Sunderland BIG Aerobathon - 20 February 2013
The BIG Sunderland Aerobathon 2013 happens on 20 February 2013, at Silksworth Community Pool, Tennis and Wellness Centre.

Hundreds of participants will take part in up to five 30 minute workouts, including Aerobics, Zumba, Hula Fitness, Dance Aerobics and Pilates and stretch.

The event commences at 3.00pm (registration from 2.30pm) with workouts for families, children and young people, and the main event will take place from 6.00 to 9.00pm with registration beginning at 5.15pm.

To take part please complet and return the Aerobathon 2013 Registration Leaflet ( 243kb). The leaflet is also available at any of the city's sport and leisure facilities or to register your interest for one or more events, please email active@Sunderland.gov.uk.

Please register by Friday 15 February 2013.

Severe winter weather advice

Information on Sunderland City Council website.

February Half Term Activities
Events in libraries

Family activities will be taking place at the National Glass Centre. Find out more here ....

Information available from the Families Information Service

See What Sam Sees
The Safer Sunderland Partnership are supporting Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, and their 'Enough is Enough' campaign.

The campaign aims to challenge the availability and marketing of alcohol, particularly that targeted at young people.

While the number of young people who drink alcohol is reducing across the country, the North East has the highest number of under 18's who admit to drinking alcohol and the highest number of under-18 alcohol related hospital admissions. Alcohol advertising plays a significant role in encouraging young people to start drinking at an earlier age and in greater quantities.

If you think 'Enough is Enough' please sign the online petition yourself and forward it to your friends, encouraging them to support the campaign.

Help us to protect children and young people throughout the North East and to reduce alcohol misuse. Find out more here ....

Don't miss out on your FREE C-Card!

If you are aged between 14-24 you are entitled to receive a C-Card which entitles you to FREE Condoms, Chlamydia Tests, and range of confidential advice on drugs, alcohol and sexual health.

Check out www.yourhealthsunderland.com/c-card

Fuel poverty

A leaflet is now available for front line staff about the impact of fuel poverty on children and young people. Fuel poverty is when a person or family needs to spend more than 10% of their income on fuel to achieve adequate levels of warmth of 18-21 degrees in their home.

It’s everybody’s responsibility to tackle fuel poverty as fuel poor households continue to rise in the UK. This leaflet provides details on the signs to look out for and who to contact for help. Find out more here .... ( 257kb)

Your Health website

This is a website especially for children and young people in Sunderland. It also has pages for parents/carers and also professionals on a range of health issues.

Adventure Week 2012 Monday April 2 - Saturday April 14

As part of Sunderland in 2012 this year's Adventure Week is shaping up to be the best yet!!

Take a look at the full list of activities which include climbing, kite surfing, Japanese sword fencing and many more. Find out more here .... ( 538kb)

UK Youth Parliament Election 2012

The UK Youth Parliament Elections 2012 will be held between Friday 2nd March and Monday 12th March 2012.

To be eligible to vote you need to be between 11 and 18 years and live in or attend a school in the City.

For more information and to view the candidates visit the Letsgosunderand website by following the link here ....

Choose Well to access health services
Patients are being urged to choose the right health services this winter to ensure they received the right treatment at the right time.

NHS South of Tyne and Wear is highlighting the range of services available should people become unwell in a bid to ease the burden on accident and emergency departments and to save patients time and inconvenience.

The message comes as NHS South of Tyne and Wear, along with other primary care trusts in the region, re-launches the Choose Well campaign.

The campaign aims to help people link the seriousness of their symptoms with a particular NHS service, allowing them to choose the most appropriate service for their needs.

Look out for Choose Well advertisements on television which will help you choose which service is right for you.

Dr David Hambleton, Director of Commissioning and Reform for NHS South of Tyne and Wear, which covers Gateshead Primary Care Trust (PCT), South Tyneside PCT and Sunderland Teaching PCT, said: "Winter is a busy time for accident and emergency departments and unfortunately there are still many people who attend hospital with minor problems.

"In order to save patients time and inconvenience and allow accident and emergency staff to concentrate their efforts on those most in need, we want to highlight the range of health services available.

"The Choose Well campaign has proved successful in recent years in highlighting this and we're hoping to do the same this year to ensure that patients get the best and most appropriate treatment at the right place and at the right time."

Find out more about your options to Chose Well.

Children's Centre changes
Meet with us and share your views on our proposals about how Children's Centres may change in the future.

