The Sure Start Westminster Church Street Team
Parent and Carer Involvement Team
Portman Early Childhood Centre
London NW8 8DE
Contact:
Jeani Jeans Co-ordinator
Fatima Ahmed
Sonia Williams
Tanya Nyari
Ouassila Moraboti
Telephone 0207-641-5409/5444/5436
Fax 0207-641-5437
Email pcit.portman-early-childhood.westminster@lgfl.net
What they offer
An outreach team, two of whom speak a local community language, who offer a friendly home visiting service to you and your family. They can provide practical support, introduce you to local services and organisations and give you a say about your local community via the parent's forum. They run drop-ins, creative workshops and fun events for all the family. Please contact the team if you would like to know more about Sure Start, want advise on the most suitable service for your needs and/or for an update of local events.
How to access
Self referral. Via midwife, health visitor, GP, social worker or any other agency. Families need to live in area and have at least 1 child under 4 years.
Health Team
Lisson Grove Health Centre
London NW8 8EH
Contact:
Jane Raymond Midwife 0207-724-8687
Oma Ramroop Health Visitor 0207-479-8767
Dorothy Wong Family Support Worker 0207-479-8767
Fax 0207-706-4211
What they offer
The health team can offer you additional support and advice around issues concerning pregnancy, parenting, play and stimulation, child development and the emotional well being of you and your family. Their particular interests include breast-feeding support, home safety and developing a consistent support system to help identify and care for women who may become depressed before/after the birth of a child.
They offer home support, antenatal yoga and swimming, breast feeding and postnatal support drop-ins, hire of breast pumps and a range Bravado bras at low cost. The heath visitor and family support worker also offer assessments of your home safety needs and organise first aid training for parents.
How to access
Self referral. Via midwife, health visitor, GP, social worker or any other agency.
Dentist and Oral Health Promotion Team
Lisson Grove Health Centre
London NW8 8EH
Contact:
Farida Quadri Dentist 0207-723-3567
Dawn Freeman Oral Health Promotion Advisor 0207-723-1639
Claire Hurley Dental Nurse 0207-723-3567
Fax 0207-706-4211
What they offer
A child friendly dentist is based one day/week at Lisson Grove. You can call in to register your child/ren between 09.30-12.00 and 13.30 -15.30 on Wednesdays and pick up your free toothbrush and toothpaste when you visit.
You can contact the Oral Health Promotion Advisor for advice and information about oral health. She is available to answer questions and give advice on a monthly basis at the baby clinics held at Lisson Grove Health Centre and Paddington Green Health Centre. She is also able to provide one to one contacts at Lisson Grove Health Centre, home visits and regular sessions at childcare settings in the community e.g. nurseries, playgroups, drop-ins. The oral health team also offer an outreach service to families where children either have high caries (bad teeth) rates or are at risk of developing caries.
How to access
Self referral or via GP, health visitor, other agencies.
Speech and Language Therapists
Lisson Grove Health Centre
London NW8 8EG
Contact:
Penny Layne
Liz Lowton
Telephone 0207-723-8797
Fax 0207-706-4211
What they offer
Information and advice about your children's speech and language development to ensure that they have the best start at learning to talk from birth onwards. The Speech and Language Therapists offer home visits, baby fun groups, drop-in and advice groups and parent/carer workshops. Please contact them for information and an update about local events.
How to access
Self referral or via GP, health visitor, other agencies
Stop Smoking Counsellor
Lisson Grove Health Centre
Gateforth St
London NW8 8EH
Contact
Lola Fasehun Stop Smoking Counsellor
Telephone 0207-479-8766
07946-836662 (Out of hours Support Service)
What they offer
Offers help, support and advice on giving up smoking to pregnant women and parents/carers of young children. The counsellor runs both group and one-to-one sessions to suit your needs. She also offers you an out of hours telephone support service (number above).
Please contact her on the above number if you would like help to stop smoking.
Home Learning Worker (KIDS)
The Portman Early Childhood Centre
12-18 Salisbury St
London NW8 8DE
Contact:
Georgie Knight
Mary Mbwana
Ruth Williams Co-ordinator
Telephone 0207-641-4151
Fax 0207-641-4152
What they offer
The Home Learning Workers work with children who have special needs and their families/carers. The role of the worker is to help enable your child to develop his/her skills and abilities and to fulfil his/her potential and aspirations. The worker will visit you at home and together you will be able to develop a programme of learning suited to you and your child. She can offer you advice and support about activities for you to continue to do between visits, which will encourage your child to reach the next stage of his/her development.
How to access
Self Referral or via other agencies.
Other Information
While the Church Street Home Learning workers see children in the Church Street area, KIDS home learning service is available to all children with special needs in Westminster
Toy Library
The Portman Early Childhood Centre
London NW8 8DE
Satellite Toy Library
Dinton House
Lisson Green Estate
Contact:
Eno Olatunde
Neherun Uddin
Naima Akkari
Telephone 0207-724-7427 (Marylebone Bangladeshi Society)
0207-641-5316 (Portman Centre)
What they offer
A library where your children can attend play sessions and borrow toys for use at home giving them a great opportunity to develop their play, language and learning abilities. You can come to the play sessions and borrow toys on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 09.30-12.30 and 13.30-15.30 at the Portman Centre. The satellite toy library at Dinton House is open every Tuesday 10.00-12.00.
