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Sure Start Children’s Centres

Mum with babies  
Sure Start Children’s Centres are places where families with children 0-5 years old can access information, support and services.
Services delivered through the Sure Start / Children‘s Centre programme are tailored to the needs of different districts
They also have to meet the Government’s targets to improve outcomes for pre-school children and their families – particularly disadvantaged families or families with additional need

Why do we have Children’s Centres?
What services do they offer?
What does the Health Visiting Team do?
Who can use Children’s Centres?
Where is the nearest Children’s Centre that I can go to?
How do I contact my nearest Children’s Centre?
Can I register for services at my nearest Children's Centre?
Further Information
 

Why do we have Children’s Centres?

Sure Start Children’s Centres are part of the Government’s drive to tackle child poverty and social exclusion by working with parents-to-be, parents, carers and children to promote the physical, intellectual and social development of babies and young children so that they can flourish at home and when they get to school.
 

What services do they offer?

Sure Start brings together services like health, early education, voluntary, private and community organisations and self help groups, to provide services for young children and their families based on what local children need and parents want.
Some of the services provided through the Sure Start  Children’s Centre programmes are:
  • Child and family health services
  • Family support
  • Breast feeding support
  • Baby massage
  • Healthy eating advice
  • Early reading, speech and language development services
  • Training and  employment support
  • Parenting support and advice
  • Drop-in sessions for children and parent/carers, such as Stay and Play groups etc
Children’s Centres supplement services and activities in the local area. Targeted services are often provided  for  vulnerable parents or families with additional needs  – not for  the wider public. Services provided will differ depending on the needs and priorities  of the local area.

What does the Health Visiting Team do?

A health visiting team is a mixture of Health Visitors, Community Children’s Nurses, General Nurses, Nursery Nurses and Health Visitor assistants. They work with GP's and primary health care teams, in Sure Start areas and with Children’s Centres.
childrencentreHealth Visitors have a caseload of families with children under school age. Health Visitors specialise in preventative health and health promotion. The team provide universal services to all children and families, which helps them to understand and identify individual health needs. Targeted health programmes are then agreed and provided to those in greatest need either by health visiting staff or other specialist providers within local communities.
Families are visited at home when babies are between 10 and 16 days old. This is called the new birth visit and health visitors offer a package of support that is tailored to the families needs. They offer extra support to mothers with postnatal depression, vulnerable families and children with additional needs. Parents, carers and families can contact the service at any time if they require extra advice and support.
Health Visiting teams work with all agencies to protect children from harm. They work through child protection plans to safeguard and improve outcomes for our young people.
Health Visitors provide different services depending on the needs of the local area, which may include.
  • Drop-In well baby clinics
  • First parent groups
  • Breast feeding support groups
  • Liaison with Nurseries
  • Paediatric Life support training to parents
  • Baby Massage
  • Groups for Vulnerable Families
  • Behaviour Management
  • Advice on Nutrition
  • Weaning Advice
  • Support to teenage parents
  • Support to victims of Domestic Violence
  • Support to Single Fathers
  • Work within the community and local government to develop polices and strategies to improve health
  • Immunisation and vaccination
  • Inter-agency working

Who can use Children’s Centres?

All Leicestershire  families who have a child aged 0-5 years old are able to access support and advice from Sure Start Children’s Centres but some services will be targeted and restricted to families with additional needs. Find your district/borough using Gov.Uk Local Authority Finder
 

Where is the nearest Children’s Centre that I can go to?

Sure Start Childrens Centres LogoA Comprehensive list of all the Children's Centre's showing  the current and intended locations within Leicestershire has been compiled and split into Districts for ease of searching.
Children Centre activities take place in a range of buildings and community venues throughout districts as well as in Sure Start Children’s Centres.
All current activities can be found via the Family Information Service.
 

How do I contact my nearest Children’s Centre?

Family Information LogoFor information regarding the Children's Centres and the activities provided by each Centre, please contact Leicestershire’s Family Information Service on 0116 305 6545 or email them on family@leics.gov.uk.

Can I register for services at my nearest Children's Centre?

We encourage all families of 0-5 year olds to register free of charge to access a range of Children's Centre services.
Personal details will not be shared without your consent.
You can download a Registration form below.  Just complete the form and return it to your nearest Children's Centre.
Alternatively, you can visit your nearest Children's Centre who will be more than happy to help.
pdf PDF, 153kb

Further Information

Where is the nearest Children's Centre I can go to?
What Activities are Available at my Local Children's centre?
Watch a video about Children's Centres
Satisfaction Surveys
Government Targets
Family Information Service

Contact Details

For Further Details about
Childrens Centres or Actvities
To contact a Centre Directly
Tel: 0116 3056545
Email: family@leics.gov.uk
Visit
Where is the Nearest Children's Centre i can go to
page for all direct contact details

Page Last Updated: 12 November 2012