Welcome to By Centre Manager Pauline Bird rriving in Brownhills in March 2008, I was given the keys to a clean, airy and freshly refurbished new children’s centre. Gradually over the 3 years the building has been brought to life. A staff team was recruited, professionals working in the area came to share their expertise and then as more children and families access the centre, the services have developed.
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Our team of family support and childcare workers, as well as administration staff, are dedicated to providing a relaxed atmosphere where your children can grow and develop new skills in a safe and happy environment. We pride ourselves on our reception and the welcome you receive when you visit. I firmly believe the children must remain at the centre of everything we do; every child deserves to feel safe and nurtured enjoying their early years. I am very fortunate to have spent 40 years working with children and I feel passionate about empowering children to become self-confident and independent thinkers so they can learn to make responsible choices in their lives. The Children’s Centre reaches out into the community. Our area covers Brownhills West, Clayhanger, parts of Walsall Wood and Brownhills centre. Getting to know and work with schools, health visitors, midwives, the community association and local churches (along with many others!) has been interesting – the welcome and support has been immense. We hope you enjoy this booklet which gives you all you need to know about the full range of continually evolving services that we offer – all designed to nurture your children from birth to five while supporting you as families.
St James Primary School and Ogley Hay Nursery really appreciate the benefits of having Brownhills Children’s Centre on site. Offering such a wide range of family support services our families feel comfortable approaching the centre for advice and support. We find their support in school and nursery invaluable.
Helen Pearcey Headteacher, St. James’ Primary School.
Margaret Turley Headteacher, Ogley Hay Nursery
Meet the team...
We have a highly trained team delivering a range of services to support families and stimulate the inquiring minds of children through a wide range of early years’ experiences. Our office, training room and childcare facilities are in the centre, complete with enclosed garden and outside play area next to St James Primary School in Great Charles Street where we offer a variety of activities including Stay and Play sessions, play group, parenting programmes, baby massage and visits from the toy library. Working with Ogley Hay Nursery we provide wrap around care to extend nursery sessions. In the playroom in nursery we run family fun sessions, breastfeeding support and baby groups. Parents, grandparents, foster carers and child minders are all welcome. Pauline supported by the deputy manager Susan McDonagh, leads an experienced team of family support workers: Michelle Butler, Jo Daniels, Gill Duke, Tina Froggatt and Kelly Yates. Family support workers are available for advice and guidance through one-to-one support, groups and home visits. The childcare team: Deb Hughes, Claire Baker, Tracey Deakin, Deb Pugh and Katie Hayes deliver the playgroup and wrap around care offering a varied and stimulating curriculum following the EYFS statutory guidelines. Caroline Malcolm, Ronnie O’Conner and Nicole Fereday, keep the centre running smoothly, providing a
welcoming reception, updating information, collecting and monitoring data, financial management and co-ordinating events. Support for healthy lifestyles is available through a team of visiting specialists, including post-natal clinics, speech and language groups, weaning advice from health visiting team, asthma and eczema clinic, weight management and smoking cessation groups.
Baby Services New Baby Home Visits A home visit will be organised in the first months after your baby arrives so we can introduce ourselves. We will register you and give you a useful bag with gifts like a bib, teddy bear, a moneybox for savings and information about all of our services.
