Children's centres
Ockendon Family Hub
Address
2a Afton Drive,
South Ockendon,
RM15 5PA
You can phone or visit our Brighter Futures Ockendon Family Hub at the following times:
- Monday to Thursday from 8:30am to 5pm
- Fridays from 8:30am to 4:30pm
Mondays
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9:30am to 10:30am | Chatterbox | Term-time only. For ages 24 months to 36 months. A structured language group providing support, advice and guidance to help your child develop their communications skills. By referral only. |
| 10am to midday | Parent carer panel | 1 July. Sessions aim to improve services available by listening and giving opportunity for the voices of the community to be heard, whist encouraging networking and interpersonal interaction between professionals and community members. Book in advance by phoning 07513 703 202. |
| 11am to midday | Start for life – Sensory Play | No session 1 July. For ages 0 to 12 months. Fun activities for you and your child while using all the senses to explore. Book in advance. |
| 11:30am to 12:30pm | Stories and rhymes | No session 8 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. All welcome. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Baby rhyme time | For ages 0 to 12 months. Book in advance. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Bring a story to life | No session 8 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Sessions focus on a chosen theme or storybook to help create and build learning around imaginary play. All welcome. |
| 3pm to 5pm | Help me to stay safe | Term-time only. A programme for ages 6 years to 16 years. By referral only – phone 07707 147 558. |
Tuesdays
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9am to 5pm | Midwife appointments | Pre-natal checks, advice and support for you and your baby. Phone your midwife to book in advance. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Start for life – Let's talk with your toddler | No session 2 July. For ages 12 months to 24 months. This 4-week course promotes speech and language development with your child. Each week we will introduce new ideas to practice at home. Book in advance. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Start for life – Sensory Play | No session 2, 9 July. For ages 0 to 12 months. Fun activities for you and your child while using all the senses to explore. Book in advance. |
| 10am to 11am | Baby sing and sign | 2 July. For ages 3 months to 2 years. A 4-week programme. Book in advance. |
| 10am to midday | Well Homes | First Tuesday of every month. Improving the health and wellbeing of Thurrock homeowners and non-council tenants by providing support with repairs and safety in the home and offering referrals to a range of health and lifestyle services, such as free NHS checks, exercise and debt advice. Drop-in session. |
| 10:45am to 11:45am | Start for life – Sensory Play | No session 2, 9 July. For ages 0 to 12 months. Fun activities for you and your child while using all the senses to explore. Book in advance. |
| 11am to midday | Start for life – Messy play | No session 2 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Messy activities for you and your child. Sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development, encouraging speech and language, sharing and turn-taking, and exploring new and exciting activities. Sessions also offer ideas to support your child's learning at home. All welcome. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Start for life – Messy play | No session 2, 9 July. For ages 0 to 12 months. Messy activities for you and your child. Sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development, encouraging speech and language, sharing and turn-taking, and exploring new and exciting activities. Sessions also offer ideas to support your child's learning at home. All welcome. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Special educational needs and disability (SEND) – Just for You | Term-time only. For children with additional support needs, ages 0 to 60 months. Fun activities for you and your child. The sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development. The session also shares ideas to support your child's learning at home. Book in advance. |
Wednesdays
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9am to midday | Infant feeding | For parents and carers. Support sessions for you to discuss any matters relating to feeding your baby – for example, breastfeeding, formula feeding and introducing solid foods. Book in advance by phoning 0300 300 1999. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Activity sessions | For ages 12 months to 60 months. All welcome. 10 July – Fun with painting. 17 July – Fun with books and puppets. 24 July – Fun with textures. 31 July – Fun with mark-making. |
| 9:30am to 4pm | 1 year-olds and 2 year-olds development assessment checks | Health and development assessment to check your child's weight, height, learning, diet and behaviour. Book in advance by phoning 0300 300 1999. |
| 10am to midday | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Parent Advisory Team Thurrock (PATT) | Second Wednesday of the month. Staff from Parent Advisory Team Thurrock (PATT) will be available to offer advice and support with issues around education, in particular special educational needs support, education health and care (EHC) plans, annual reviews, and exclusion from school. For parents and carers of children aged 0 to 25 years, with their child or young person. Book in advance by phoning 07702 127 252. |
