The main purpose of this session was to get our participants to come directly to one of Sure Start centres so they could familiarise themselves with the neighbourhood, the venue, public transport routes and services available.
A room was specially set up for us with a big playroom. This really helped the women concentrate on the information provided while their children played. In addition to this, Sure Start Centre staff provided food parcels for the women, educational materials, and toys for children for free.
Magdalen from Afrocats, with the help of an interpreter, did a thorough reading of the Longsight Sure Start Centre services brochure. This helped the women to fully understand how they could benefit from these centres. The following is a list of the services available at Longsight Sure Start Centre:
Incredible Years parent programme
14-week sessions for mums, dads and carers of children aged two to four, who want to learn positive parenting strategies.
Talk English course
Practice English and make new friends.
Midwives (by appointment)
Chek-ups, support, advice, and information.
Explore and Learn for parents and carers to give time to younger toddlers. Children will get used to doing things themselves, preparing them for stay-and-play sessions.
Rhyme time drop-in
Birth registrations - pick up your free baby book start bag and access information. Call the centre to book.
The women were interested in accessing a midwife as well as activities for babies and toddlers. They, once again, raised interest regarding speech therapy for their children and we referred them to the Healthy Child Clinic service offered at Longsight Sure Start Centre.
I have learned a lot, especially about where to find English lessons, where to get vitamins and how to take better care of my baby.
Throughout the reading, we paused several times when questions were raised. We explained in detail what every service meant and translated when they couldn’t understand. We believe this is incredibly helpful for them since language barriers continue to be the primary issue they face when accessing public health and social services in Manchester.
This project has provided a safe environment where women felt confident enough to ask questions they wouldn’t normally ask. By doing this, we continue to build bridges that connect those who suffer from social exclusion to services available to them and – in this way – reduce health risks which are disproportionately higher for immigrant women in the UK.
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