Baby Massage ■ Massage can promote a better nightime sleep routine ■ Can help with a variety of issues like colic, constipation and teething ■ Helps you and your baby relax together ■ Touch is key as you and your baby bond in those vital first few months of your child’s life Brownhills Children’s Centre delivers baby massage courses to help you take a more hands on approach as that attachment grows. Weekly sessions away from the stresses and distractions of everyday life cover a variety of techniques. The sessions are also great for your confidence. Contact: Susan McDonagh
Post-natal clinic ■ Post-natal checks for babies and mums ■ Reassurance and advice from a midwife Saturday morning clinic in the centre. Places can be booked with your midwife or by phoning the centre. This clinic does not replace appointments at the hospital or doctors. Contact: community midwives
New Baby Group This group is a great way for you and your baby to get out of the house and meet other new parents. An ideal opportunity to relax, you can sit and chat with other new parents while your baby is safe. Baby group is for babies who are not mobile and under 12 months old. Sessions are designed to stimulate your baby’s early social, emotional and personal development while making sure you get the support you need. Support is available within the group for mums who are breastfeeding. Wednesday: 1.30pm to 3.00pm - £1.00 per family ■ Contact: Michelle Butler
Weaning Group ■ Taking the first steps towards solids ■ Promoting infant led weaning ■ Healthy eating from the start ■ Encouraging healthy choices for your baby As baby takes that important big step from milk to whole foods at about six months, the health visiting team has advice to support you both. Free weaning gift for each baby. First Wednesday of every month at 1.30pm. Contact: Gill Duke or Michelle Butler
Baby Sign and Baby Sign ‘n’ Rhyme ■ Developing communication skills ■ Learning rhymes with actions ■ Fun and enjoyable Your baby can understand language before they learn to speak as you both communicate through gestures. Signing reduces your baby’s frustration and encourages verbal communication to develop earlier. Baby Sign and Baby Sign ’n’ Rhyme sessions are fun and a way of helping develop those skills while meeting other parents and encouraging speech to develop. Baby sign does not replace or hinder speech development. Thursday mornings ■ Contact: Kelly Yates
Cruisers and Crawlers ■ Relax and meet old and new friends ■ Space to play, crawl and toddle ■ Exploring new toys and activities A stay and play session is for parents and child to stay together and play, fun ways to relax and make new friends while your baby enjoys safe play with other children. It’s about mutual support and shared experiences as you spend time together. The session is perfect for helping your children develop their social and motor skills. Cruisers and crawlers session is for active babies under 2 years. Monday: 1.00pm to 2.30pm - £1 per family ■ Contact: Tina Froggatt
Stay and play Toddlers Group ■ Parents and children together ■ Creative and messy activities to become involved in ■ Play outside and explore the garden ■ Rhymes, music and movement and stories ■ Information from visiting professionals on a range of topics
This all-age Stay and Play session has the lot from activities and outdoor play to messy play and singing. This stimulating group encourages your child to make their own choices as they explore, investigate and develop their imaginations. The outdoor play space, which encourages healthy, physical activity, is an all-year-round facility to play in. The group meets each Tuesday: 1.30pm to 3.00pm £1.00 per family ■ Contact: Jo Daniels
Family Stay and Play ■ Snacks, drink and occasionally cooking ■ Painting, sticking and messy activities ■ Time to chat and relax with other families It’s sometimes hard for dads and other members of the family to get involved so we’ve organised a family Stay and Play session on Saturday mornings between 10.00-11.30am. All ages are welcome from babies right up to grand parents. It’s an ideal opportunity for the wider family to share fun times and make happy memories. It’s also a great way of strengthening that family bond and building lasting friendships within the wider community. Saturday: 10.00am to 11.30am – £1.00 per family
Dads play and stay ■ Dads, step dads grandads and partners sharing parenting ■ Creative and fun activities ■ Visits and trips to popular places ■ Training/courses e.g. first aid
specifically aimed at men Time for children to enjoy time with their dad’s in the centre. Activities are decided and planned together. ■ Contact: Jo Daniels
PEEP Programmes ■ Supporting you to support your child’s learning ■ Creative messy play and painting ■ Story time and singing ■ Book borrowing scheme Numbers at PEEP groups are small and places must be booked. We have 2 groups – PEEP babies (under 12 months) and PEEP’s for one year olds. The group helps parents understand how their children
learn, encouraging the children to talk, listen and play with other children. The sessions are relaxed and informal, starting with sitting together. Parents talk with each other about day to day activities and how the children learn. A fun activity follows for everyone to join in, lots of photos are taken for you to make a picture diary to take home and keep. Next there is time to share a snack together before enjoying some rhymes together. Groups are on a Friday in the playroom at Ogley Hay Nursery ■ Contact: Gill Duke
Language groups – Speech and language therapy team ■ Extra support from the speech and language team ■ Developing attention and listening skills ■ Understanding and reasoning skills Children are referred to language groups to give their communication skills a boost. Working with parents the therapy team engage the children in social activities, turn taking games and monitor their development.