| 1pm to 4pm | Speech and language clinic | Fourth Wednesday of the month. By appointment only. Email drop-in@nelft.nhs.uk |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | The Walkie Talkies | Walk and talk sessions led by Parents 1st. For anyone who is a new parent or currently pregnant, offering a chance for some outside exercise and to get to know new parents in your area. Book in advance. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Garden group | No session 3, 24 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Fun activities in the garden for families with children. Please wear appropriate clothing. All welcome. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Garden group | 3 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Fun activities in the garden for families with children. Please wear appropriate clothing. All welcome. |
| 4pm to 5:30pm | Young carers | Term-time only. Support sessions for children aged 4 years to 8 years who are identified as young carers. These sessions are to give the children a break from caring, to come and have fun and take part in different activities like playing in the garden and socialising with other children in the same situation as themselves. Refreshments are provided for children in the group. By referral only. |
Thursdays
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9am to 11am | Baby weighing clinic | At The Health Centre, Darenth Lane, South Ockendon, RM15 5LP. Drop-in session for ages 0 to 60 months. All welcome. |
| 9am to 11:30am | Antenatal blood screening | Blood screening during pregnancy. Phone your midwife to book in advance. |
| 9am to 5pm | Midwife appointments | Pre-natal checks, advice and support for you and your baby. Phone your midwife to book in advance. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Start for life – Stay and play | For ages 12 months to 24 months. Fun activities for you and your child. Sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development, encouraging speech and language, sharing and turn-taking, and exploring new and exciting activities. Sessions also offer ideas to support your child's learning at home. All welcome. |
| 11am to midday | Start for life – Stay and play | For ages 24 months to 60 months. Fun activities for you and your child. Sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development, encouraging speech and language, sharing and turn-taking, and exploring new and exciting activities. Sessions also offer ideas to support your child's learning at home. All welcome. |
| 1pm to 5pm | New born screening | Includes baby weighing and heel-prick blood tests for new born babies, from day 5 to day 8. Phone your midwife to book in advance. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Start for life – Stay and play | For ages 0 to 12 months. Fun activities for you and your child. Sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development, encouraging speech and language, sharing and turn-taking, and exploring new and exciting activities. Sessions also offer ideas to support your child's learning at home. All welcome. |
Fridays
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Fun with instruments | 26 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. All welcome. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Fun with small world play | For ages 24 months to 60 months. Book in advance. |
| 10am to midday | Parent outreach advice session | 19 July. For parents and carers. One-to-one support with one of our parent outreach workers who can help with a range of parenting interventions. Book in advance. |
| 10am to midday | Empowering parents, empowering communities (EPEC) – baby and us | No session 26 July. For ages 0 to 8 months. An 8-week course run by parents for parents and their babies. You will learn practical skills for everyday life and meet other parents local to the area. Book in advance. |
| 10:45am to 11:45am | Start for life – Sensory Play | For ages 0 to 12 months. Fun activities for you and your child while using all the senses to explore. Book in advance. |
| 10:45am to 11:45am | Garden group | 26 July. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Fun activities in the garden for families with children. Please wear appropriate clothing. All welcome. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Start for life – Baby massage | From 5 July. For ages 0 to 12 months. This 5-week course offers a wonderful opportunity for you to bond and learn how to communicate with your baby through gentle strokes using your hands. Each week we will focus on a different part of your baby's body. Book in advance. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Start for life – Stay and play: just for dads | For ages 0 to 60 months. Fun activities for you and your child. Sessions promote social skills and stimulation to support your child's development, encouraging speech and language, sharing and turn-taking, and exploring new and exciting activities. Sessions also offer ideas to support your child's learning at home. All dads welcome. |
More activities and support
A wide range of activities are organised at other family hubs across Thurrock. You can find out more about these activities in the document below. Check the timetables of individual family hubs for latest details.
For information on local support services during pregnancy and for families with a baby up to 2 years-old, go to Start for Life.
Registration
You can use the registration form below to register yourself and your child at this family hub, or any of our other family hubs.