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A Better Start Southend
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af Afrikaanssq Albanianam Amharicar Arabichy Armenianaz Azerbaijanieu Basquebe Belarusianbn Bengalibs Bosnianbg Bulgarianca Catalanceb Cebuanony Chichewazh-CN Chinese (Simplified)zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)co Corsicanhr Croatiancs Czechda Danishnl Dutchen Englisheo Esperantoet Estoniantl Filipinofi Finnishfr Frenchfy Frisiangl Galicianka Georgiande Germanel Greekgu Gujaratiht Haitian Creoleha Hausahaw Hawaiianiw Hebrewhi Hindihmn Hmonghu Hungarianis Icelandicig Igboid Indonesianga Irishit Italianja Japanesejw Javanesekn Kannadakk Kazakhkm Khmerko Koreanku Kurdish (Kurmanji)ky Kyrgyzlo Laola Latinlv Latvianlt Lithuanianlb Luxembourgishmk Macedonianmg Malagasyms Malayml Malayalammt Maltesemi Maorimr Marathimn Mongolianmy Myanmar (Burmese)ne Nepalino Norwegianps Pashtofa Persianpl Polishpt Portuguesepa Punjabiro Romanianru Russiansm Samoangd Scottish Gaelicsr Serbianst Sesothosn Shonasd Sindhisi Sinhalask Slovaksl Slovenianso Somalies Spanishsu Sudanesesw Swahilisv Swedishtg Tajikta Tamilte Teluguth Thaitr Turkishuk Ukrainianur Urduuz Uzbekvi Vietnamesecy Welshxh Xhosayi Yiddishyo Yorubazu Zulu
Knowledge Hub: Learning Zone

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Learning Zone

ABSS aims to empower families and the workforce, leaving behind a sustainable legacy of systems-change.

A key aim of ABSS is to ensure that the programme leaves behind a legacy of knowledge after funding ends in March 2025. ABSS has supported a number of unique learning events and webinars.

Workshops we’ve delivered

We’ve partnered with leading experts to share knowledge, experience and approaches to working with, and supporting, families.

compassion-led-practice

Compassion-led Practice: Re-thinking ACEs and Trauma-Informed Practice

This two-hour workshop explored how practitioners can re-think Adverse Childhood Experiences, and how a compassion-led approach can build connections with children and families.

Building on evidence from neuroscience and experience of transformational programmes promoting secure attachment, Sally Poskett from Knowledge Change Action Ltd explored what is meant by ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why PACES (Protective and Compensatory Experiences) may be helpful for working with children and families in strengths-based and compassion-led ways.

Sally was joined by ABSS Research Officer, Mikki Barrett, who shared her experiences of working in a trauma-informed way with children, adolescents and adults in local education, mental health and addiction recovery programmes.

This session was designed to support professional practice for people working directly with children and families.

strengths-based-practice

Strengths Based Practice: Empowering Southend's Families

A fascinating workshop designed to harness attendee’s knowledge around strengths-based practice.

The sessions was conducted by Ian Harris (Lecturer in Social Work, University of Essex), Dr Nicole Schnackenberg (Child, Community and Educational Psychologist and Director of Labyrinth House), and Lee Monk (Relationship Manager at Active Essex and Trustee of ATF). They explored what this approach looks like in practice. Together, participants discovered how we can build on our own strengths to help families and communities to build theirs.

Learning Reports

  • A Better Start Southend Social and Communication Peer Support Workers; an ever-developing project
Read about how the team of Peer Support Workers continue to meet the needs of the children and families living in Southend.
Author(s): Laura Pullum
Read learning report
  • A Festival of conversations in Southend: getting families talking about the early years
Richard Newson looks at the learning behind a campaign to engage with expectant parents and families with very young children in Southend.
Author(s): Richard Newson
Read learning report
  • Dads’ health matters!
Sam Pooley writes about the success their community event, “Dads’ Health Matters,” had in keeping dads in Southend both happy and healthy.
Author(s): Sam Pooley
Read learning report
  • ABSS Creche service – enabling ABSS parents to work towards their potential
Kayleigh Churchman discusses the successes of the Community Hub and Creche and how it has benefited parents in Southend.
Author(s): Kayleigh Churchman
Read learning report
  • Engagement team & Parent Champions bring Southend mascot ‘Pip’ to life in new storybook
Michelle Gray describes how Parent Champions have brought the partnership’s Mascot, ‘Pip’, to life through a new storybook.
Author(s): Michelle Gray
Read learning report
  • Read-a-thon: a week-long storytelling event in Southend
Sian Ansell and Lynsey Weston describe how over fifty early years settings in the city came together to share the same story with local children.
Author(s): Sian Ansell, Lynsey Weston
Read learning report

Lunchtime Learning

ABSS has delivered a series of free ‘Lunch and Learn’ webinars covering topics that can support people to work with children and families in Southend. These bite size sessions explore a range of topics around child development, working with families, and working in the voluntary and community sector.

Visit the ABSS Lunch and Learn Webpage

Our previous sessions

Lunch and Learn - Early Maths Matters

Early Maths Matters

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Lunch and Learn - Fundraising

Fundraising Strategies

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Lunch and Learn - Grant Applications

Grant Applications

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Lunch and Learn - School Transition

Ready, Steady to Start School

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Five to Thrive

Five to Thrive

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Lunch and Learn - Breastfeeding

The Social & Cultural context of Breastfeeding

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Measuring Impact

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Telling Stories about Impact

Telling Stories about Impact

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Engaging-our-African-Communities-event-600x450

Engaging Our African Communities

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Active-Listening-1-600x450

Active Listening

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A better Start Southend cartoon

Beyond ABSS: What Next?

Click here for the Beyond ABSS webpage to find out the latest updates on the future of ABSS.

 

A decade of A Better Start Southend: Ten years of supporting families and learning for the future.

Visit the Beyond ABSS webpage