Walsall Families Information Service
Walsall Families Information Service (FIS) is a free, impartial service that gives advice and up-to-date information including: ■ Paying for childcare ■ Free Nursery Provision for 3 and 4 year olds ■ Childcare options to help you return to work ■ Activities for children and young people ■ Walsall’s Toy Library Ask for further information from the centre or phone: 01922 653383
Family links Parenting Puzzle
■ Supports positive behaviour ■ Encourages coping strategies ■ Builds self esteem None of us are born with all the right skills needed to be the best parent or carer we can, so we offer a 10-week course to encourage positive behaviour. It’s about self-awareness, appropriate expectations, being empathetic and positive discipline. We support you to nurture both yourself and your child and cover a variety of topics along the way like Internet safety, healthy eating and first aid. Contact: Tina
STEPS ■ Helps you reach your full potential ■ Improves your self esteem STEPS is a six-week course, which is designed to help you improve your self-esteem, self-worth and self-belief. The two-hour sessions are all about helping you reach your full potential while learning many exciting ways of dealing with everyday situations. We encourage you to focus on you and have realistic expectations so you can get the most out of life. Contact: Susan or Jo
Help with Stopping Smoking Enjoy the benefits of a smoke free life for yourself. Staying healthy means that you'll be able to enjoy watching your kids grow up. And being physically fit makes it more enjoyable to play with your children too. The NHS smoking cessation advisor is in the centre each week. Make an appointment to see her and get one-toone support to help you quit. This service is available to anyone living in the Brownhills area.
Mobile dental unit
Health Services
The mobile dental unit provides a dental service close to home, visiting the centre to give NHS checkups, treatment and advice on making sure your child’s teeth grow well.
Post-natal clinic You can book an appointment to see a midwife at the post-natal clinic on a Saturday morning in the centre providing support during those first couple of weeks for both you and the baby.
Physical activity team The physical activity team offer a variety of courses locally and in the centre. Keep fit sessions are in St James Church hall. Short activities including buggy walks, baby ballet and family sport are offered during the year.
Speech and language team Language groups are delivered in the playroom at Ogley Hay Nursery. Children participate in activities that will promote and develop early communication skills.
Inclusion Regular meetings are held and close contact kept with early year’s services including the speech and language therapist, educational psychologist, health visitors, teacher support and mental health services to provide seamless support quickly and appropriately for children with additional needs.
Health visitors Our family support team work alongside the health visitors, joint home visits and referrals to provide early support. Weaning advice on the first Wednesday of each month during baby group. Co-ordinated multi-agency support for families in need.
Playgroups Playgroup Brownhills Children’s Centre playgroup runs all year round in the centre playroom. Parents leave their children to be cared for by our experienced and qualified team of childcare workers. This develops their own confidence. Morning and afternoon sessions are available. Contact the centre to add your child’s name to the playgroup waiting list or visit our website www.brownhillscc.co.uk to download a playgroup application form. Contact: Deb Hughes Wrap around care Children who attend Ogley Hay Nursery are offered extended nursery sessions between 11.30am and 3pm. Children have their lunch and extend the activities they start in nursery, exploring the indoor and outdoor environment. The sessions mean respite for carers, help working parents or simply extra childfree time to enjoy. Contact: Claire Baker Children attending playgroup and wrap around care have a wide range of toys and creative materials to play with. They are encouraged to explore and experiment as they gain confidence in their surroundings. The children share ideas, develop new skills and extend their knowledge through play.
Opportunities include: ■ Imaginative play inside and out. ■ Painting, collages and model making. ■ Play dough, gloop and flubber. ■ Bikes, trikes and cars. ■ Rhymes, music and story making. ■ Choice of fruit, snack and a drink. ■ Large sandpit, water features and digging. The centre believes all children are unique and special, each child is treated as an individual and we take the time to get to know them, their interests and needs. We work closely with parents, exchanging information, sharing pictures and monitoring each child’s development. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the framework for our planning and delivery, this ensures varied, enjoyable and imaginative activities are offered to the children in our playgroup and wrap around care.
