About Us Our Mission and Values Our Story Our Evidence and Learning Join Our Team Policies Contact Us

Web Content Disclaimer While care has been taken in assembling this website, the statements contained herein are believed to be accurate. However, The Lloyd Park Children’s Charity assumes no liability for any loss, damage, or inconvenience arising from inaccuracies. We make no express or implied warranties regarding the quality, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided. To the extent permitted by law, we exclude all liability for loss or damage—whether direct, indirect, or consequential—resulting from your use of this website or any information or omissions therein. Additionally, we cannot control the content of external pages maintained by other providers or organisations accessible through our site. Please note that the listing of external products and services does not necessarily imply endorsement by The Lloyd Park Children’s Charity. Shortened URL's; URL shortening is a technique used on the web to shorten URL's (Uniform Resource Locators) to something substantially shorter. This technique is especially used in social media and looks similar to this (example: http://bit.ly/zyVUBo). Users should take caution before clicking on shortened URL links and verify their authenticity before proceeding. If you identify any errors or outdated information, please contact our team via email to lpc@tlpcc.org.uk

Our Evidence and Learning At The Lloyd Park Children’s Charity, we learn by listening to families, reflecting on our practice, and using evidence to improve our work. This page shares research, evaluations, project learning, and our annual impact, alongside real examples from practice showing how we support children and families every day. Together, this highlights what matters most; relationships, trust, and connection, and how these lead to positive outcomes. We are committed to continuous learning and sharing what works to strengthen communities. July 26 Multi-Agency Action Planning: Working Together for Families Bringing partners together to explore data and insight to identify priorities and take coordinated action to improve outcomes for children and families Annual Data Summary: Understanding Our Community Sharing insights from our services to highlight reach, engagement, and the impact of our work with children and families Ready for School: Project Overview, Outcomes and Impact Supporting families and strengthening children’s development across the prime areas and towards a Good Level of Development (GLD) Grow Well: Building Strong Foundations in the Early Years Bringing together research, data and practice-based learning to show how relationship-based support improves outcomes for babies and families Journal Club: Working Together to Strengthen Practice Drawing on shared staff learning and research to understand what works and strengthen our early years and family support approach Early Years Social Prescribing: Building Connections How community connections, parental wellbeing, and early support work together to improve outcomes for children and families Breaking Barriers: Building Confidence and Connection Exploring how a parent-led, inclusive and play-based approach supports families to build confidence, reduce isolation, and strengthen relationships. Somewhere to Belong: Early Support for Families Supporting parents and young children with SEND through connection, confidence, and joined-up early intervention. Musical Climbers and Creators Co-produced with families, children and music-making charity, Soundcastle. Discover the inspiring sounds and creations made by children. Multi-Agency Action Planning: Working Together for Families Bringing partners together to explore data and insight to identify priorities and take coordinated action to improve outcomes for children and families You and Your Child: Insights from Family Support Working alongside families to build confidence, strengthen relationships, and support children’s development and wellbeing.

2026 September April January 2023 September April January Archive 2025 September April January 2024 September April January 2022 September April January

Find out why the Lloyd Park Chidlren's Charity is a great place to work. See our benefits packages and our ethos surrounding recruiting a diverse and reprensentative workforce. Why work for us? Make a real difference to the lives of local children! What we do Lloyd Park Children's Charity was founded over 40yrs ago to support equity and justice for children and families in Waltham Forest and beyond. We strive to understand childrens' individuality, working with their parents to help them reach their full potential. Benefits package Up to 30 days holiday Excellent pension scheme Benenden Health Care membership 24/7 GP advice and psychological wellbeing helplines Diagnostic services, treatment and surgery Access to rewards and voucher schemes 50% discount on childcare - for eligbile staff, subject to availability Outstanding training & development opportunities Subsidised hot lunch I n c l u s i v e H i r i n g We were founded by local people who wanted to make a real difference, so we greatly value the diverse perspectives and living experience that local people can bring to our teams. We actively encourage candidates to apply for positions who reflect our local community's diverse range of cultures, backgrounds and demographics. Our Values Our values guide us as we support social change and justice for children, informing how we communicate within communities and with each other. Each value is a challenge that we seek to live and work to every day. Read More A fair, healthy and rewarding workplace Our colleagues are valued for being themselves and are treated as equals A culture of collaboration and respect is the norm You'll always be listened to in a safe and nurturing space Professional and personal development will help you to flourish and do your best work Share our values? Want to make a difference? Apply Now ! View Jobs