Story times, music and creative play sessions are offered at various times during the week. Please drop in or telephone for details. Parents/carers are welcome to become actively involved in the running of the library.
How to access
Drop-in.
Other Information
The toy library is open to children under 4. At busy times, we may have to limit numbers and children living in the Church Street area will be given precedence.
Literacy Development Worker
Church St Library, Church St
London NW8 8EU
Satellite Library Service
Dinton House
Lisson Green Estate NW8
Contact Maria Pavledis
Telephone 0207-641-5490
What they offer
The Children's Library at Church St offers your child the opportunity to enjoy books from an early age thus opening up an exciting world of learning. Children can attend story time sessions and borrow books in various languages. Various activities for children are held at the library including story time, singing and creative sessions. Please call in to receive up to date details about these sessions.
A Bookstart drop-in is held on Wednesday 12.00-14.00 where the Literacy Development Worker can give you support about reading to your child and you can collect a Bookstart bag.
How to access
Drop-in during opening times.
Opening Times
Children's Library - on Monday
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 09.30 -19.00
Wednesday 10.00-18.00
Saturday 09.30-17.00
A satellite library service is now available at Dinton House for you to drop-in, borrow books and videos and find out about courses and local nursery schools. It is open every Tuesday 10.00-12.00.
Childcare Development Worker
Lisson Grove Health centre
Gateforth Street, NW8 8EH
Contact Ruth Murray
Telephone 0207-479-8781
Fax 0207-706-4211
Email ruth.murray@westminster-pct.nhs.uk
What they offer
The childcare development worker provides advice and information about childcare options for those parents seeking day care for their children in order to work or attend a course. Information sessions for people considering working as a childminder are held on a regular basis in the area and home visits arranged for those applying to register as a childminder. Training is offered to those registering.
There is a Childminders Drop In every Wednesday morning term time from 09.30–12.00 at The Portman Centre to support registered childminders and offer a variety of activities for the children. Parents wishing to use a childminding service are welcome to come to the drop-in and meet childminders and find out more about what they do.
There is also the opportunity to talk to the Childcare Development Worker at the Employment drop-in on Tuesdays from 13.00-15.00 at Lisson Grove Health Centre about any childcare issues including childminding vacancies.
How to access
Call into drop-in during opening times.
Self-referral. Parents/carers can telephone directly for advice
Family Therapist
Lisson Grove Health Centre
London NW8 8EH
Contact Yvonne Bailey-Smith
Telephone 0207-479-8776
Fax 0207-706-4211
What they offer
The family therapist talks with you and your family to help you to identify things you are doing well and help you think about things you may want to try to change in order to manage your family in the most useful way. The therapist works with you and your family to find your own solutions to the difficulties that may be affecting family life. These can include relationship and communication worries, emotional difficulties or concerns about the behaviour of a member of your family. The therapist can work directly with your child, with you and your child or with your whole family either at home, the health centre or in a local community venue of your choice.
How to access
Via health visitor, GP, midwife, social worker or other agency. Parents/carers can telephone directly for advice.
Other Information
The family therapist works closely with the a child psychiatrist and
children who may have more complex needs can be seen at the Paddington Green Child Psychiatry Unit.
Social Worker
Lisson Grove Health Centre
London NW8 8EH.
Contact Karen Robins
Telephone 0207-479 -8761
Fax 0207-706- 4211
What they offer
The Sure Start Church Street social worker offers a supportive service to you and your family, working with you to help identify your family's needs. The social worker is able to provide advice and information so that you can manage or change things that are affecting you and/or your children. She can offer practical support on issues around parenting as well as advice on accessing appropriate resources such as housing, education, day care or financial help. She can also point you in the right direction on issues that are worrying you or professionals in relation to your children. It may be necessary to link you to the Westminster Children and Families service at Frampton Street and the social worker can offer you support in this process.
How to access
Self Referral, via GP, health visitor, midwife, social worker or other agency
Education and Employability
Amberley Rd Centre
Amberley Rd, London W9 2JJ
Contact Andrew Waite Community Co-ordinator Employability
Telephone 0207-479-8841
Email awaite@waes.ac.uk
Westminster Adult Education Service 0207-297-7297
www.waes.ac.uk
What they offer
Westminster Adult Education Service gives you the opportunity to continue your education and gain qualifications and work skills by offering you a range of part time courses. Many of these courses are supported by a crèche facility for your child. The community co-ordinator is able to offer information and guidance about the local education and employment opportunities to those of you in the Sure Start Area. The co-ordinator aims to link crèche facilities to your training needs. Current courses include Information Technology, yoga, personal development and NVQ in administration.
How to access
Please see leaflet 'Adult Training in the Church Street Area' available at
Lisson Grove Health Centre.
Contact Centre Managers for information. Enrol at individual
centres for courses.
Call into Employment drop-in sessions
Other Information
Please contact the co-ordinator if you have any
suggestions about courses and to discuss what training you would find useful.
