Seamless Transition through Education

FSP has been working with a consortium of five community and voluntary sector organisations who came together to deliver a bespoke early intervention programme specifically designed to provide support to families and children, helping them get the best start in life.

The delivery partners are Barnardo’s, Sólás, South Belfast Surestart, and Belfast South Community Resource Centre; managed and supported by the lead delivery organisation, Forward South Partnership.  PHA is the Lead Partner.

The BSEI programmes were delivered in local community settings, at Nursery and Primary Schools, and with families in home settings. There were five main strands to the Project, each of which delivered Programmes to individual families and groups to meet specific needs. The five strands are outlined below:

• Support for families during the Perinatal period; both prenatal (preparing for baby), and antenatal (working with the baby); supports included Home Visits, Drop In sessions, and Programmes.
• Deliver the Loving Learning programme to six groups of two to three-year olds, and support for their parents through Information Workshops and Stay and Play sessions.
• Transition Programmes for Nursery School children preparing them for moving into P1, P1 workshops, and Programmes for P7 pupils preparing for the transition to Post-Primary School.
• Family Support for parents of Primary School aged children, including Home Visits, and the delivery of two Parenting programmes: Take 5 and Boosting Brains.
• The SENs Programme including Home Visits with families who have a child with additional needs (including Autism), the Saturday Club Programme for children aged five to eleven years old, and the Reach programme for young people (Post-Primary age).