Flying Start Update
Agenda Number 4.1
Flying Start Update
The Flying Start Multi Agency Team is now fully staffed and includes Health Visitors, Family Support Workers, Portage Worker, Midwife, Speech and Language Therapist and Speech and Language Technician, Nursery Nurses and a Community Psychiatric Nurse overseen by Fran Dale, Multi Agency Team Leader and supported by a dedicated admin worker. Some team members also deliver Sure Start Services in existing Sure Start areas outside the Flying Start areas.
Many families are already in receipt of a range of Flying Start services inclusive of parenting support interventions in the home around sleep, behaviour management, and family routines. However, with over six hundred children to visit it will be March 2008 before all families within the scheme will have received a home visit by one of the Health Visitors. Nursery Nurses and Family Support workers will undertake visits where appropriate to offer a range of support including introducing parents to other services, involvement in groups and sessions on parenting skills.
New drop in facilities have been set up by the health visitors in Llay and Gwersyllyt, utilising the skills across the team to offer an exciting and enriched programme for children and families. On CaiaPark a similar resource has also emerged for Flying Start families, meeting a gap in service provision.
Bethan Griffiths, the Midwife in the teamwill work alongside the generic Midwives providing intensive support where required. Andrea Jones, the Community Psychiatric Nurse, has been a valuable addition to the team in offering advice and support in relation to maternal mental health and post natal depression.
The Speech and Language professionalsin the team have visited all of the childcare settings at least twice. Their goal is to establish monthly visits so that needs can be identified and addressed early. Their extended involvement at the recently introduced drop-in’s offers a whole new innovative approach to promoting speech and language development, pre-birth through to school entry.
Subsequent to the LAP training provided in November 07 some of the childcare settings have provided LAP training to parents and children in their Flying Start Groups. The parents are enthusiastic and the children enjoy showing off the activities they have done to the rest of the group.The plan is to continue this form of LAP delivery.
The number of childcare settings continues to expand. Sessions are now running both morning and afternoon atHafod y Wern School Playgroup. The Venture, Dean Road and Idwal Family Centres, Gwenfro School Playgroup, Ysgol Min-y-Ddol, Little Sunflowers, Rhosymedre, Plas Madoc Playgroup, and Ysgol Heulfan Playgroup, Gwersyllt are all running Flying Start sessions for eligible 2 year olds.
New settings are expected to be operational within the coming months. These include, Ysgol Bodhyfryd, LlayCommunitySchool and Church of the Nazarene, Penycae.
Staff delivering Flying Start services are frequently being asked for leaflets from professionals wanting to know more about the scheme. A Professionals leaflet detailing what services are provided will shortly be available for circulation.
For more information please contact:
Fran Dale, Multi Agency Team Leader Tel: 01978 265395/823716
Rebecca Heywood Jones – Development Officer Tel: 01978 317678