Welcome to Jigsaw, a monthly E-bulletin from Sunderland Children’s Services for people working within Attendance, Childcare, Children's Centres and Extended Schools in Sunderland.

1. News

Sunderland Club Improves Family Time for Dads and Kids

Fathers and their children from across the city enjoyed a day of family fun during a special event designed to promote the importance of spending time together as a family.

To find out more about the Dads and Kids Clubs' trip to the farm click here

A New Direction for Playing for Success

Sunderland’s innovative Playing for Success initiative has undergone some dramatic adjustments over the previous few months.

Alongside concentrating on traditional key skills the 10 week study support programme will now also focus on healthy eating and how a poor diet can affect your health. As well as a change in its curriculum Playing for Success has also launched its very first outreach programme following two successful pilots over the summer.

Click for further information on Study Support Scheme Blows Full-Time Whistle on Junk Food and Unique Study Support Scheme Reaches Out

Museum Treat for Perfect Pupils

School children with 100 per cent attendance have been treated to a jam-packed day of fun at Beamish Open Air Museum. Thanks to Sunderland City Council's innovative Every Schoolday Counts scheme, more then 1,100 youngsters on Wearside have achieved a full attendance record in 2007-08.

Click to read the full Every Schoolday Counts article

Sunderland Families Have Their Say on Their Services

Following a series of unique listening events Sunderland Children’s Services have been praised by families living across the city for the support and services which are offered to them by the council.

Sunderland Children’s Services took to the streets of Sunderland to find out exactly what parents and children think of their services and which they regularly access. People were also asked how they thought services and facilities could be promoted to help raise awareness of what support is available to Sunderland families.

Click here to read more about the comments raised by families

Lottery Grant Keeps Sunderland Youngsters Active

Two Sunderland schools have received over £17,000 from a Lottery-funded grant to help improve sports facilities in their out of school clubs.

Sporting facilities at both East Herrington Primary School and St Aidan’s Catholic School will be greatly improved this term as a result of the additional funding from the Awards for All in England grant.

Find more information on the Awards for All in England grant here

Sunderland Childminders Raise Over £400

As Sunderland City Council continues its campaign for improved language and literacy skills, a group of Sunderland childminders have hosted a unique reading event at their local library in aid of children’s charity, Barnardo’s.

Ten childminders from across Washington and the children that they care for set off from Sunderland Children’s Centre Washington (Concord) for the ‘Big Sponsored Toddle’, which saw them walk to Millennium Centre Library - many dressed in their pyjamas with teddy in tow - in time for a special storytelling event.

More information on the Washington Childminding Toddle can be found here

 2. Support for Families

Launch of Child and Family Support

The Child and Family Support Service is a new initiative available through Sunderland Children’s Centres and Extended Schools for all children aged from birth to 12 years and their families. The service is designed to help support children and families with low level multiple needs from escalating into a social care or safeguarding situation in the future.

Click to read the Child and Family Support Service document and the Child and Family Support Service leaflet 

Free to Use Public Access Computers

Public access computers are now available in every Sunderland Children’s Centre so whether parents want to draft a letter, surf the web or look for a job they can now log on free of charge. They can also check out the new Sunderland Children’s Centre website where they’ll find fun things to do at home, advice for families and Children’s Centre activity timetables.

Visit the website at www.sunderlandchildrenscentres.co.uk  
 

Holiday Fun for Sunderland Youngsters

During the 2008 holiday breaks many of the city’s secondary and special schools offered activities for children and young people as part of their study support holiday programme. Across Sunderland over 2,000 children benefited from these activities that included on site sessions such as pottery, cookery, sports, dance and media as well as external learning visits to Derwent Hill, the Stadium of Light and the Centre of Life. All schools were supported financially by Local Authority Extended Services Team to provide these exciting and innovative opportunities.

3. Support for Practitioners

Practitioners Guide to Services Now Online

The Sunderland Children’s Centres: A Guide to Services for Practitioners and Managers is now available to download from the Sunderland Children’s Centre website. The website now holds a range of information designed to help support people working with children and families in Sunderland. There is content for volunteers, health staff, social care staff and daycare providers as well as information on training courses.

Click to download Sunderland Children’s Centres: A Guide to Services for Practitioners and Managers

View the Information for People Working with Children and Families section of the website here

If you would like see additional documents and information featured on the Sunderland Children’s Centre website please email ESAGmarketing@sunderland.gov.uk