Sure start Children's Centres - do you use them and what do you think of them?

[carriemumsnet]

BBC Radio London have invited us on tomorrow (Friday am) to talk about what Mumsnetters think of Sure Start children's centres. It's a while since anyone an MNHQ used one so we'd be really interested to know what y'all think.

All feedback welcome.

Thanks

MNHQ

i have 3 near me, 2 i've never used. they don't advertise the classes so i never know whats going on. the one i do use is fantastic.
it was one of the main ones launched and has loads going on, the antinatal classes are the, the LLL run a bf bistro, music classes, dance classes, yoga, baby sign, a play and stay room, messy play etc. it even has a organic veg box scheme which is very cheap and it has an allotment at the back which children are encouraged to help with.
it is in an area which has a majority of ethnic minority families but they never seem to use it, in fact the only time i've seen them use it was at the christmas open day. which is a shame as it's a fantastic local resource.

Yes, I meant the fact that I'm one of the few women from my area to even attempt to go. Most of the mums I know locally wouldn't dream of taking their kids to a SureStart Centre. They assume it's full of single mothers on benefits or drugs or both. I'm exaggerating of course but YKWIM.

The rude woman on Reception and our local SS policy is doing nothing to help create better community relations.

You know, the truth is, I didn't really care about the background of the other mums there. I just wanted a cup of tea and a moan about my sore boobs and lack of sleep! It's a shame really.

Exactly what DH said! He also mused that she probably looked down on the mums attending the centre far more than I would.

I take DS to our local one sometimes (though we are not quite in catchment area). It's got a nice softplay area which he adores so it's good on wet afternoons. However most of the stuff they do isn't suitable for us (aiimed at dads or young parents - I am all in favour but just don't need it) and they do seem a bit disorganised WRT acitivites.

Prob a bit late but just wanted to say ours is truly excellent - we go twice a week for under 5's 'stay and play'. I've also been on three parenting workshops for which they provide a creche.

The parents are from all sections of the community, which seems to work well. They hold English language classes, baby massage and provide support with returning to work etc. Plus lots more - they always seem to be very busy.

The staff are extremely professional and really welcoming, and are always trying new things. They do lots of messy play stuff, and there's stories and singing at the end of every session. It's a brand new facility, set up with good quality toys.

I've never been made to feel unwelcome and if they are aiming it at certain sections of the community they don't make it obvious. It's generally well attended. I feel very lucky that we've got it!

Our local Surestart is not regarded as for the less well off I don't think, mostly because we're so rural and we don't really have many other baby groups.
BUT, my gripe is with the assumption that no mothers work and that no sessions are needed out of hours. Our local centre offers its only LP session from 3pm on a weekday while the only weekend session is on Saturday morning and for Dads only. I can only assume that they think only Fathers work. It baffles me that they should think Lone Parents don't need access to these groups and that they might need to work during office hours.
Still, other than that, I'm all for them

I enjoy using a very wide range of SureStart Children's Centres but have major major gripes with them.

Mainly timetabling ... IMO, there should be a morning and afternoon session daily, simple as that. Centres seem to offer a complicated timetable of often oddly timed session that are not attended by the target audience as a result. Also strict limits on numbers lead to people being turned away. Why do the newest centres seem to only have space for 12 children?

Session timetables are not made available. HVs should be groaning under the weight if them, they should be in school newsletters, in the local free rag every week, obvious places.

The facility to book a room for a community group should be much much better advertised.

Weekend sessions would be good too.

Receptionists....why? They never know anything about the centre at all. An open plan office area so admin staff could perform the very limited reception duties required would be more effective and save money.

Really hope some of the points made above might get taken on board.

Arrgh...when I said 'points made above' I meant PPs, not mine

As a nanny (manny) I visit a Surestart Children's Centre, but it isn't our nearest one. Our local one is very cramp (probably used to be an old stock room), where as one a few village's away is I'd say typical school classroom sized - so much better.
I attend a Play&Stay session, which is freeplay for the children. Mums chat with each other, occasionally I have seen a father attend but it's vary rare - I tend to be the only bloke over the age of 4.
I'm made welcome by the staff but I get an unwelcome feeling from some of the mums... but that tends to be something I find with a lot of 'toddler groups'.

I didn't realise you were a bloke

I really pay NO attention, do I?

Can I just correct the assumption that CCs are for deprived families..?

Children's Centres have been phased with Phase One concentrating on providing a wealth of services to families including those with significant/complex needs. Phase 3, by contrast, provides less services but the same contact point for resources and may be a satellite facility.