Ready for School: Outcomes and Impact Overview The Ready for School (RFS) programme is a relationship-based early intervention designed to support children and families as they transition into Reception. The programme is delivered to a cohort of children living in a community ranked in the top 20% most deprived nationally according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), meaning that all participating children experience socioeconomic disadvantage. Led by an experienced early years teacher, the programme combines small group work, home-based and school-based support, and community activities to strengthen communication, social skills, and independence in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage and help for children to develop the skills and confidence needed for a successful start at school. Alongside this, the programme provides wider family support, working with parents on a range of practical and emotional issues that may affect children’s development. This includes helping families to build routines, access support, and create positive home learning environments. By strengthening parental confidence and engagement, the programme supports families to embed learning into everyday life. Context and Data Considerations Outcomes from 2019 to 2021 reflect a period of significant disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, access to early education, childcare, and support services was limited, and opportunities for in-person delivery were reduced. As a result, data from this period is presented for completeness but is not directly comparable to later cohorts. The analysis therefore focuses on outcomes from 2021 onwards, when programme delivery stabilised and families experienced more consistent support. Outcomes and Progress Over Time Good Level of Development (GLD) is the national measure used at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to assess school readiness. A child is considered to have achieved a GLD when they meet the expected level of development in the key areas of learning, including communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, physical development, literacy and mathematics. Achieving a GLD indicates that a child has developed the foundational skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to make a successful transition into primary school. The Good Level of Development (GLD) rate across the programme shows a clear trajectory of improvement. From 2019 to 2021, outcomes were significantly below national expectations, with GLD rates of 40% and 30% respectively. From 2021 onwards, there is a marked and sustained improvement, with outcomes ranging between 75% and 100%. This upward trend demonstrates both programme maturity and increasing effectiveness over time, particularly given the high level of disadvantage within the cohort. Benchmarking and Comparative Performance The programme’s post-pandemic performance compares favourably with local and national benchmarks. GLD Benchmark Comparison (2021–2025) The most recent national data shows that approximately 68% of children in England achieve a Good Level of Development. Against this benchmark, the Ready for School programme achieves an average of 79%, placing it above national performance and broadly in line with or exceeding both London and local authority averages. This comparison is particularly significant given that all participating children are drawn from communities experiencing high levels of deprivation. While national and regional benchmarks include children from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds, the Ready for School cohort represents a consistently disadvantaged group. Outcomes at this level therefore indicate strong programme impact and suggest that children are being supported to reach levels of development comparable with, or exceeding, their peers. Current Cohort and Emerging Outcomes The most recent data, based on teacher assessment, indicates that outcomes remain strong. In the current class cohort, 62% of children are predicted to achieve GLD, while children participating in the Ready for School programme are predicted to achieve 71% GLD. This difference suggests that children engaged in the programme are continuing to outperform their peers, providing evidence of ongoing added value. The previous cohort achieved 69% GLD, which aligns with the sustained improvement seen in recent years. Outcomes Across Groups Analysis by key groups highlights important patterns in programme impact. Interpreting Impact The programme's outcomes provide strong evidence that children are making progress towards key developmental milestones. Improvements in school readiness are not only reflected in overall Good Level of Development (GLD) outcomes but also demonstrate progress in the fundamental areas of communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and learning behaviours that underpin later educational success. Children eligible for Pupil Premium achieve slightly higher GLD rates (61%) than those not eligible (54%), indicating that the programme is successfully supporting children facing economic disadvantage to reach important developmental milestones and narrow gaps in attainment. Children with English as an Additional Language achieve particularly strong outcomes (69%), outperforming their non-EAL peers. This suggests that the programme is having a positive impact on communication and language development. The programme's emphasis on home learning, parent-child interaction and parental engagement appears to be effectively supporting children's language acquisition, confidence and readiness for school. Outcomes for children with SEND remain lower, reflecting the higher level of need within this group. While this is consistent with national trends, it also highlights an important area for continued development. Future work will focus on strengthening tailored support and identifying additional measures that capture the significant developmental progress made by children whose achievements may not be fully reflected through GLD outcomes alone. The strength of these outcomes is particularly significant when considered in context. All participating children live in an area of high deprivation, and many experience multiple and overlapping risk factors known to impact early childhood development. Despite these challenges, the programme consistently supports children to make progress towards age-related developmental expectations and key milestones associated with school readiness. Since 2021, outcomes have improved steadily and now meet or exceed national expectations. This suggests that the programme is effectively addressing barriers to development through its focus on parental confidence, relationship-based practice and high-quality support for learning in the home environment. These are all recognised protective factors that contribute to positive developmental outcomes. The stronger outcomes achieved by participating children when compared with the wider cohort provide further evidence that the intervention is making a measurable and meaningful difference. The programme is not only contributing to improved educational outcomes but is also supporting the developmental foundations that enable children to thrive beyond the early years. Conclusion The Ready for School programme demonstrates a clear pattern of improvement in outcomes over time, with particularly strong performance in the post-pandemic period. Results show that children supported through the programme achieve levels of school readiness that compare favourably with local and national benchmarks, despite living in significantly disadvantaged circumstances. Evidence suggests that the programme is successfully supporting children to achieve the key developmental milestones, particularly in relation to communication and language development, parental engagement, learning behaviours and overall school readiness. Continued development, particularly in relation to SEND outcomes, will further strengthen the evidence base and support ongoing improvement. Ready for School has also been recognised within independent research exploring effective early years practice, where it is included as an example of delivery contributing to strong outcomes within the local system (www.funding-futures.org/home).

