I have been appointed as welfare rights worker attached to the Little Hulton Sure Start project. I will be working specifically with families with children under 4 years.

I'm looking for other Sure Start advice workers nationally who may be interested in linking up and sharing ideas.

Is there anybody out there?

You may want to talk to my colleague, Kevin Cutts, who manages the Sure Start advice project in Blackburn with Darwen - his contact details are 01254-22101 or kevin.cutts@blackburn.gov.uk -

Thanks very much Shabir - I've emailed your colleague.
Catherine.

I am also a SUre Start advice worker, employed by Manchester advice but funded by the Hyde Road Sure start (Ardwick , Gorton and west Gorton) I have been in post for 6 weeks and have a job share partner starting in a couple of weeks. There is another SS advice worker employed by manchester advice in north manchester (harpurhey and lightbowne sure start, a couple of CAB sure start workers in Wythenshaw (Benchill and Woodhouse Park sure starts), and another - MAry Atkinson employed by Cheetham Hill advice centre. We have been vaguley talking about a manchester wide group / forum but not really got any further than that.

You can contact me on 0161 234 3765

I am employed as a half-time welfare rights adviser by Nottingham City Council Welfare Rights Service, based at Surestart North West Nottingham. I carry a caseload of my own, and aim to skill up other Surestart staff/partners in benefits through training & briefing sessions.

I would be particularly interested in sharing ideas for new ways for delivering advice/reaching families, and co-ordinating on social policy work.

I can be contacted on 0115 9008772.

I have recently started work as a Sure Start Welfare Rights Adviser working within Barnet (London). I would be very intersted in seeing how you are getting on. Initial interest has been great and I have managed to set up one outreach session and I think that the networking is beginning to pay off. I would like to know of any other ideas that may be working for other likewise workers (besides leaflets, training, mailshots etc).

Thanks!

Do you any of you have any thoughts on today's Guardian article saying that SureStart is dead?

here's the article from today's guardian ...

http://society.guardian.co.uk/children/story/0,1074,1383034,00.html

'Norman Glass, a creator of the government's much vaunted early years childcare programme, on why successful, community-led Sure Start projects in deprived areas of Britain are now being dismantled in everything but name.'