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 |
|---|---|---|
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Bring a story to life | 13 May. For ages 12 months to 60 months. This session focuses on a chosen theme or storybook to help create and build learning around imaginary play. All welcome. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Sensory play | 20 May. For ages 0 to 12 months. Book in advance. |
| 9:30am to 10:30am | Chatterbox | 20 May. 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. |
| 11am to midday | Fun with books and puppets | 13, 20 May. For ages 12 months to 60 months. All welcome. |
| 11am to midday | Sensory play | 20 May. For ages 0 to 12 months. Book in advance. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Stories and rhymes | 13, 20 May. For ages 12 months to 60 months. All welcome. |
| 2pm to 3pm | Sensory play | 20 May. For ages 0 to 12 months. Book in advance. |
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 | Let's talk with your baby | No session 28 May. For ages 0 to 12 months. A 4-week programme to promote positive adult-child interaction, communication skills, attachment and stimulation in a rich environment through interactive, fun activities. Book in advance. |
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Activity sessions | For ages 12 months to 60 months. All welcome. 14 May – Fun with instruments. 21 May – Fun with painting. |
| 9:30am to 11:30am | British Sign Language (BSL) Awareness for Complete Beginners | 7 May. For parents and carers only. You will learn basic finger spelling and how to communicate with a person with a hearing impairment. This course is run by Thurrock Adult Community College. Book in advance by phoning 01375 372 476 and quoting course code CL72352C, or online at Thurrock Adult Community College: BSL Awareness for Complete Beginners. |
| 10am to 11am | Special event – messy play | 28 May. For ages 0 to 11 years. Book in advance. |
| 11am to midday | Messy play | No sessions 7, 28 May. For ages 12 months to 60 months. 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 | 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 | Bring a story to life | For ages 12 months to 60 months. This session focuses on a chosen theme or storybook to help create and build learning around imaginary play. All welcome. 1 May – 'Don't Call Me Sweet!' 15 May – 'Bear on a Bike'. 29 May – 'Super Duck'. |
| 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 11am | Early years oral health workshop | 8 May. For ages 0 to 8 years. Book in advance. |
| 10am to 11am | Potty training workshop | 22 May. For parents and carers only. Book in advance. |
| 10am to midday | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Parent Advisory Team Thurrock (PATT) | 8 May. 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. For ages 18 months to 60 months. By appointment only. Email drop-in@nelft.nhs.uk |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Gardening group | No sessions 22, 29 May. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Lots of fun activities in the garden for families with children. Please wear appropriate clothing. All welcome. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Messy play babies | 29 May. For ages 0 to 12 months. All welcome. |
| 4pm to 5:30pm | Young carers group | Term-time only. Support sessions for children aged 4 years to 8 years who are identified as young carers. 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 for those in the early stages of pregnancy, up to 10 weeks. Phone your midwife to book in advance. |
| 9am to midday | Stop smoking, with Thurrock Healthy Lifestyle Service | Last Thursday of the month. Drop-in session for parents and carers. All welcome. |
| 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 | Stay and play | For ages 12 months to 24 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. All welcome. |
| 11am to midday | Stay and play | For ages 24 months 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. 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 | Stay and play | For ages 0 to 12 months. Fun activities for you and your baby. 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. All welcome. |
Fridays
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 9:15am to 10:15am | Baby rhyme time | No session 17 May. For ages 0 to 12 months. All welcome. – Fun with mark-making. |
| 9:30am to 11:30am | Triple P: Baby Parenting Programme | No session 17, 24, 31 May. For parents during pregnancy or with a baby aged up to 12 months. Book in advance. |
| 9:30am to 11:30am | Parents 1st – coffee morning | 17 May. Parents 1st provides support and information on pregnancy, birth and becoming a parent, provided by other parents. This is for families who are due to have a baby – during pregnancy, up to 3 to 6 months – and will become parents for the first time. Drop-in session. |
| 10am to midday | Parent outreach advice session | 24 May. For parents and carers. Book in advance. |
| 10am to midday | Empowering parents, empowering communities (EPEC) – baby and us | From 17 May, term-time only. For ages 0 to 8 months. EPEC is a parenting group run by parents for parents with babies of ages 0 to 8 months. Parents will learn how to use a range of parenting skills, understand their children's feelings and develop a closer parent-child relationship. Book in advance. |
| 11am to midday | Lets' talk with your toddler | No session 17 May. For ages 12 months to 24 months. A 4-week programme to support your child's communication and language skills, including advice and strategies you can use in the home. Book in advance. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Baby massage | No session 17 May. 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 nurturing touch and massage in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Book in advance. |
| 1:30pm to 2:30pm | Stay and play – just for dads | No session 17 May. For ages 12 months to 60 months. Fun activities for dads and their baby. 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. 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.