The animals went in two by two.
A couple of hippos, a pair of gnu,
Two spectacled bears from Lima, Peru
And even, it's said, a push-me-pull-you.

But, right at the back of the very long queue
Stood a herd of wild young caribou.
The bouncers looked angry, 'Hey you, Yes You'
'No stag parties allowed, so off with you, SHOO!'

Patrick Winstanley

At the beginning of the month I am always met with a quandary - what on earth should I choose as a topic for my ES blog?  Often my subject is a randomly selected, or it is hot topic at that time, other times it is linked to something seasonal.

This month time has been plotting against me and nipping at my ankles like a naughty puppy; and somehow I have slipped into July having not uploaded a single word on this web site. Please, please, please accept my apologies for my poor 'public information' sharing this month, but hopefully my partnership will forgive me during my incredibly busy month as I have been out and about and seen many of you at meetings, training events, school visits etc. 

Please let me explain why this information sharing has gone slightly astray.  Things have been a wee bit topsy-turvy here at Community Action Fareham because we had a flood.  It certainly wasn't a flood on the scale of Noah in need of an Ark (more like an overflowing toilet in need of Dyno-Rod) but all of my files have been either destroyed, or piled up in the interview room (having been disinfected) and drying in front of a fan.  This has obviously impacted on my efficiency of sourcing information and time available to upload my web site.  Please bear with me until I get myself and my stinky office space sorted out. 

However, it's rather encouraging in the wake of or flood that (according to 'The Sun' who always report true stories of course) the remains of Noah's Ark have been found in Turkey.  Please feel free to take a look at The Sun article: "Noah's Ark Found in Turkey" to see a photo of the remains.  However, until I decide to take up boat building as a hobby, I think I'll just get myself an industrial size bottle of Dettox in case disaster strikes my office again. 

As time is against me, my first priority this month has to be to update our partners on the:

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy 

As the funds are ready to transfer to our CAPP schools the first week of July, I shall provide you a link to all of the key L.E.A.P documents again (there are a couple of new ones below that schools may find useful).  Please feel free to request a school visit if you would like me to brief key staff about the Subsidy; and I am always at the end of the telephone if you have any urgent queries. 

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy School Briefing Pack

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Presentation

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Leaflet

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Letter to Parents

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Tracker Document

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Claim Form 

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Evaluation Form for Schools

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Evaluation Form for Providers

L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy Evaluation Form for Children

As many of you are aware from reading my previous blogs, I am not in favour of wrapping children up in 'hypothetical' cotton wool.  Children need to learn to manage risk - and can only do so by being exposed to it.  Despite the bad press about young people indulging in all sorts of illegal behaviour (most of it unfounded) did you know that more young people die each year by falling from a horse than from taking recreational drugs?  My own risk-filled childhood was often spent galloping bareback around a field on an unpredictable pony.   Therefore I would like to think that this taught me a very valuable lesson now I'm all grown-up; mainly that falling into bramble bushes in a bikini is very uncomfortable!!!

But following a question regarding a sports provider who refused to disclose Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Insurance details to a local primary school, I thought that I would quickly stress the importance for safeguarding children who are participating in off-site activities and in receipt of payment from the L.E.A.P Advantage Subsidy.  As schools will need to signpost children to outside providers if they wish to offer a full range of activities and opportunities, we need to take every measure 'within reason' to protect children.  Therefore I hope the following information, links and documents may be of use.  The first document sets out our responsibilities when signposting extended school activities. 

Extended Services Safeguarding & Signposting

HCC Agreed Activities (and those not covered by insurance) 2009

As a starter point, reference must be made to 'Safety in Physical Education and Sport' (Hampshire County Council, 2006).  This outlines a wide range of policies and guidelines and is essential reading if a child is being signposted to an outside sports or activity provider.  If you are unsure if the activity or provider is approved then it is worth checking with the Outdoor Education, PE and Sport Service.