The Lloyd Park Centre Inspiring Surroundings Nestled in a leafy corner of Lloyd park, our centre is a vibrant, purpose built, childcare and activity centre. We enjoy free-flow play both indoor and outdoor, with open-plan rooms and magical outside adventure spaces, designed to engage and inspire young minds. Nature and risk-taking play The Lloyd Park Centre is a fantastic place to learn about our natural environment, take managed risks and have fun too. This connection with nature can foster a sense of respect and care for the environment . The range of sensory experiences help children gain greater physical control of their bodies, and builds resilience, confidence and independence. Our Community The Lloyd Park Centre was developed by local families over 40 years ago and we're proud to be rooted in our community. The centre offers a range of additional services for children and families including a BSL interpretor for deaf children, a community living room, community events and parent SEND support sessions. Community Services Childcare Services Monday - Friday Childcare: 6 months - 4 years, 8am-5.50pm (full and part-time available) Sessional Provision: 3 - 4 years and eligible 2 year olds, 9am-12pm - Term-time only Teatime Club: P rimary age childre n, 8am-5.50pm, pick-up from Wi nns Primary School - Term-time only Holiday Club: P rimary age children, 8am-5.50pm, during school holidays Apply Now Meet the Team Find us Lloyd Park Centre Winns Ave Entrance, Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, E17 5JW 020 8531 9522 lpc@tlpcc.org.uk Open 8am – 5.50pm Monday-Friday Ofsted Ofsted rating - Good We have been rated Good by Ofsted on our last inspection (16th September 2022 ). Read the report here .

Donating equipment and supplies What's needed? 1. Baby Bank essentials Our Baby Bank is always in need of essential emergency suppiles to support families in crisis struggling with the cost-of-living. Find out more on our dedicated Baby Bank page: Baby Bank 2. Technology Software, laptops and tablets enhance the efficiency of our adminsistration and free up more of our time to suppport children and familes. Phones, tablets and SIM cards help us to bridge the ever widening digital divide for some the most vulnerable families in our community. Being connected improves every aspect of their lives allowing them to stay in touch with family and friends as well as accessing local support services. If you or your organisation would like donate techology that you think would support our mission of building brighter futures for chidlren we'd love to hear from you! Email us 3. Educational toys and learning resources Across our wide range of support services for children and families we embed opportunities to learn through play and often start with play-based actiivities as a first step in engaging and building trust. We're always seeking to renew our stock of toys and resources with sutainable, high quality items that have a lower environmental impact and that will inspire young minds for longer. Email us

Community Services for your family Get Help Well Baby Bank Learn more Family Support Learn more Early Years Social Prescribing Learn more CoCo East A co-production collaborative aiming to bring parents, organisations and the community together to improve services for children. Get involved SEND Find out about the SEND support our practitioners offer through our childcare and our community services. Learn more Sleep Support Access support and resoruces to help you and your baby develop healthy sleep routines and improve overall wellbeing. Learn more Wellbeing Find out about the wellbeing support our teams can offer you and you child to help you thrive. Learn more Follow us on our socials for updates on scheduled activities and sessions

