Warwickshire families are being helped through support from local centres with a focus on children and young people.
The county’s network of Children and Family Centres offer services, information and support to people planning a family or with children and young people aged 0-19 (or up to 25 years old with SEND).
Based in the heart of local communities, Warwickshire has 14 centres which offer a mix of activities aimed at parents and carers with children at different ages and stages as well as child specific activities. Health clinics, stay and play groups, specialist groups, and drop-ins ensure these places are popular hubs for anyone seeking support.
The centres also work with families who may need extra support which has led to positive results for many Warwickshire residents. Some stories from centre visitors are included below.
Ali*
Ali*, a 24-year-old first time mum, attended a Baby Massage course at a centre with her five-month-old son. She attended with her mum for moral support as she is autistic and has social anxiety, however over the weeks her mum took more of a back seat and would leave the room during sessions. Over time Ali gained confidence and would initiate conversations with the other mums. She then attended a centre’s Baby Time session which she said, ‘wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be’ and felt that her son has benefited from it.
Ali felt able to share some of the things she worried about with staff at the centre such as weaning and speaking. In response they pointed her to other sessions at the centre including, Baby Chatter Matters and Introduction to Solids, to offer practical help and reassurance.
Ali’s mum said: “I’m so glad that my daughter and grandson were able to attend the baby massage course it has benefited them both so much. It was so lovely to see her chatting and laughing with another mum at the Baby Time session and I will be encouraging her to keep coming along. Everyone at the centre has been so welcoming. Thank you.”
Essy*
Another parent, Essy* was told about the centre by her health visitor. She had recently moved to the UK from the Caribbean, spoke limited English and didn’t have family or friends in the country so was keen to meet others in her community.
Essy was recommended to join a baby group with other new parents and arrived but was worried that language would be a barrier to joining in. As one of the volunteers at the session spoke Spanish this wasn’t an issue and they were able to communicate and discuss other support. In addition to finding other suitable groups for Essy to attend the worker helped her access the ESOL sessions at a local school and put her in contact with a Spanish group in the area.
Rowena*
Rowena*, mother of 9 year old Ava* who has Down’s Syndrome contacted a Warwickshire centre to enquire about the HAF sessions that were being held at during the summer holidays.
Rowena was worried because she couldn’t find a holiday club to support Ava’s care needs. The centre invited them to attend a session with a worker there. They arrived and spoke about the type of support Ava needed to stay safe and for self-care. She engaged brilliantly with staff who were able to communicate with her through Makaton and she enjoyed the activities on offer and joined in with other children.
Rowena said: “This was fantastic, fully inclusive provision, if it had not been available both me and my daughter would have struggled. The trained staff meant that appropriate provision was available for self-care needs which gave me piece of mind and they were great at providing thorough feedback which is important as my daughter has limited speech and understanding. The variety of provision each week meant she could experience many things which are not available to her in a school setting. I have seen her confidence and enthusiasm grow, especially for skateboarding!”
Warwickshire County Councillor George Finch, Portfolio Holder for Children and Families added: “There is so much on offer at our Children and Family Centres to help local families find things to do and friendly advice to help them overcome challenges.
“The centres are welcoming, child-friendly environments for all and the well-informed staff have a network of services and information sources to steer families toward if they can’t help directly. I encourage parents and carers of tots, teens and everyone in between to find out more at their local centre.”
To find out more about the centres and the services on offer go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/childrenandfamilycentres.
For general family information visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fis
*Names have been changed