The Duchess of Cambridge visited the Henry Fawcett Children’s Centre as part of her ongoing work focusing on the early years. At the centre, Her Royal Highness learnt more about the work being done by local organisations in Lambeth and their partners to support young children and their families.
The centre is run by LEAP – the Lambeth Early Action Partnership where the team use the Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRS) to support parents, carers and their children.
During the visit, Her Royal Highness joined parents and their toddlers taking part in sessions offered by LEAP and PAIRS – one called ‘Circle of Security’ and ‘Together Time.’ Circle of Security is one of two universal programmes that is offered to all parents with children of 0 to 4 years. It helps parents and care givers better understand their child’s emotions, as well as supporting their child’s ability to successfully manage their own emotions and enhance the development of their child’s self-esteem.
Together Time supports attachment and bonding between parents and infants. The group provides time and space for parents to enjoy being with their babies or toddlers and includes singing, use of child led play and interaction. The session is designed to support parents’ ability to understand their child’s cues, feel more confident in their parenting and strengthen their relationship with their child.
During her visit, The Duchess met with representatives from the different organisations working to support families in Lambeth, including The National Lottery Community Fund, the National Children’s Bureau, and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
LEAP was set up, and all their work with families is funded by A Better Start, a major 10-year funding initiative from The National Lottery Community Fund, which has supported five locations across the UK, including Lambeth, to test new ways of making support services for families stronger. The visit continues The Duchess’s focus on Early Years and comes shortly after The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met with frontline service providers such as health visitors involved in delivering the Better Start programme during their visit to Blackpool.
