Expansion of 'space' for children with additional needs

Tuesday 02 November 2021

Centrepoint is expanding its ‘Space’ facility for children with complex or additional needs, with the launch of an after school club.

‘The Space’ is a facility providing breakfast, after school, weekend and holiday clubs for children with complex and additional needs, and children with higher-level specialist needs.

The Space is currently at a purpose-designed area at the charity's La Pouquelaye site, with the specialist holiday club located within a local primary school.

The charity say their next step will be moving into purpose-built premises for the specialist children too.

To mark The Space's expansion, the childcare charity held a celebration attended by its patron, The Countess of Jersey, at its Green Street Nursery yesterday morning.

Pictured: 'The Space' incorporates a breakfast, after school, weekend and holiday club for children with complex or additional needs, and a holiday club for children with higher-level specialist needs.

Jane Moy, CEO of Centrepoint said: "We have always taken pride in supporting our families in every way we could, and it became very clear that there was a huge void in the services available to these children.

"Over the past year we have taken the opportunity to take a breath and reflect on our organisation, and the services that we provide. We undertook a strategic review, examining how we can most effectively deliver on our purpose; to make sure that childcare is possible for every family in Jersey.

"As part of this review we have also developed a new brand and strapline – 'Children at the heart of everything we do' - developed by brand agency, The Beach, that reflects more clearly who we are, what our team stand for, and the wonderful children that drive us forward every day.

"It has also allowed us to remind our team just how valued they are. Our new brand, new website – centrepoint.je – and social accounts will help to increase awareness of our range of childcare services and connect people to our volunteering opportunities and channels to donate to, in order to enable us to help more families."

She added: "We were already providing high quality Short Breaks and Holiday Care for young people between 4 and 11 years with complex or additional needs, but following pleas from a number of parents who could not find suitable after school care, our team worked within a very tight timescale to launch the supported after school club to accommodate these children as they had nowhere else to go.

"The Space After School Club is the only formal supported after school club in the island, caring for children who attend a specialised setting or attend a mainstream school with additional support."

She concluded: ""We are committed not only to expanding the services we offer, but also to playing even more of a key role in supporting children and families within the community whose needs are greatest.

"We feel no child or family should be disadvantaged and we are committed to making care and learning through play accessible to everyone by apportioning a percentage of our revenue and running specific fundraisers to support this.

"We work closely with government, playing an increasingly pivotal role in supporting children and families in areas which may be challenging or of no commercial interest to regular childcare providers."