Sure Start Speke

Hi everyone
Last year was a period of dramatic change for our organisation as we gained "Children Centre" as well as "Charitable" and "Standalone" status.

We continue to be the only standalone Children Centre in Liverpool and it has been a clear period of review for us, both from the point of view of services and internal systems. Working with partners and independent consultants, knowing that we face a predicted decline in funding, we have been considering how we can continue to best serve the community and where we need to make improvements.

In addition we have also been seeking out new opportunities which we hope will meet some presently unmet need in the community, protect some of our existing services and provide us with a strong base that moves us away from grant dependency.

Last year we saw our midwifery service go from strength to strength and the Women's Hospital Trust has also set up a neonatal screening clinic in our centre, which has proven successful.

Our carnival for 2006 was a great success thanks to a whole host of partners who put in so much time and effort - a real example of ongoing partnership work and community spirit.

In addition my staff team despite reduced numbers pulled together an impressive and vibrant summer programme for children and families, hosted a number of successful open events and replaced our grotto with a series of "Santa Suppers and Breakfasts". This has been in addition to all the regular activities that they planned throughout the year. Once again we hope to build on this for 2007 which is the 800th Birthday of the City of Liverpool.

Our nursery team in particular, worked hard to put together an impressive consultation event on children's play and learning and we have commissioned an artist to create a more child friendly play provision in our courtyard play area. Everyone including the café staff was dragged into the activities, it's no surprise that they achieved "outstanding" for "enjoying and achieving" in their Ofsted.

So this year our drive is all about how we create new, protect what we have and ensure that our centre is one of the best in the country.

We will be working with the Liverpool Primary Care Trust and hope to build up partnerships with other children centres to run a healthy eating project - "Can Cook will Cook".

Our health visiting team will shortly be joined by the school nurse team, further enhancing "joined up" services for children and families living in Speke.

I am also awaiting news on a new 2 year commission to set up a parent mentor programme in the Netherley Valley area, again this will build up our links with other children centres, in particular in the South Liverpool area. I am sure that Netherley Valley families will feel the clear benefits the service will bring as it has here in Speke. Our project here supported over 200 families last year with a range of different needs; in addition local residents achieved 6 level 3 NVQ's in childcare and advice and guidance, a level 1 counselling qualification and numerous stand alone certificates. 80% of the parent mentors, who were initially taken on for a 12 month contract have remained in employment.

The work we do is all about renewal, we are constantly required to change, some of that is because we choose to and some is imposed, but nonetheless change has to happen.

We are also working closely with other voluntary sector partner agencies, in particular STEC to look at how we can make increased improvements to our services, this will enable us to fulfil our aspiration to create an early years training centre that is second to none.

As a team we have consciously chosen to see change as an opportunity for growth and new learning. I have talked about some of our new services and one area we are currently revising and updating is our website.

Please be patient with us whilst we overhaul our site and make improvements that will allow us to communicate more effectively with parents, children and all our stakeholders. I look forward to my next update which will be on a fresh and brand new innovative site.

Susan Roberts
Director