Sure Start - Wrexham Partnership

What is it?

Sure Start is a locally based programme that operates across the UK, funded directly by the Government. The programme of work is targeted at the 0–3 years old age group and their parents, with the overall aim to ensure that all children are ready to thrive when they get to school. The three main aims of the Sure Start Programme are:-

• to improve health

• to improve the ability to learn

• to improve social development

Who runs it and who is it for?

Throughout Wales, Sure Start is run by partnerships between the local authority, health services and voluntary organisations. The Wrexham Partnership has appointed several specialist Sure Start workers and supported a range of projects for children under 4.

Key Sure Start staff appointments are:-

• 3 Sure Start Health Visitors and 3 Child Health Support Workers – to help provide more individual home visits in certain areas, run a range of groups to give parents advice and support on caring for very young children and provide health and parenting advice to existing community-based groups such as parent/toddler and pre-school play groups.

• 1 Pre-School Teacher and 2 Education Nursery Nurses – to work with individual children and their parents, community-based groups such as parent/toddler groups and the groups run by the Sure Start Health Visitors, to promote good quality learning experiences for very young children.

• Welfare Rights Officer – to provide help in sorting out money problems for individual parents of young children and give advice on managing the family budget and on claiming benefits to groups of parents such as local parent/toddler groups and the groups run by the Sure Start Health Visitors.

These staff work in four Sure Start Target areas in the county borough – Caia Park, Plas Madoc and Cefn Mawr, Brynteg and Southsea and Gwersyllt.

Some of the funding goes towards providing services located in the Partnership Building on First Avenue, Gwersyllt.

• Parent toddler group- run every morning 9.15am - 11.45am

• Toy Library - to provide a range of good quality toys for parents to borrow for their children.

Funding goes towards providing services in the four Sure Start target areas in the County Borough - Caia Park, Plas Madoc and Cefn Mawr, Brynteg and Southsea and Gwersyllt.

• Relate-counselling service for advice and guidance on relationship difficulties

• Family Learning Project- to help parents in helping their children learn and to move on themselves into new learning opportunities

• Breastfeeding Project- to encourage and support mothers to breastfeed their babies

• Stay-Safe Child Safety Project- to provide home safety equipment for families who cannot afford it.

Some funding is for supporting young children in need and their parents wherever they live.

• Sponsored Day Care Fund – to pay up to £5 per week towards a place in day-care for young children who would benefit from such sessions but whose parents cannot afford it

• Pool of Childcare Workers and Creche Fund –to provide childcare in a creche to enable parents to attend employment training sessions or special support groups.

• Homestart -to recruit, train and manage volunteers who give help and support to parents under significant stress in their own homes and to develop work with people from other agencies in working with fathers

Some funding is provided to run services for children with particular needs.

• Early diagnosis of Autism Project – to develop ways to ensure that children who have autism are recognised and properly supported as early as possible

• Community Childminding Scheme – to provide a break and support for parents under significant stress, where children may be in need of protection.

For further information, contact your Health Visitor or Sure Start Coordinator, Ty Henblas, Queen’s Square, Wrexham LL13 8AZ Telephone 01978 297553.