Prospectus of Services

Information for Professionals and Parents/Carers of children under five years of age Welcome to the Early Childhood Partnership Prospectus of Services

Information for How to Refer Professionals and To refer a family to one of our services, please follow the instructions given in Parents/ Carers this prospectus in the text about your Inside this prospectus you will chosen service. You can refer in one of discover the range of courses, the following ways: classes and support the ECP team Telephone: provides across Borough. 0300 323 0245 Some services are delivered weekly within our Children’s Centre Email: locations and others are available [email protected] upon request. Web: Should you want to access or ecpbedford.org refer families to a particular service our website is kept up-to-date with our activity timetable and you can also contact us should you want further information about a particular service. Baby Massage Parent Support Brasseries Suitable for:Our Babies family aged support six team weeks are trained to work with families who need The family support to six months.additional support. This can be variedSuitable and the for: services◆ Breast include: feeding mothers. team work across all ◆ Support in ◆ Parenting the Children’sOverview: Centres, Baby Introducing massage Specific criteria:finding Breast a feeding mothers or pregnant women who ◆ Support offering supportpromotes by bondingsolid foodsand are interestedpre-school in breastfeeding. ◆ completing meeting familiesattachment and Toileting is a great way ◆ Accessing paperworkOverview: Baby Brasseries are social support groups where you in the children’sto develop a◆ strong relationship two-year-old Routine & this can canbe for access support from each other, the breastfeeding buddies centres or out in the funding. between you andBoundaries your baby. housing/benefits community. They and our experienced perinatal staff. We encourage pregnant ◆ ◆ Support in Benefits: Great Finding opportunity childcare to ◆ Supportmums within to join us to seek breast feeding support, talk about work in partnership speech and learn a new skill,◆ Getting spend support time with a play session at with local agencies breastfeeding,language meet our by team and become familiar with the your baby and fromother other parents/ the Children’s to ensure that the group. delivering correct supportcarers isand theirprofessionals babies. Centre or out in Benefits: BrasseriesBookstart help to support breastfeeding mums gain being offered. ◆ Isolation the community. Course length & location: Four confidence andcorner. knowledge to be able to sustain breastfeeding week course at various Children’s their baby for as long as they would like. Centres. There is a cost of g Solid Course length & location: Brasseries are held in our Children’s £25 (non-refundable)in F owhich c o Centres across Bedford Borough. We hold sessions on every day includesu oil, handouts andd light d s Monday to Friday. rorefreshments. Payment must be t received1.30 – 2.30pm before your place can be Delivered by: The Perinatal Team, Health Visitors and n Goldington Family Centre I Breastfeeding buddies. confirmed1st Tuesday (correctof the month money please). Deliveredstarting from by: 6th Children’s Feb 2018 Centre Staff.9.50 – 11.00am Queens Park Bookstart Neighbourhood Centre Birth8th January, Bump 5th February and Baby Suitable for: Bookstart is suitable and 5th March for any child living in Bedford Suitable for: Pregnant women Borough. Parents will be given a and their partners. For first time Bookstart pack of age appropriate parents, or those who have had ART ST books and other materials a five year gap or more between OK BO which they can take home to children. This will be running be supportive play partners. Specific criteria: Around 30 – 32 throughout Play and Learn Parents are also spoken to about Speechweeks and pregnant Language at Drop-In’s the start of sessions at the the benefits of reading with the course and living in Bedford following centres: their child and tips are given for 9.30Borough. – 11.30am Queens Park Neighbourhood Centre engagement and interaction. Overview: BBB is a universal Kingsbrook and Goldington 24th January, 21st February and 21st March 2018 before Feb half term Daisythree Hill Children’s week (or Centre one full day) ante Specific criteria: Universal service, run alongside play and learn sessions. 17thnatal January, programme 14th February andthat 14th provides March 2018 Families Claphamto attend and play Daisy sessions Hill to be given resources and information. after Feb half term 9.30amresearched – 11.30am and evidence based Overview: Bookstart is a programme set out to outline the importance Goldingtoninformation Family forCentre parents to be, of sharing stories with children. Parents are given resources from the 15thhelping January, 19ththem February understand & 19th March their 2018 Bookstart pack to support their child in reading. We discuss the benefits babies’ development before birth of sharing books and how parents can be supportive play partners. and how to prepare and care for Parents are asked for feedback the week after. their baby once he or she is born. Benefits: Parents learn about the importance of early reading with their Benefits: The programme aims children. They are given free packs which can be taken home to continue to improve the confidence of the learning there. Families are given tips and strategies on how to be expectant parents regarding the supportive play partners when engaged with books. birth of their baby, caring for Length: Alongside Toddler+ sessions. a new born and the impact of having a new baby in the family. Delivered by: Family Support/Children’s Centre practitioners. Course length & location: Three week course of two hours per session or one full day. Held at Pine Cones Children’s Centre. Delivered by: Midwives, Health Visitors and the Children’s Centre Perinatal Team. Developmental Incredible Years Workshops: Suitable for: Any You will learn how to: Behaviour, Toileting family living in ● Help your toddlers Benefits: Learning to training, Oral health Bedford Borough feel loved and deal with challenging with a child between secure behaviour and Sleeping one and three ● Encourage Course length & years old which has Suitable for: Families with your toddler’s location: Children’s concerns regarding children zero to five years old. language, social Centres across their toddler’s and emotional Bedford, 12 week Specific Criteria: Open to all behaviour. families in the Bedford area. development (group intervention) Overview: The ● Establish