Sunderland Children's Centres have helped thousands of families to live healthier and happier lives by providing play and learn activities, health advice, family advice and information and also through training and volunteering opportunities.

Why do things need to change?

The way local councils across the country are funded is changing and there is much less money available. We can't ignore this, and just like families need to adjust to changes in their financial circumstances, so do we.

We need to review the services we deliver and how we deliver them, so that we can:

• Focus on those children and families that are most in need of our support
• Meet the reduction in funding and continue to provide value for money
• Be more responsive to meet the needs of local communities.

We would like your feedback on our proposals. Come along to one of the following meetings or complete the Children's Centre changes consultation 2011 questionnaire and give us your views on the proposed changes to Children's Centres. Find out more here ....

New Sunderland Safeguarding Children Board’s website

The SSCB has launched its new independent website, which gives the board a new and exciting opportunity to communicate and engage with all professionals, voluntary staff, families, young people and carers about the work of the board.

Visit the new website here ....

Sunderland Phoenix Project wins national award
A course that has helped turn around the lives of young people in Sunderland who are involved in anti-social behaviour has won a prestigious National Training Award. Find out more here ....

The Children’s Trust has produced two documents in relation to the Children and Young People's Plan.

The Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) Annual Report 2010 aims to provide:

• A progress update on the ten priorities and related actions and targets in the CYPP 2009/10
• An overview of partnerships’ priorities
• An overview of priorities that cut across the whole of the Children’s Trust

The annual report can be downloaded here .... ( 140kb)

The Children and Young People's Plan Delivery Plan 2010-2013 Progress Report: November 2010 which is available to download here .... ( 204kb).

Strategies

Two new strategies have been included on this website. Visit the Strategies and plans page to view 'A Family Learning Strategy for Sunderland 2009-2011' and also 'Sunderland 14-19 Strategy 2010-2015'.

The Children’s Trust has now developed the Children and Young People's Plan, which consists of a fifteen year commissioning strategy, the ‘CYPP Strategy 2010–2025’ ( 1.30mb) and the first of five three year delivery plans, the ‘CYPP Delivery Plan 2010– 2013’ ( 1.95mb) complements this.

Get on in school ... get online at home

Home Access is a government drive which will help low-income families to get access to a computer and the internet to get online at home.

If you are a low income family in receipt of certain benefits you could qualify for a grant to buy a computer and/or a minimum of one years’ internet access. The programme is aimed at those that need it most and targets families that do not have access to a computer or the internet at home. Find out more on the Home Access website.

Help us shape Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Learning Disability Services (NHS South of Tyne and Wear)

This formal consultation seeks the views of children, young people, parents, carers, families and other key stakeholders on a new joined-up specialist community child and adolescent mental health and learning disabilities service. This consultation closed on Monday 1 November 2010. Outcomes from this consultation can be viewed here ....

Health chiefs have welcomed a new campaign to get people talking about contraception. The project is designed to help young people make informed choices about contraception as well as looking after their sexual health and avoiding unwanted pregnancies.

A new website Contraception: Worth Talking About has been launched which helps young people to understand contraceptive choices, how to cope with emotions, understand their body and explains STIs. The website gives straightforward information and advice in order to make it easier to discuss everything to do with sexual health. You can find the website here ....

Knowing families this October
Families in Sunderland will have the chance to meet a Dalek from Dr Who and take a mini health MOT as part of this year’s Parents’ Week celebrations. Find out more ....

Childcare Sufficiency

A copy of the Childcare Sufficiency review for 2009 is now available to download. This review is a statutory duty that local authorities have to meet, as part of the Childcare Act 2006. Find out more ....

Children's Services locality based working

Toolkits for practitioners and managers (including schools) to develop integrated working to support outcomes for children, young people and their families are now available to download from this website.

Sports Star Encourages Youngsters’ Reid-ing

A top sporting star has joined families in kicking about ideas on the importance of reading at a special event at the Stadium of Light.

Families involved in a national scheme that aims to get children reading more, were treated to a special visit from Sunderland AFC midfielder Andy Reid, the club’s reading champion. Find out more here ....

Storybook Launch Tells Tales of Improved Attendance
Nurseries in Sunderland are set to receive a boost this March as a unique storybook designed to encourage regular attendance is launched during a series of special events. Find out more here ....

Scimorph
A new virtual science pack for all children starting secondary school. Scimorph is a 3D animated computer character who responds to interaction from users and is available to every child at home and in the classroom.