Fees and Funding Holiday Club FEEE Funding Teatime Club Sibling Discount Our Fees Other info. Additional Charges SEND + Pupil Premium Holiday Club Holiday club is offered at The Lloyd Park and Higham Hill Centres for primary aged children. £48.30 per day More info Teatime Clubs More info School Collections Lloyd Park Centre children: collections from Winns Primary School Higham Hill Centre children: collections from Hillyfields on the Hill and Whittingham Primary Schools Charges £20.06 per da y Registration fee £24.08 for both clubs Childcare Fees Whole-year contracts Under 3yrs 8am-5:50pm 1 Day - £91.96 8am-1:30pm 1 Day - £58.42 3 Days - £275.88 3 Days - £175.26 4 Days - £367.84 5 Days - £459.78 Monthly full-time - £1915.76 4 Days - £233.68 5 Days - £292.10 Monthly full-time - £1217.08 3-5yrs 8am-5:50pm 1 Day - £85.29 3 Days - £255.87 4 Days - £341.16 5 Days - £426.45 Monthly full-time - £1776.88 8am-1:30pm 1 Day - £55.99 3 Days - £167.97 4 Days - £223.96 5 Days - £279.95 Monthly full-time - £1166.46 Important notes Prices are based upon a minimum attendance of 3 days per week to include a Monday or Friday. Fees are not charged for 2wk Christmas Closure, Team Training Days & Bank Holidays. All Fees are payable irrespective of non-attendance due to child holiday or sickness. Under 3's move into the '3-5yrs' charge band the term after their 3rd birthday. For extra hours purchased in addition to that of your child's contracted hours the hourly rates of £10.61 for under 3's and £10.18 for 3-5yrs will apply. Fees are quoted before deduction of the Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) Additional Charges Additional service charge We apply an additional daily service charge for items such as hot food, snacks and drinks on those days where the FEEE is applied. 30hr Sessional Daycare Breakfast AM £10.64 £10.64 £2.91 £9.74 No discount is applied to this charge We do not charge the Additional Service Charge to those children attend Monday to Friday 9am to 12pm Sessional Contracts No additional service charge applies to those sessions where the FEEE hrs are used in full over 38wks (Term-time Contract): 9am to 12pm (3hrs per day) 9am to 3pm (6hrs per day) Monday to Friday The 'Average Monthly Fee' is based upon the weekly fee multiplied by 50wks divided by 12 equal monthly instalments. Registration Fee We charge a registration fee of £24.08 for Day Care and tea time club contracts. Late collection Fee Our late collection charges are displayed in our settings. Administration Fees (after end of contract) £11.20 fee for each overpayment made via standing order 20% fee where a 'Tax Free Childcare' payment/voucher is received at the end of your contract. Free Working Families Childcare Support & Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) Please read our guide to funding which covers the following childcare topics. 9-23 month old funding Open Guide 2yr olds FEEE Funding FEEE for 3-4yr olds 30hr extended entitlement for working families Please obtain your 11-digit code from the government website. This proves that you are eligible for free childcare. (We need this code in order to offer places) Check eligibility and apply for your code on the government's website here: Check Eligibility More childcare information Local Authority on the local authority's website here: Please be aware that the links above will connect you to external websites. Our charity cannot be responsible for the content of these sites including any downloadable files. Please read our policy on links to external web pages here Sibling Discount Our sibling discount is applied to the older siblings account. It is only applied to childcare hours purchased and not to other items such as the 'Additional Service Charge' for those children in receipt of the 'Free Early Education Entitlement'. Under 3's 3 to 5's Mixed Ages 10% 5% 5% Other Information Prices are based upon a minimum attendance of 3 days per week which must include a Monday and/or Friday. The fees are quoted before deduction of the Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE). If you would like to purchase extra sessions we charge the following hourly rates: Under 3's 3 to 5's £10.61 £10.18 You will be charged/invoiced for any hours or services that you wish to purchase that are above the free entitlement SEND and Pupil Premium Pupil Premium The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) is additional funding for early years settings aimed at improving the education we provide for disadvantaged 3 and 4yr olds We can get up to £388 per year to spend directly on supporting your child’s education which makes a big difference! Please speak to staff at your setting to find out whether you are eligible Check eligibility SEND Early Years settings can access additional funding to support children with learning and developmental delay and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) This includes Disability Access Fund (DAF), SEND Inclusion Fund (SENIF) and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) More info Links to an external webpage Please be aware that these links will connect you to external websites. Our charity cannot be responsible for the content of these sites including any downloadable files. Please read our policy on links to external web pages here

