Awards 2012: Organisations - Children's centre team of the year

Balsall Heath Children's Centre marked a double celebration earlier this year with the award of an Ofsted outstanding and the 10th anniversary celebration for the opening of its purpose-built building.

The centre is managed and governed by St Paul's Community Development Trust, a charity that has provided support services to the community for more than 40 years. The population is richly diverse, relatively young, growing and constantly changing as a result of inward migration from all over the world. Nearly 80 per cent of households are characterised by low income, high unemployment and high deprivation.

The centre, which serves a neighbourhood classed within the 10 per cent most deprived areas in the country, has won a string of awards over the years for its high level of services. It is a hive of purposeful activity, attracting families because of its long-established and very positive reputation in the community for making real differences to people's lives.

It provides full and term-time-only education and childcare provision, supporting 168 children, plus a wide range of support services including creche sessions while parents attend courses or groups, counselling, legal advocacy, home visiting or new birth visits, stay and plays, and a mobile toy library. Extensive targeted family support includes groups for those with postnatal depression and those who are experiencing domestic violence. Family Learning has always been integral to the centre's work, ensuring that parents with English as a second language are well supported.

Ofsted's report singled out Alison Moore, head of children's services, as a 'determined and inspirational leader' and said the motivational, experienced and well-trained staff team 'have a very good understanding of the needs of the community and are very positive role models because of their outstanding work'.

Highly commended

Lower Edmonton Children's Centre, Edmonton

Lower Edmonton Children's Centre is a model of outstanding practice in one of the most deprived parts of Edmonton. The team's work is vital to many families in the area. When a three-year-old Albanian boy living locally died last year, the first place the local Albanian community went was the children's centre.

It was opened as a gathering place for grieving friends and family and the staff supported the child's family in making the necessary arrangements.

The borough's Early Intervention and Access team uses examples of the centre's good practice in supporting other newer children's centres within Enfield. The team ethos is evident in all it does. Its holistic and inclusive approach, while working collaboratively with partner agencies, supports the best outcomes for its families. This was highlighted earlier this year when the team took on extra duties to support another local centre that was undergoing a transition.

Criterion

Open to any children's centre team providing services for families and young children.