A great innovative new way to keep children learning about science. Find out more on the DCSF website here ....

Postnatal Support is key for Renata

Healthcare assistant for maternity services at City Hospitals Sunderland and Sunderland Children’s Centres, Renata Robinson works hard to ensure families in Sunderland have the very best advice when it comes to decisions about breastfeeding. Find out more ....

Queen visits Sunderland

Her Majesty The Queen has visited Sunderland to open Washington School accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Royal couple were in the city on Friday November 6 to open the brand new £19 million building. Find out more ....

Behaviour and Attendance Strategy 2010 – 2014 - now closed

First Consultation Draft (October - December 2009)

A document has been produced as a starting point in formulating a strategy for Sunderland to support pupil behaviour and school attendance to raise educational attainment.

It is intended to stimulate discussion, develop working relationships and mutual understanding and ownership of key priorities and actions that will be published in a final strategy document in January 2010.

National Parents’ Week - Sunderland 19-25 October

Join us at one of the many events taking place throughout the week and find out what Sunderland is doing to help parents/carers and families across the City.
To find out more about what is on offer for parents and families contact the Families Information Service on 0191 520 5505 or email: fis@sunderland.gov.uk or log onto the Families Information Services website here.
You can also speak to the Family and Parenting Team on 0191 443 2908 or email: FamilyParentingTeam@sunderland.gov.uk

‘Your Health’ Sunderland
Surveys and observations told us that there was a piecemeal approach to the way key universal health messages were promoted to young people in Sunderland. It was important that the millions of pounds spent on social marketing messages was co-ordinated so young people knew instantly where they could get advice, support, and how to access local services should they require it. For example, what to do if they thought they were pregnant, what to do if their friend had a drugs problem or just how to look after their general health and wellbeing.
In July, a consultation exercise was undertaken with young people across the city to get their views on the best way to communicate these important health messages. The consultation involved secondary aged students, international students attending college, young people in looked after provision and also those attending youth events. Views were obtained on 'communication', 'health issues', 'identity' and how, when and where they would like to access 'information'.
As a result of the consultation ‘Your Health’ will now become the brand that will be advertised to young people from 0-24 and their parents/carers. It will be part of a 3 year information strategy agreed by the Children’s Trust Risk and Resilience Board which will see the development of a young person’s electronic health card, interactive website and information to 11 year olds and their parents/carers. There will also be touch screen health dispensers in all college sites and information points in every secondary school the key services they attend. Year one of the programme will focus on 11-18 year olds with the 0-4, 5-10 and 19-24 age range being developed in subsequent years.
A dedicated (non public) web space has been developed where colleagues can follow 'Your Health' developments, see the consultation, draft literature and even post your views. For further information email Glenn Riddle, Special Initiatives Manager - Children's Services, or visit the Your Health website

Financial Boost for Provision of Out of Hours Activities
On 17 July Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo announced the regional breakdown of £167m to boost out of hours services offered in schools across the country with the breakdown providing an additional £1,132,000 for provision of out-of-hours schools activities in Sunderland.
Extended services in schools provide children and young people with innovative and exciting things to do before and after the school day, enabling parents tostay at work for longer, safe in the knowledge their child is being looked after and entertained.

Accolade for connexions Hub Services
The city’s Connexions Hub Services for young people has been accredited as being of ‘matrix quality standard’ both for its information, advice and guidance for clients and its employees. The accreditation is valid until July 2012. Visit the Matrix website for more details.

The Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP) 2009 - 2010 is now available. The CYPP is a transformational plan providing continuity for the priorities and actions in the CYPP 2007/9 as well as setting out the planning process for establishing a 15 year strategy for the Children’s Trust. The plan can be downloaded here ( 274kb)

Community CAMHS now has a website, which is available to all. The address is www.communitycamhs.nhs.uk and the site contains contact details, useful information about common problems and links to related sites.

Information Sharing training
This training is aimed at all managers and practitioners who work in services or organisations that support children, young people, their families and carers in any of the localities across the City of Sunderland, as part of the Integrated Workshop Training Programme. Find out more here .... ( 36kb) Download a copy of the nomination form here ( 24kb)

Are you a parent/carer living in Sunderland or do you work closely with parents/carers? The Sunderland Parenting Programme Directory provides information about the parenting programmes currently running in the city and the referral pathways into them. The Directory also contains contact details for many of the public and voluntary sector agencies that currently offer services to parents. The directory can be downloaded here ( 125kb).

Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS), is a joint venture between the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Sunderland is one of 25 Pathfinder authorities for this programme and will work with the Primary Care Trust and 23 schools across the city. Find out more .... ( 29kb).

Children's Trust annual conference

The Children's Trust conference was held in November 2008. Delegates played a key role in beginning the planning process for the future of children and young people in Sunderland for the next 15 years. Find out more .... ( 115kb).

The Annual Report of the Sunderland Children and Young people's Plan, which sets out the progress made in 2007/08 and our plans for 2008/09, is now available. The report can be downloaded here ( 432kb).

CAF training - Rolling out Common Assessment Framework across the city of Sunderland

Training for all Managers and Practitioners who work in Services or organisations that support children, young people their families and carers in any of the localities across the City of Sunderland. Find out more ....

Youthinc 3

Recently over 110 young people, aged between 13 and 20 years of age, packed into the Stadium of Light to discuss and debate their views about their city.

This event, the third of its kind, is designed to give young people a say in the city’s services and aims to make Sunderland a better place to live.

Young people were involved in organising the event, with Sunderland Youth Parliament working alongside Sunderland Youth Development Group and Sunderland Voluntary Sector Youth Forum to stage the conference.

Supported by Sunderland City Council, Connexions, Digital Challenge, The Empowering Young People’s Pilot, and Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, young people from every area of the city took part in idea-generating workshops.

Find out more .... ( 1.23mb)

Sunderland is a Beacon authority for Reducing Re-offending (2008 - 2009)
In March 2008 Sunderland City Council and it's partners was announced as a Beacon Authority for Reducing Re-offending - one of the highest accolade of award schemes. As a Beacon authority for Reducing Re-offending we are committed to sharing our practice and learning with others working in the field of reducing re-offending. We will do this by hosting local and national events, publishing case studies of innovation and working on specific issues with local authorities and/or partners who feel they can learn from our experiences. You can find out more about what we are doing to reduce re-offending by children and young people by visiting the Sunderland Youth Offending Service website. You can find out more about the Beacon Scheme and what we are doing as a Beacon authority by visiting the Reducing Re-offending Theme page on the Beacon website. View the Beacon Reducing Re-offending Theme Guide here ( 935kb), which gives an overview of the Sunderland Beacon.

If you would like to more information you can contact the following email address: yos@sunderland.gov.uk.

Planning and commissioning

The Children’s Trust is developing a planning and commissioning framework to provide support to those who work to improve services for children, young people and their families. Find out more ....

A final draft of the Sunderland Youth Justice Plan for 2008 - 2009 has now been completed for consultation through the range of appropriate LA and partnership groups including the YOS Board, Children’s Trust Board, Cabinet and Council. A final version of the plan will be printed following cabinet/council approval. For more information email: yos@sunderland.gov.uk.

e-Newsletters: Issue 1  Issue 2  Issue 3

Children's Trust News

February 2005 - Issue 1

May 2005 - Issue 2

July 2005 - Issue 3

November 2005 - Issue 4

February 2006 - Issue 5

March 2006 - Issue 6

Sunderland has once again won the Howard League for Penal Reform Community Programmes Award (2008). This time the award was won in partnership with Gateshead and South Tyneside for the YOS Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Scheme. The award was won for an innovative cooking project, aimed at developing healthy lifestyles. Email: yos@sunderland.gov.uk for more information.

Sunderland entered into a highly competitive bidding round to become a Family Pathfinder. There were 90 applications for 15 pathfinders, 6 of which were awarded an additional carers element. Sunderland was successful in both elements and was awarded £1.18 million for the next 3 years. Contact Judith Hay, Head of Positive Contribution and Economic Well-being, on 0191 561 1972 for more information.

Engaging with the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS)

In June 2005, the Department for Education and Skills produced an advice document entitled “Engaging the Voluntary and Community Sectors in Children’s Trusts.”  In Sunderland an event was planned for VCS representatives to update them on the development of the Children’s Trust in Sunderland and to explore how they might contribute . The event took place on 23 February 2006.

Purpose of the event

• To enable representatives from the VCS to find out more about the development of the Children’s Trust in Sunderland
• To explore ways in which the VCS can contribute to the development of the Children’s Trust and delivery of services
• To develop an Action Plan to facilitate the involvement of the VCS in the Children’s Trust.

A report and action plan was produced.