Is Surestart changing?

[Moozoid]

Our Surestart centre is starting to discourage regular play group attenders from coming. Does anyone know this part of the government budget cuts & change of policy, or just a local problem? Our family may not be income-deprived (but not wealthy either) but as a new Mum, I was definately sleep deprived and really quite desperate! I really like the good mix of Mums and Dads you meet. I would know very few people in my area without the Surestart-funded groups.

Perhaps they are not meeting enough of their 'targets'. They are probably not engaging with enough new or 'hard to reach' families and management are stressing about whether their contract will be renewed.

Surestart will be changing in the future but no one knows what it will look like.

I cannot access our local surestart centre as I work and I have an older child. It is a little unfair that I work hard and pay tax for the stay at home mums to enjoy facilites that my family cannot access.

Even when I was maternity leave it was impossible to access the surestart groups. I had anxiety and I was terrified of crowds. I have been lucky and had help from my health visitor.

However the amount of time that health visitors have for supporting mental illness is far less than in the past. In our area the health visiting service has become the baby police. I think this is very sad.

I am quite pleased that the governant wants to increase the number of health visitors even if it means reducing the funding for middle class baby activites.

There were plenty of groups before surestart existed. The problem for new mothers was knowing where to find them rather than affordablity or the lack of activities.

Surestart was intended to help deprived families or possibly those with health problems. Instead the middle classes got the benefit. I think its only right that priorities are reconsidered.

Errr anybody can get off their arses and go to said Surestart so the middle classes certainly didn't get the benefit.

I don't know where you live but there was buggar all round where I live before Surestart.

So basically my taxes pay for it but I shouldn't be allowed to go

Even middle class mums can find parenting hard.

"Errr anybody can get off their arses and go to said Surestart so the middle classes certainly didn't get the benefit."

Errm... some of us WORK during hours that surestart is open. Our surestart centre only does activities during the school day. If there were activites in the evening or at the week end then it would be fairer.

In my area most of the activites seem to be aimed at first time mums. For example a second time mum cannot attend an under ones group, or baby massage with a toddler in tow.

Eight years ago there was no surestart where I lived. There were some church groups and some groups with the sports centre. People survived and did well.

In fact many private groups have folded because of surestart. They just cannot compete.

In the past were also more health visitors. Eight years ago my doctor's surgery had three and now it has one that is shared with a neighbouring surgery. In my area first time mums were visited once a week for the first six weeks. There were development checks at 8 months, 2 years and 3 and half years.

You saw the same health visitor at the baby clinic each time and that health visitor worked closely with your doctor. There was continuity of care.

There is no evidence that surestart has improved the outcomes for the families that it was intended for. For the middle classes its a nice luxury which the country cannot afford during credit crunch times.

Middle class luxury is not my experience of inner London SureStarts. Rather it has attracted often better educated but financially struggling people - older parents frequently (sometimes from abroad) - who don't have family back up - no mums or sisters to place the kids with (maybe that's quite representative of the people who choose to bring up children in cramped flats amidst the delights of Central London). Anyway, has been a lifeline for me, my partner and especially a number of fathers I know. Am dreading the cuts.

What do you define as middle classes? If you work perhaps you're middle class so don't qualify.

Mums in need need other mums to chat to,a variety of activities,all sections of society to mix with.

Hv s are insular,it will just be more of the same old same old ie weighing babies,the odd phone call etc. I personally never even saw my hvs that often.If you're doing fine in their eyes they don't want to see you.

Not sure how any number of hvs could compete with the lovely activities,ideas and company Surestart provide.

A salary is meaningless as you can still struggle,be clueless,need company,need guidance,be broke etc.A rather spiteful op in my opinion.

Moozoid, in answer to your post, yes I believe Surestart is in the line not to be funded by government, we will have to wait to have it confirmed in the imminent spending view. I suggest you hot foot it to you're local MP to complain.

Our SUreStart centre is offering hardly any activities this term, compared to a whole variety of different things that they offered each term for the last few years. They say funding has been cut dramatically.

My understanding was that SureStart was to help all Mums. Income level has nothing to do with it. The reason they provide the activities is to provide social time and also so they can get to know the families and if anyone needs extra help they can ask their friendly SureStart team. Afterall if you are struggling (and perhaps feeling like a failure as a mum) you wouldn't really feel like asking unless you knew and trusted them.

I am sure some would argue this was the role the Health Visitors used to have, and perhaps that's true, I have no idea. I just know that it would be a real loss if noone provided this 'getting to know you' service so that if you are having a hard time then it is easy to access help.

Inspite of huge amounts of money surestart has not improved outcomes for five year olds.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561510/Early-learning-education-plan-a-failure.html

In credit crunch times we need to get rid of frills and spend public money carefully.

The surestart team are far less qualifed than health visitors. A surestart worker could easily find themselves out of their depth. For example they aren't qualifed in mental health and could end up doing more harm than good.

I think that as a country we need to think how we best deploy health visitors. Families are very different from 20 years ago. There are different challenges like more immigrants and in many families both parents have to work.

In my area health visitors run support groups for breastfeeding, special needs and young mothers. It would be nice to have more of these drop in groups. For example if you were struggling with potty training or tantrums it might be good to meet mothers in the same boat.

I think its a mistake that a mum can get her baby weighed whenever she likes. Once the baby has regained their birth weight there is little point in weighing a baby weekly. It is easier to assess weight gain weighing a baby monthly. Excessive weighing can cause anxiety in mothers and harm breastfeeding.

reallytired your argument seems to mainly be that "I can't use surestart so no-one else should be able to either", which is a bit selfish imo.

I also suffer from anxiety and OCD and find it hard to be by myself for too long because I start to get irrational unwanted thoughts. I have found by surestart centre invaluable and it has allowed me to keep busy and meet other mums without having to spend a fortune on baby activities.

I agree that people with mental health issues should be better supported but this should be done by your community mental health teams. This is after all what they are there for.

I have found health visitors to be well meaning but have found the advice given contradictory and unhelpful especially with regards to breastfeeding.

Hmmm, our local library was appointed as a sure start centre for our area and a neighbouring one a couple of years ago. It has gone from being surestart for half a day a week within the library building to actually having a purpose built extension attached to the library. The extension has only just started to be built.

Sure start was originally put into so called deprived areas but has now spread due to demand.

It has nothing to do with class now. If you work then you wouldn't be going to a local group either and i don't know of ANY toddler group in the evening!

The surestart todler group I attened years ago with DS2 (now 8!) closed a couple of weeks after they took our addressess for research reasons! I would suspect they found we weren't target audience, just mums with toddlers, we obviously didn't need support or a place to meet and socialise because we didn't live on a council estate or receive benefits