They support children with special needs and disabilities such as:

Eczema, Epilepsy, Asthma, Diabetes, Autism, Down's Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Speech & Language, Hearing, Visual & Physical difficulty.

Surestart Family Workers do not need a diagnosis.

They can support families who have any concerns about their child's development; perhaps their child was born very early, is a late talker or the family is finding it very difficult to get a nursery place because of the child's behaviour. There is no criterion that the child must be a year behind other children to receive support. All that is necessary is that a family feels that their child may need extra help.

Appointments can be made to visit at home or meet at a Surestart activity or community centre if preferred. Referral's are accepted from other professionals with the parent's permission and do a joint visit with another professional if this of benefit to the family. Surestart Family Workers can be requested to speak at drop-ins or training events. Surestart will also fund an interpreter and translator.

How do Surestart Family Workers support a family?
Listen to concerns

Advise parents about where to go if they suspect their baby, toddler or pre-school child has special needs

Provide information on early years extra help in nurseries and playgroups and support in finding a place in a nursery or school

Attend nursery visits, meetings, drop-ins or Surestart activities with parents/carers

Signpost and refer to other services, that may be able to help and much, much more?

Barbara Reisner - Surestart Family Worker
Haggerston & Hoxton areas

Barbara Reisner covers a small area, so she is flexible and able to devote time to a few families who live within the Haggerston and Hoxton SureStart areas. Early help is very important!

Barbara is employed by Contact a Family, a national charity and therefore receives backup from the National Freephone Helpline ( 0808 808 3555 , 10am?4pm, Mon-Fri), factsheets, publications and information can be found on the website www.cafamily.org.uk

You can contact Barbara Reisner on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursday mornings on 020 7608 8778 or alternatively, you can write to her at 209-211 City Road, London EC1V 1JN

* To find out if you live in the Surestart areas and for more information about all Surestart activities, please contact Haggerston Surestart - 020 7739 6467 or Hoxton Surestart - 0800 587 7323