District looks to develop its Early Help arrangements for families

Bradford Council plans to work with agencies across the District to extend ways in which it can provide Early Help for families who are in the greatest need of support.

Early Help is a way of giving families the support they need as quickly as possible when problems emerge. It means services working together to find solutions to small problems before they become big ones.

By taking this approach, the Council and its partners are able to:
• Provide the right help for those who need it most.
• Help families to help themselves where this is possible.
• Make sure limited resources are used in the best way possible.

The Early Help approach has already been developed for some services. The new proposals would look to extend this for a wider range of services for families and children and young people. This would include maternal health, parenting support, and early education take-up and ensuring young people have positive things to do. It would also look to tackle problem areas such as parental mental ill health, domestic violence and substance misuse

The proposals would look to bring different services closer together to improve information sharing and reduce duplication. This would provide clearer access to families most in need and would help them get more effective support. It would do this by:
• Improving how we deliver help so we can stop families getting stuck and help them make clear progress towards improved lives.
• Improving family support by making it clear what help is available.
• Making it easier for families to find services so they only have to tell their story once.
• Building on the Council’s Families First approach so we have one family, one plan and one key worker so we help families to receive the right support at the right time.
• Finding more ways to help families and communities help themselves.

The new model will look to deliver services more locally across a number of ‘clusters’. This is an approach that is already in place for some services such as children’s centres.

The Council plans to engage with families, partner organisations and staff over the summer about the best ways to deliver services before a more formal consultation on proposals takes place in the autumn.

Coun Val Slater, portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: “There are many families across our district who need help and support. Demand for this help is growing at a time when funding is reducing. This means we will need to do things differently in the future if we are to deliver the services that our communities need.

“These proposals will look at how all the agencies who deliver services can work together to provide better targeted help at the earliest opportunity when problems first emerge in a person’s life. This can offer better outcomes for children and families and can also help us avoid expensive care at a later stage. We want to talk to families and providers about the best ways we can deliver services.”

Bradford Walk and Trail Quiz Boosts Literacy

Families are being encouraged to visit Bradford’s best known landmarks as part of a quiz which aims to improve children’s literacy.

The Bradford Literacy Campaign has teamed up with the National Media Museum and Bradford Libraries to launch a fun literacy activity for families called the Bradford Walk and Talk Trail Quiz which celebrates the city’s architecture and culture by quizzing families during a day out in the city.

The quiz sheet features questions on some of Bradford’s favourite gems including the iconic Bradford Alhambra, the fascinating National Media Museum and the beautiful Bradford Wool Exchange which are designed to spark conversation whilst families are walking around the city centre together. The quiz also includes Bradford’s fantastic City Library to encourage families to join. Families who hand in their completed quizzes to City Library or their local library have the chance of winning a stack of books from Walker Books.

The Bradford Walk and Talk Trail Quiz sheets are available in the National Media Museum and Bradford’s City Library. A PDF can also be downloaded to print here.

Imran Hafeez, Manager of the National Literacy Trust Hub in Bradford said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the National Media Museum and Bradford Libraries on this fantastic activity for supporting children’s speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Museums and libraries are a vital part of children’s education and we hope that the quiz will encourage more families to visit the National Media Museum and join their local library.

Questions on Bradford city centre’s amazing architecture and culture provide inspiration for conversations on family days out which will help develop children’s communication skills. We hope families will enjoy spotting details and learning more about their city in this fun new way.”

The quiz also includes Bradford’s fantastic City Library to encourage families to join in.

Visit www.ourstories.org.uk for more information about the Bradford Literacy Campaign.

Spectacular show to switch on Christmas lights

Bradford Council is set to stage an innovative outdoor show with stunning pyrotechnics and breathtaking aerial performances for its annual Christmas Lights Spectacular.

Internationally renowned British street theatre masters, The Dream Engine return to City Park with Heliosphere.

Beautiful acrobats suspended below two huge silver helium balloons will perform mesmerising routines whilst pyrotechnic specialists, External Combustion will light up the sky with powerful fireworks displays.

The Christmas Lights Spectacular will give local people an opportunity to experience a cutting edge piece which has never been seen in Bradford before.

In Dream Engine’s The Diamond, a giant translucent pod inflates magically lifting a cocooned artist into the air.

Once fully filled with air, the performer will execute a breathtaking aerial ribbon show set to an atmospheric soundtrack.

The Council has also organised some more traditional elements to the Christmas event.

Audiences will be encouraged to sing along to popular Christmas carols performed by Bradford Festival Choral Society and Priestthorpe Primary School children.

Bradford’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Joanne Dodds will lead the countdown for the Christmas lights to be switched on.

Funfair rides will be on offer along with a range of tasty delights from a range of food stalls.

The Christmas Lights Spectacular runs from 4:45pm to 5:45pm, Saturday 14 November in City Park, Bradford.

Admission is free.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Portfolio Holder for Education, Skills and Culture, said: “The annual Bradford’s Christmas Lights switch-on has a reputation for bringing something out of the ordinary to the city centre.

“This year’s performance sounds equally spectacular and breath-taking. It is sure to bring in the crowds.”