clear or six week (one-to- Overview: If you feel a parent Incredible Years and predictable one work). needs support in one of these Parent - Toddler routines areas there may be a workshop Delivered by: Programme ● Handle available for you to refer Children’s Centre supports parents separations and them on to. Please call the Staff to deal with their reunions Children’s Centre to discuss toddler’s challenging ● Use positive how the parent can be behaviour. supported by staff trained to discipline deliver these workshops. to manage misbehaviour Benefits: Provides useful information and strategies on a variety of relevant topics. #Followmybump Delivered by: Family Support Practitioners. Suitable for: Pregnant women aged 19 or under and their partners. Early Years Link Specific criteria: Young mums-to-be can attend on their own or Worker with their partner or a supportive family member or friend. Overview: #Followmybump is a bespoke ante natal programme Suitable for: All Early year’s that provides researched and evidence based information for settings. young parents to be. It is a friendly relaxed group where you can Specific Criteria: All settings meet other young parents. It helps young parents to understand Overview: All the settings their bump and how to prepare and care for their baby. in Bedford Borough have a Benefits: The programme aims to improve the confidence of dedicated link worker to each expectant young parents regarding the birth of their baby, caring setting. for a new born and the impact of having a new baby in the family. The support includes: Course length & location: #Followmybump is a rolling seven week ● Identifying children programme so young expectant parents can join at any time. . eligible for 2-year funding Delivered by: The Perinatal Team and Midwives. and engaging them with your setting Transition workshops Mind the Bump & Mind the Baby ● Development workshops Suitable for: Any women living in Bedford Borough with low mood, or for parents and carers in: who may have experienced depression and/or anxiety in the past. ■ Toilet training Overview: Mind the Bump/Baby are therapeutic social groups to offer ■ Behaviour emotional support in a safe environment to address low mood, anxiety ■ Sleep and/or depression. Mind the Bump is for women who are pregnant and Mind the Baby is for new mothers with a child aged up to six months. ■ Oral health Course length & location: Mind the Bump runs monthly and Mind the ● Support in completing Baby runs weekly. Early Help Assessments (EHAs) Delivered by: Psychological Therapies Practitioners. For more information, please contact them on 01234 341 977 ● Home/Setting visit to complete EHA ● Joint working between settings and the Children’s Centre ● Co-Lead Professional One-to-one Family Support Suitable for: Families who would benefit from learning new strategies for parenting. This also includes, safety with in the home, nutrition and role modelling new activities which can be delivered in the home. Specific Criteria: Families can refer themselves directly onto this service via the children’s centre, or they can ask for a referral to be made by their health visitor, or any other agency they may be working with, such as Social Care or Midwifery. Overview: The family support team works across all the Children’s Centres offering support by meeting families in the Children’s Centres or out in the community. They work in partnership with local agencies to ensure that the correct support is being offered. Our family support team are highly trained and can offer a range of additional support including: PAFT Connections ● Introducing solid foods ● Support completing paperwork (Cruisers to Toddlers) ● Toileting (this can be for housing/ Suitable for: Children who are benefits, for example) ● Routine and Boundaries walking and their parents/ ● Support within a play session at carers. ● Finding childcare the Children’s Centre or out in Specific Criteria: Open to all ● Isolation the community. families living in Bedford. ● ● Parenting Accessing support from other Overview: The Parent as First ● Support in finding professionals Teachers (PAFT) connections a pre-school ● Support in speech and programme is a series of five language development, for ● Accessing two-year-old sessions for children under example through delivering funding three years old that bring book start corner sessions, or together a small group of through targeted small groups. parents and their children to build happy and healthy Benefits: Parents grow in confidence about their parenting skills and families. The programme understand more about their child’s well being. The families’ self esteem is aimed at parents with improves and they find they have the confidence to try new activities children from birth to with their children. By attending the Children’s Centre groups they cruisers. There will be a develop a network of friends in the community where they live. range of playful activities to Course length & location: Can be suited to the need of the family. promote knowledge related Delivered by: Family Support Practitioners. to parenting and child development. PAFT Connections 0-Cruisers Benefits: This small group will give parents opportunities to Suitable for: Children who Benefits: The small meet new families who may are not yet walking and group will give parents be facing similar concerns. their parents/carers. opportunities to meet It enables parents to learn Specific Criteria: Open to all new families who may be new activities to do in the families living in Bedford. facing similar concerns. It home, improve parent/ child enables parents to learn relationships. If families Overview: The Parent new activities to do in the require further support they as First Teachers (PAFT) home, improve parent/ will be offered one to one Connections Programme child relationships. If PAFT. is a series of five sessions families require further for under three year olds Course length & location: support they will be that bring together a small Five week course. The offered one to one PAFT group of parents and their sessions run at various children to build happy Course length & location: locations across Bedford. This and healthy families. There Five week course. The course is a bookable course. will be a range of playful sessions run at various Delivered by: Family Support activities to promote locations across Bedford. Workers who are PAFT knowledge related to This course is a bookable Trained. parenting and child course. development. Delivered by: Family Support Workers who are PAFT trained. PAFT One-to-One Play and Learn (0-Cruiser)