Parents should also be made aware of their responsibilities when choosing an off-site extended school activity for their child.  I have to admit that I haven't always checked every CRB certificate with my own children when they start something new, and I actively encouraged them to learn a martial art to ensure they were able to defend themselves (and it WAS a non-approved activity!)  But we certainly need to make parents far more aware of safeguarding their child so that they can make informed choices about 'managed risk'.  The following leaflet is an excellent starting point for the questions parents should be asking providers:

Parent's Leaflet - Safeguarding & Sport

Let's move away from sport and into the current political climate of cutbacks and financial uncertainly.  In the wake of the general election that took place in May you may be interested to read Nick Clegg's Speech on supporting children and families (Please click the picture above to go to the speech).  We are very aware that we are entering a period of tighter budgets - possibly with the pooling of available resources and staff, working increasingly in partnership to support our most vulnerable children, young people and families.  Therefore I have been sending lots of requests for data this year to prove that extended services is making a difference.  

You and I both know that it can make a difference it makes to a child's behaviour, ability to work in a team, self-esteem, self-confidence and resilience it makes when they participate in extended school activities - but we need to provide evidence to support these claims.  To assist schools and our community partners with collating evidence, I am now asking any 2010/11 funded projects to complete a CAPP Generic Evaluation Document (available to download below).  This can be adapted to suit your project, but the questions can be used as a checklist and guide when you are trying to evaluate what difference, or what change it made, or will have the potential to make over a longer-term.

CAPP Extended Services Generic Evaluation Document (updated 2010)

I'm more than happy for other partnerships or agencies to adapt our CAPP form to form to meet your own needs.

Sadly time is moving on and I am due at another meeting, so I am going to keep this month's blog very streamlined...minus all of the news and good stuff that has been happening.  I promise to share the celebrations, photos and news update for the start of the Summer Holidays but in the meantime please don't forget to add the following events to your diaries:

As I started this blog with a picture of a Rainbow, I think it is only right that I finish with a Rainbow.  Staff, pupils and parents at Cams Hill School may recognise the picture of the portacabin below?  What many of you may not be aware of, is that this building used to be the temporary home of The Rainbow Centre. 

The Rainbow Centre at Cams Hill

Over 50 years ago the world-famous Peto Institute in Hungary developed a system to help children with cerebral palsy learn to overcome the difficulties caused by their condition.  Since 1990, the Rainbow Centre has helped over 400 children is the south east of England learn to overcome the problems caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and other types of motor impairment by using this special system of learning known as Conductive Education.  The children and their families consistently achieve a better quality of life as a result. 

I have a personal connection with The Rainbow Centre as my Goddaughter has been attending the centre since she was two years old.  At that time Summer was only able to scoot around the floor on one hip and one elbow and unable to coordinate her right and left side - she also used to get very frustrated and subsequently she had a very colourful temper!  But within one term Summer was up on her feet and taking her first tentative steps.  To express my unending thanks to the staff at the Rainbow centre, I have decided to participate in a series of challenges over the next year that I would like to share with you.  Here is my first challenge:

Climbing a Rainbow for Summer

For people who know me well, this will come as no surprise - this summer I am planning a solo (but hopefully well organised) trip to climb the highest mountain in north Africa.  It will be a real personal challenge...with 8-9 hours trekking each day at very high temperatures, with a mule for company, and staying overnight with the Berber tribes in their hanging villages in the High Atlas Mountains (not to mention the potential altitude sickness!)

To make this trip worthwhile, I would like to give something back to the Rainbow Centre for the amazing gift that they gave my Goddaughter Summer...the ability to walk, run and dance like other little five year old girls.

So to show my sincerest thanks to the wonderful staff at the Rainbow Centre I would like to match my flight and accommodation costs in donations directly to the Rainbow Centre. For more details and to make a secure donation please visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/Susie-Higgs

For those who have already sponsored me - many, many thanks!

To finish this month, whenever you are having a bad day, please remember:

'The Titanic was built by professionals - Noah's Ark by an amateur!!!'

Noah's Ark in the 21st Century