Family Support Team ■ Outreach - Home visits & community work. ■ Organising & running groups. ■ Providing a listening ear. ■ Home safety advice. ■ Targeted support through difficult times. ■ Guidance on local training opportunities. ■ Employment advice. ■ Gaining experience by volunteering. Parenting can be rewarding but hard. Our family support team understands the challenges and rewards of being a parent. Our support is flexible and tailored to your family’s particular needs. It can be formal or informal. It might be one-to-one or as part of a parenting group. It could be at the centre or at your home. It may involve your whole family or just you. You don’t have to be in a crisis – in fact it’s better if we can catch problems at an early stage. If you are feeling isolated or unsure, facing short or long term
Brownhills Children’s Centre team working in partnership with the Family Support and Health Visit Team.
difficulties, the family support team can help you gain confidence in yourself and your parenting skills. They deliver support services and sign post on a variety of issues including domestic violence, money management, home safety advice and training courses to help with employment. Brownhills also offers childcare-based volunteer and training opportunities to help you with work experience. Advisory board Our advisory board is a meeting of parents, professionals and community representatives who discuss the centre services, reviewing how activities are working and thinking of new ideas to ensure the centre’s funding improves the lives of local children. Parents are listened to through coffee mornings, participation in consultation events, annual meetings, facebook and comments forms in the centre. If you would like to be involved in making decisions, directing services and/or helping in day-to-day activities let a member of the team know or come to a coffee morning.
Satisfaction survey What you said...
■ 97 per cent of centre users who took part in our latest satisfaction survey would recommend Brownhills Children’s Centre. ■ Our range of services were rated outstanding to good by 97 per cent of centre users in our latest satisfaction survey. ■ 75 per cent of satisfaction survey participants rated their overall satisfaction with Brownhills Children’s Centre as outstanding. ■ First impressions and the welcome at reception in the satisfaction survey were rated as outstanding to good by 97.5 per cent of you. ■ The aspect which achieved the highest level of satisfaction from centre users was for the quality of staff. More than 98 per cent of you gave an outstanding to good rating.
Our outside facilities: “Outside play area is amazing” “The children love the garden”
Our staff: “You can always talk to a friendly face” “Everybody is very eager to help with any problems” About Brownhills: “Everyone is treated “Fantastic centre” the same” “Fully equipped, central and easy access” “The pre school childcare provision is really good”
Children and Brownhills: “Both my children have attended nursery, it has developed their confidence and prepared them for school” “My child’s progress has come on in leaps and bounds” “Great way of socialising children and bringing the best out of them” Our groups and activities: “I attended a childminders barbecue event and found the various activities available were outstanding” “Great classes which give you the opportunity to get out of the house and meet other Making friends: moms whilst playing and “Without the centre bonding with baby” I would not meet new people” “Being an older mom, without the centre I would probably not have made friends and met other moms”
Our play area: “There are lots of toys and adequate play areas” “Good that they have their own play areas”
Our opening hours: “Great open times, so can fit in with busy lives” “The new hours really suit our family”
Our courses: “The courses are interesting and enjoyable” “Offer classes to boost confidence and self esteem”
FINDING US: ● On Foot or By Car
Brownhills Surestart Children's Centre, 80 Great Charles Street, Brownhills, Walsall, WS8 6AE Tel: 01543 370734 Fax: 01543 360751 Email: Brownhills@childrenscentres.walsall.org.uk
From Brownhills High Street head towards the main island where the Miner statue is situated. At the island take the fourth exit onto the Lichfield Road (by the Smithy's Forge), then turn first right onto Great Charles Street. We are situated approximately 150 yards down on the right hand side of the road, adjoining onto St James Primary School. ● By Bus From the Bus Station at Walsall Town Centre you can take the number 10 or 10a bus from stand H. If travelling from Birmingham, the X56 departs from Carrs Lane.