Suitable for: Families who Suitable for: Children who are not yet walking and their parents/carers. would benefit from learning Specific Criteria: Open to all families living in Bedford. some new strategies for Overview: These are drop-in style play sessions for parents/carers and parenting. This includes safety their children to support brain development and early learning. Our within the home, nutrition and 0-Cruiser session follows a nationally recognised programme ‘Five role modelling new activities to Thrive’ enabling practitioners to observe and reinforce positive which can be delivered in the interactions between parents and their children. home. Benefits: The sessions aim to provide parents with the tools to support Specific Criteria: The family their children’s early learning and brain development through a range of need to refer in for the service activities including: messy play, singing, book sharing, heuristic play. by themselves contacting the It provides children with a good basis for future learning, many activities Children’s Centre or through can be transferred into the home learning environment, which we actively an agency - this can be from promote throughout the sessions. Parents can meet other parent/carers Health or Social Services. with children of a similar age, building a local peer support network. Overview: The frequency Course length & location: The sessions run at various locations across and duration of PAFT visits is Bedford (term time only) and last 90mins. See our website for latest details. determined by each family’s needs. During the visits Delivered by: Children’s Centre Practitioner Team. practitioners encourage parents to enhance their Play and Learn Toddler+ role as their child’s first teacher. Practitioners partner Suitable for: Parents/carers with children who are walking. with families to share age- Specific Criteria: Open to all families living in Bedford. appropriate child development Overview: These are drop-in style play sessions for parents/carers and brain development and their children, giving the child the opportunity to stretch information, helping parents their imagination with activities to develop the skills they will to observe their child’s need as they leave the toddler age and become a preschooler. developmental milestones. Many activities are taken from the PEEP Learning Together Practitioners also facilitate Programme and Parent As First Teachers and are designed to parent-child interaction improve children’s personal, social and emotional development, through age-appropriate talk, their communication and language, early literacy and maths and play and reading activities. physical development. They help parents reflect Benefits: The sessions aim to support parents/carers to aid their on their parenting and children on their learning journey, preparing them to start pre- jointly develop strategies for school or nursery. It enables parents to make the most of everyday addressing developmental and learning opportunities and to transfer activities into the home behavioural concerns. Family learning environment, which we actively promote throughout the well-being is also addressed sessions. Parents can meet other parent/carers with children of a during the visits. similar age, building a local peer support network. Benefits: For parents to Course length & location: The sessions run at various locations feel more confident about across Bedford (term time only) and last 90mins. Please check our parenting their children whilst website for latest details. also considering their well- being, families self-esteem to Delivered by: Children’s Centre Practitioner Team improve so they can try new activities with the children and start to attend the Children’s Pop ins Centre groups and develop Suitable for: All parents and carers and their babies/children. a network of friends in the Overview: Our pop in sessions are delivered with a variety of partners. community where they live. The ethos is around stay and play and there is opportunity to chat to Course length & location: The Children’s Centre staff and seek information and support in relation to PAFT sessions can run in the feeding and caring for your baby. The session have scales out so you can family home or at a Children’s be supported to weigh your baby if required. Centre across the various Benefits: A place to seek information and support in relation to feeding locations. and caring for your baby. Delivered by: PAFT trained Course length & location: Please see our website. Family Support Workers. Delivered by: Children’s Centre staff and partners. Starting Solids Suitable for: Families with a baby Overview: To support parents with how to start baby on family foods. three to six months old who has introducing their baby to solid Delivered by: Nursery Nurses not started on solid foods. foods. from the Health team and Family Specific Criteria: Open to all Benefits: Provides useful Support Workers. families in Bedford area. information on when, what and

