Childminders provide respite care
The background
NCMA and Southampton’s children’s centre staff
have worked together to integrate more childminders in the
community to families who access the centres.
The children’s centres and NCMA have worked
together to provide vulnerable and disadvantaged families with
quality childcare through the Sure Care scheme, supporting
community childminders to assist in meeting the diverse needs of
the community.
A recent referral came from a health visitor
at one of the children’s centres who referred two children because
the mother was depressed and struggling and needed some respite
care. Susanne, a local community childminder with experience of
supporting vulnerable children, was engaged with to provide care
for both siblings.
Solution
Susanne has been able to collect and deliver
the children that she is now caring for on a regular basis one day
a week. She takes them to pre-school and provides meals for them
both.
She has been supporting one of the children
who has difficulty in swallowing lumpy food due to a cleft
palette.
She has also helped to support this child with
appropriate activities to develop her speech and language.