mini SureStart programme to achieve Thank you language group. Children’s Centre designation, a fact which was Finally, as Manager of Eastcotts Children’s Centre, recognised in a visit by the SureStart National Director, Play Together and all our baby groups remain I would like to take this opportunity to thank all staff, Naomi Eisenstadt. firm favourites. And, as usual, parents and babies partners and parents/carers for their hard work, 3) Our relationship with the families. Many times parents attending our baby massage groups have been dedication and commitment to the objective of ‘mega – chilled’ by the end of their sessions. delivering high quality services to our families…and have said that they feel as if the staff are friends, as well as practitioners… and that their children adore coming to the thank you to the families who have used our services Naomi Eisenstadt on right One-off events include mural painting, trips out to for letting us be a part of your lives. Centre. There can be no greater satisfaction than hearing theme parks and exploring our new local woodland. this, and often when a parent and child come back to visit Clare Jolly, Manager, Eastcotts Children’s Centre We have also been busy at all the local fetes and us having moved on to work and school respectively, we fun days. all have a tear in our eyes. Welcome to our celebration Parent training 4) Our events. Often staff and volunteers work many hours document, which highlights of overtime to pull off exciting days, and on a shoestring Parents have enjoyed the Getting Started in Childcare budget. One example was our recent ‘Eastcotts by the the achievements of children, course, and some are embarking on further training Sea’ day where we brought all the fun of the seaside and careers. The new counselling service has also here to the Centre with paddling, sandcastles and even carers and staff here at Eastcotts been extremely well received, with parents often feeling fish and chips! Children’s Centre. Since our that the burden of years of pressure is finally lifting for them, as they learn to tackle problems head on! 5) The scale of the project. With only the equivalent of designation as a Children’s Centre three full-time staff members, we manage to provide in November 2005, we have gone Outreach families with a very full programme of events and support Opened by Councillor Rita Drinkwater and four year from strength to strength…and Our outreach programme is expanding and we throughout the year… including groups, events and old Harry Jarvis with Bob Thompson from Bedfordshire have been able to meet and get to know many more outreach support visits for families who require one-to-one County Council on 2nd Nov 2006. Harry was the first are now an integral part of the families in the community, and support them until they support over a prescribed length of time. Eastcotts by the sea 2 SureStart Shortstown baby. Clare Jolly (on far right). local community. feel confident enough to venture further afield. 3 Being Healthy During 2005-2007, Eastcotts Children’s Learning about a different way of life Children’s Centre was very useful, and when we Centre developed a range of integrated Eastcotts Children’s Centre move back I can take a lot of what I have learned Part of the reason for getting involved in Sure Start services that deliver to the ‘Every Child with me. Each system has its merits, and I think it will was Shelene’s desire to make friends for herself and Matters’ Theme of Being Healthy, has helped Shelene’s family be helpful to be able to combine the best of the two.” her children, and to learn more about the British including the following… society which was still relatively new to her. “I wanted to settle in England – and An extended family • Baby Massage to meet other mums, and for Ebony to get to know • Free toothbrushes, head lice combs and related introduced her to some the children she would later be going to school with,” Being a member of Eastcotts Children’s Centre has activities for families e.g. Dino the Dinosaur comes to explains Shelene. “I feel that if you are going to live provided Shelene with a replacement for the family visit the pre-school to talk about caring for your teeth strange British food! in a completely different culture, it’s important to she has left behind in Jamaica. “It really is like a • Healthy eating courses for parents (and Eastcotts embrace that way of life, and meeting people at the family there,” she says. “I feel welcome whenever I Children’s Centre recently won a Healthy Eating Award) Getting to know a new area Children’s Centre has really helped us to learn about go and I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet • Baby Club. the way people live in Britain.” new people and to find out about the area and what Shelene has lived in the UK for five years, having • Support for specific conditions e.g. menu is going on. Ebony has made some good friends, moved with her husband from her native Jamaica planning for diabetes. Discovering British cuisine too, and she has gained a great deal of confidence; because of the better job opportunities. With no she used to be quite shy, but now she gets excited One thing which Shelene has particularly enjoyed family or friends in the area, she was tempted by when it’s time to go to toddler group and play with was a cookery course she took at Eastcotts, and a Sure Start advertisement to find out more about her chums. I miss our Jamaican sunshine, but Eastcotts which introduced her to British food. “I am quite Focus on pregnancy Eastcotts Children’s Centre, where she heard that they Children’s Centre has helped to make up for it!” arranged family outings. “Because I work nights, I strict about healthy eating, but was used to Jamaican and baby support was at home all the day with the children and I liked cuisine, and to Nigerian food, as that is where Samuel is from. Some of the food in the shops was Baby Club is for parents of children aged 0-12months and the idea of being able to have somewhere to take gives them a chance to meet other parents in an informal them occasionally,” she remembers. “I didn’t know the new to me, and as I didn’t know how to prepare it, setting. Different toys are available each week while mum, area at all, so an organised excursion seemed like a the cookery lessons were really interesting, and now I dad or granny gets a cup of tea and a biscuit. On hand to good idea.” try to make a balance in the meals I give the children, give advice and support are the Children’s Centre team, so that they get used to eating different foods. Ebony who will also weigh babies and give one to one advice A real welcome in particular, who used to be a bit of a fussy eater, is sessions as required. Some weeks include guest speakers, now happy to try things like cheese and milk because talking on related subjects including language development Having enjoyed her introduction to Sure Start, her friends at Eastcotts are doing it. It’s been a really or how to play with your baby. Shelene decided to take Ebony to the toddler group useful exercise.” at Eastcotts where she was pleasantly surprised at Running along side baby club is our Ante-Natal and the reception she was given.