About Us
About Families First IW
Families First IW a registered charity, dedicated to the ongoing delivery and development of family support, learning and children's services.
To find out more click on the links: support, fun, learning.
The organisation began in 2002, as a small project and has grown into a service that is accessible to all the community. Since we opened we have supported over 500 families.
Families First IW is based in the grounds of both Carisbrooke CE Primary School and Nine Acres Primary School where buildings are in place specifically for the organisation to deliver and offer its services out to the community.
Families First IW is a very flexible organisation that makes every effort to respond to the needs and wishes of the users. The users of the Family Room are mostly parents and carers of children who are Primary School level, however, Families First IW welcome anyone to take part in sessions and activities whilst offering 1-1 support for those in crisis, or those needing a little guidance.
You can browse our web site for more information about Families First IW. If you have any questions or would like to speak with a Families First IW representative regarding services, please email us at info@families-first.co.uk, or phone us on 01983 539436.
Our Policy of Open Access to Everyone
We have a policy of open access - everyone can take part in the services and activities we have developed (space allowing) - parents, carers and their children, grandparents, and extended family members.
We have a holistic view of family support developing a range of activities and services under three broad headings of Support, Fun and Learning. We provide a safe, non threatening environment where people can participate at a level that suits their needs at any given time.
A range of activities have been developed with partners to support families in various ways and include:
Parenting Support - group work and one to one
Family Learning
Adult and Community Learning - including Literacy, Numeracy, First Aid, British Sign Language, IT Skills, access to Employment
Health Promotion - including Healthy Eating, Emotional Health and Well-Being
Parent and Toddler Groups - encouraging parents to improve their play and communication skills with their children
Support for parents to aid their child/ren's learning and communication, for example "Keeping Up With the Children" and Chatterbags.
Because we recognise that not all people are able to come to see us at Carisbrooke, or wish to phone us, we are developing this web site to support families across the Island so that you can see what we are doing at any time. We also hope to develop an on-line support service.
"Raising a family is not easy - it is not something we are trained for. This project has gained the trust of parents and professionals, successfully helping parents and carers to learn new skills and share their experiences. This has helped to increase their confidence enabling them to improve their relationships at home with children or other adults.
Some parents have also gone on to new employment or training opportunities".