Children and family centres

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You can get early help from our children and family centres. You do not need an appointment.

We've adapted our services so they meet the needs of the diverse communities in our borough.

For children aged 0 to 5 the centres:

support their development, help them with communication, emotions, social skills and physical abilities
make sure they are ready for school and beyond

They also offer support to children aged up to 10 and their families through targeted support, including assessment and support plans.

For families they:

focus on parenting skills and empower parents and carers
provide education and confidential support
promote good health and economic wellbeing for children and their families
offer support ranging from safeguarding to job training, aiming for a healthy, prosperous community

The following centres in Southwark deliver our early help services:

Borough, Bankside and Walworth: 1st Place Children & Parents Centre and Coin Street Community Builders
Bermondsey and Rotherhithe: Pilgrims Way Primary School & Children’s Centre
Camberwell and Dulwich: Dulwich Wood Nursery School and Children’s Centre
Peckham, Peckham Rye and Nunhead: Ivydale Primary School & Children’s Centre

These centres, plus other local venues, offer a wide range of groups and activities.

They're tailored to meet the needs of Southwark's children and families, including:

stay and play sessions, providing a welcoming space for children to learn and play
parenting support as part of our family Early Help parenting strategy
one-to-one support for those with complex needs (accessible by Early Help referral)
preparing children for education initiatives, such as Bookstart and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library
health and life improvement support in collaboration with health services and other partners, to improve family wellbeing
access to specialist support for targeted services and SEND sessions, ensuring every child and family gets the support they need

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