All CCs whether phase 1, 2 or 3, are designed to provide services for families. Not particular families, just families.

The notion of services aimed at deprived or minority groups I suspect comes from the reality that any service now has to take into consideration how well it meets the needs of the community it serves. The current phrase has changed from 'reaching the hard to reach' to 'engaging the hard to engage'!

Community resources must work hard to combat discrimination, overt and discreet and must function in line with Every Child Matters.

It should also be recognised that deprivation has many facets, from economic to emotional. With that in mind, it is as appropriate for a relatively wealthy SAHM in a 4 bed property, married with two cars on the drive and expendable income to attend any Children's Centre. She may be disabled, mentally ill, or a victim of abuse, etc.

Children's Centres are for all and sometimes the most excluded silent minorities are kept as such due to the apparent invisibility of the obstacles they face.

Our local one is fantastic - it was a huge boost when I was struggling with young children and no social circle, and I ended up making some good friends there.

The sessions were attended by a mix of the "target area" families and families like me from surrounding area which was not "deprived" but didn't have any children's activities nonetheless. Everyone just got on together fine. I attended Stay and Play, some adult learning courses and some days out.

The best thing was that the staff were friendly and took the initiative to talk to you/introduce you, rather than the icy cliques that exist in many toddler groups.

I completely agree with Hobbgoblin, that it's not just about money but about other vulnerabilities/difficulties parents may be facing. HV pretty much forced me into going to surestart - although I was married SAHM with nice city centre flat, I had a history of mental health issues. And when DS proved to have severe language delay at 3, my nearest Surestart centre in a "scary area" was an absolute godsend - friendly caring staff, the one M & T type group I could actually bear going to, run by a very experienced retired primary teacher, and I did a basic non SALT run Hanen course there to help me help my child communicate, which was the only real support I had from "the system" whilst DS was stuck on lengthy waiting lists.

In terms of living out of area - as long as the classes weren't full, they were happy to have someone fill the place - I wouldn't have been eligible for any free/subsidised baby equipment though.

I went to my local children's centre loads when I was on maternity leave, less so now I'm back at work.

It was excellent but as others have said not very well advertised. I only found out about it through my health visitor.

DD attends a sure start nursery attached to a children's centre near my work. IMO it's an excellent nursery, and it's lot cheaper than the private nuseries in the area.

I think good quality, affordable childcare is very important, especially for less well off parents who may struggle to go back to work / study otherwise.

I was in a Sure Start area when I had ds nearly six years ago (so am sure things have moved on since then - SS was still run/organised largely by local volunteers at the time, just before the govt. started centralising everything).

Sure Start was fab - free baby/child first aid, free baby/child classes, even free massages for parents. Was in London, so a very mixed area from wealthy families in £2m houses to massive council estates with crack dens. So the groups were very mixed too, with well-off middle class yummy mummy types hanging out with ordinary people who struggled to know where the money to pay the bills was coming from. This was A Jolly Good Thing, IMO.

(the mix was a good thing, obviously, not the fact that some people were pretty darn close to the breadline.)

I live in North Shropshire and there isn't a SSCC near me so I can't access this service.

OddHair if you follow these links your local Children's Centres will come up

Click on the children's centres box on the right

List of Centres

I'm in merseyside, ours is fantastic and we have been using it since the birth of ds2 who's now 5.8yo. Did BFing peer counsellors course through them and have been involved in setting up groups. They run some fantastic toddler groups - I only wish I worked fewer hours and could do more of them! When I was on mat leave I did lots with them and they really were my lifeline as I had pnd very badly after dcs 2 &3.

Sorry but I really hate ours.

Got bombarded with suggestions that I go to it, phone calls the lot, and I never did because I don't really like that sort of thing anyway.

When I 6did^ have to go there every 2 weeks because the midwives were stationed there, I often saw teenage assistants with screaming babies who didn't have the first clue how to treat them - they just ignored them basically while they chatted about their boyfriends etc - and there was this person who I rpesume was the 'cook', wandering about in the kitchen (whichw as right by the waiting room) coughing constantly like she had pleurisy. EVERY TIME.

Itr was disgusting and vile and I felt sorry for the children who got left there every day. Miserable.

yep all childrens centres are given different levels depending on the area you are based. We find a lot of our mums were "yummy mummys" at first, but we are slowly building a good link with our other familes.
Im so glad to read this thread, will have to take it into work to show the girls how well CCs are thought of

lisad123 I posted for you yesterday...did you see?