Children's centres

• By March 2010 Richmond upon Thames’ children’s centres will cover the entire borough population
• Children’s centres will bring services to families. Professionals will work alongside each other, in partnership with families, to ensure the best outcomes for children.
• Children’s centres are a partnership between the Local Authority, Schools, the Primary Care Trust, Richmond Housing Partnership, the Metropolitan Police Service, the Voluntary and Community Sector, Jobcentre Plus, the private sector and local families
• Children’s Centres and Extended Schools will promote effective cross border working with our neighbouring boroughs

Children’s centres are being developed nationwide to provide a range of services to children and families and should bring services for children and families to local areas, with services travelling to families, rather than families travelling to services.

In Richmond upon Thames we are working to enable services that are currently only available in central Twickenham or central Richmond to become available at a variety of settings across the borough.

What services will children’s centres offer?

Children’s centres will offer:

• Early years provision
• Family support and parental outreach
• Child and family health services
• Parental involvement
• Links with Jobcentre Plus
• Support and outreach services to parents/carers and children who have been identified as in need of them
• Information and advice to parents and carers on a range of subjects
• Support to childminders via a co-ordinated network
• Drop-in sessions and other activities for children, parents and carers
• Midwifery and health visiting services
• Adult education and family learning
• Specialist services such as speech and language therapy and child and adolescent mental health support

Where will the children’s centres be?

The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has three new-build children’s centres, these are going to be:

Heathfield ward

The new Children’s Centre is on the site of Heathfield Infant School site, Powdermill Lane, with strong outreach facilities to the community centre on the Edgar Road Estate.The community centre will be refurbished over the next two years.

Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside ward

The new Children’s centre is on the St Richard’s with St Andrew’s school site. This centre is also linked with Meadlands School, and both St.Richard’s with St.Andrews and Meadlands have benefited from fully refurbished nursery facilities as part of this programme.

These two centres opened in December 2008.

Barnes ward

The new Children’s Centre is now under construction at Lowther School on Stillingfleet Road. The building is due to open in September 2009. The new centre will link closely with the Castelnau Community Project, also on Stillingfleet Road.

A further Children’s Centre will be provided in an existing building that will be refurbished.

Hampton North ward

Hampton clinic on Tangley Park Road will be refurbished over the next two years, and new outdoor play facilities added. Health services will continue to be provided from this building, as they are from all children’s centres. A further refurbished building at Hampton Hill Junior School, where services for families in that area can be delivered, will support this centre.

A fifth Children’s Centre will be developed in the Twickenham,Teddington, Hampton Wick area. The location, which will be on a primary school site, is still to be identified.

In addition to these five centres, services will also be offered from existing buildings that will each act as a “hub” for their area. These are:

• Mortlake - Mortlake Hall
• Kew and North Richmond ward to the railway line - Windham Early Excellence Centre
• South Richmond and North Richmond south of railway line - Cambrian Centre
• West Twickenham, Hampton Hill and Fulwell - Welcare on Twickenham Green

How can I access children’s centre services?

Information on services will be available through schools, early years settings, childminders and the Family Information Service.