Small Talk/Chatter Tots Suitable for: Our Small Talk and Chatter Tots groups are suitable for children that are 18+ months old where there are speech and language concerns. Parents will learn tips and strategies to support their children’s communication and language through play in safe, nurtured environment. Specific criteria: Open to families living in Bedford Borough where there is a concern with speech and language. The families need to be added to the Small Talk waiting list via Children’s Centres contact number. Overview: Small Talk is three sessions where parents/carers come along with their children to learn tips and strategies to support their children’s communication and language. Parents can be supportive play partners in an educational environment for their children to learn. Each week there is a different theme and strategy which practitioner’s role model and support parents where necessary. Chatter tots is three sessions of speech and language support. This is run alongside a Speech and Language therapist where family can access more intense support. Each week there are different strategies to help parents support their children’s speech and language. We also look at other elements of the child’s communication and language such as listening and attention and their understanding. Benefits: Parents/carers to learn tips and strategies to support their child’s communication and language. It is a safe place to play and for families to also socialise with one another. Course length: Three weeks. Delivered by: Speech and Language trained Practitioners and Speech and Language Therapist.

My Choice Domestic Abuse Programme VIPP-SD (Video-intervention to promote positive Suitable for: Women who have experienced an abusive relationship. parenting and sensitive discipline) Specific criteria: Women living in Bedford Borough who have a child under 5. Access via self-referral or professionals can refer women via Suitable for: Families with children from the Service Request form on the Families First ’s website. six months to five years old struggling with behaviour difficulties and Overview: ‘My Choice’ helps women to think about the impact and relationship building. effect of domestic abuse. It enables women to think about their own ‘choices’ and helps them understand the complexities of domestic Overview: VIPP is a preventative abuse and why they may have stayed in an unhealthy relationship as intervention aimed at increasing parental long as they did. sensitivity and has an excellent evidence base for preventing or reducing Aims of My Choice ● Women can describe the behavioural problems in young children. ● effects of domestic abuse on For women to recognise the VIPP has been shown via randomized themselves and their children. signs of domestic abuse in a control-led trials to be extremely relationship. ● Women report increased self- effective with a variety of groups (e.g. ● For women to begin to worth and confidence. under 5s, adoptive parents, childcare) understand the effect ● Women are enabled to make and its successes have been extensively of domestic abuse on healthy relationship choices. reported in many peer reviewed journals. themselves and their children. ● Women are empowered to VIPP is based on attachment theory but ● For women to increase their make positive changes and also uses some behavioural principles to self-esteem and confidence. choices for themselves and aid sensitive discipline. Outcomes of My Choice: their children. Benefits: Preventing or reducing behavioural problems in young children. ● Women have increased Length: 10 week programme. knowledge and understanding Delivered by: Children’s Centre Course length & location: Seven x 90 of the signs of domestic Family Support Practitioners and minute sessions at the family home abuse in a relationship. Domestic Abuse Specialists. spread over four to six months. Delivered by: Children’s Centre Family Support Practitioners For more information, please get in touch via: 0300 323 0245 [email protected] To see all about us online, visit: www.ecpbedford.org /bedfordcc

Bluebells Children’s Centre Pine Cones Children’s Centre Road, Bromham, Lower School Site, Slade Walk, off Clapham Road, Bromham, Bedford MK43 8JP Bedford MK41 7SA

Cherry Trees Children’s Centre Children’s Centre Hawkins Road, Bedford MK42 9LS Putnoe Heights Church & Community Centre, Putnoe Heights, Bedford MK41 8EB Clapham Children’s Centre c/o Ursula Taylor School, High Street, Clapham, Bedford MK41 6EG Queens Park Neighbourhood Centre Marlborough Road, Queens Park, Daisy Hill Children’s Centre Bedford MK40 4LE c/o Bedford Road Lower School, Hillgrounds Road, Kempston, MK42 8QH Lakeview Village Hall Brooklands Avenue Wixams, Eastcotts Children’s Centre Bedford MK42 6AB Shorts Building, 65 Beauvais Square, Shortstown, Bedford MK42 0GG Sharnbrook Methodist Church Park Lane, Sharnbrook, Bedford MK44 1LT Goldington Family Centre 28–30 Meadway, Bedford MK41 9HU

Kingsbrook Children’s Centre Canvin Way (off Oak Road), Bedford MK42 0HL

Pear Tree Children’s Centre c/o Balliol Lower School, Balliol Road, Kempston, Bedford MK42 7ER

Peter Pan Children’s Centre Edward Road, Bedford MK42 9DR

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