Multi Agency Action Planning Working Together for Families November 2025 We regularly bring together partners from across the voluntary sector, health, early help, and local leadership to review data and agree actions that improve outcomes for children and families. Using a collaborative, data-informed approach, partners identify priorities and develop shared, practical actions, supported by tools such as our Blossoming Trees model. Working together, we identified key priorities across several areas: SEND families: improving early access to support, raising awareness of development, and strengthening joined-up pathways Child development: targeted outreach to children not reaching expected milestones and improving access to health and early support services Gender differences: adapting provision to better engage boys and support communication through play Demographics and access: improving data sharing, strengthening co-production, and making services more accessible to diverse communities Health: improving oral health through better access to services, education, and early support Financial resilience and poverty: strengthening links with community support, including food banks, budgeting support, adult education, and volunteering opportunities to reduce the impact of poverty on families. We are grateful to all partners who contribute to this work. Together, we are able to turn insight into coordinated action and strengthen support for our community.

Bookable Activities Book direct with us Baby Massage Children's Yoga (1-4yrs) View View Book on EventBrite Mindful Medley Initital Sleep Consultations Mellow Bumps Mellow Courses - Online Triple P Babies Parent Carer Voices Painting Together Single Parents Coaching View

SEND Special Educational Needs and Disability Our welcoming and inclusive settings support children as unique individuals to follow their interests and celebrate achievements SEND Community Services We work in close partnership with children, parent/carers and a wide range of SEND services to help find support that's right for families. Building trusting relationships with parent/carers allows us to work together to develop and implement support packages for their children's individual needs. Learn More Childcare and SEND Our childcare settings strive to be inclusive and responsive to a child's individul learning needs through professional observation and working closely with parents. Learn More Services we can connect you with (SENCOs) Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SALT) Speech & Language Therapy (OT) Occupational Therapy Local council services

Partner with us Change a child's life We can build brighter futures together! By partnering with us you'll be supporting our mission to build brighter futures for children across East London facing the challenges of living in poverty. Your company could play a key role in helping us create positives changes for families. Whether you'd like to donate, fundraise for us or share your expertise, there are lots of ways you could support our mission! Get in touch Ways to get involved Donate Volunteering Payroll Giving Staff Fundraising We support hundreds of families each year yet we receive no statutory funding. Every pound you donate goes to sustaining our services supporting children in the most need. Corporation-tax relief: Claim tax relief for charitable donations of money, equipment, sponsorship and more GOV.UK Donate Volunteers are the heartbeat of our work. By volunteering with us your team can support local families, meet new people and gain new skills. Your expert skills could help us on a a pro bono basis with a range of topics including finance, marketing, law, data protection, the environment or health & wellbeing. Learn More Payroll giving schemes can be set up easily, they're HMRC-backed and give employees immediate tax benefit by donating to our charity from their gross wage before tax. Schemes are usually free to set up through an HMRC-approved Payroll Giving Agency (PGA). Read our policy on using links to 3rd party sites GOV.UK Offer your staff fun opportunities to fundraise for us. Whether it's coffee mornings, social events or physical challenges, your team can do lots to help us support the most in-need children. Consider match-funding your team's efforts if you can. It will double the impact of your company's fundraising! Learn more Read our policy on using links to 3rd party sites We'd love to hear your ideas for making a difference and increasing our social impact together! Get in touch

Cloth Nappies Shining Nappy People As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and the well-being of the children in our care, we are transitioning to using mainly cloth nappies in both of our nurseries. We are also working on ways to support families to use cloth nappies at home through our community support groups and outreach work. Non-recylcable nappies 2.5 billion binned annually 90% end up in landfill 500yrs to break down 60%+ Plastic We believe that swapping non-recyclable nappies for resuable alternatives aligns perfectly with our mission to ‘build brighter futures’ and our core values, including ‘sustaining our planet, sustaining our community’. Why swap to cloth nappies? Cheaper over time Toilet training is often 6 months faster for babies when cloth nappies are used Switching could save you up to £1000 per child and have half the environmental impact! No harsh chemicals Non-recyclable nappies contain chemicals Well chosen c loth nappies can have fewer or even none This makes them healthier for a child’s delicate skin A better fit Cloth nappies provide an individualised fit, reducing the risk of leaks Plus, the soft fabric against the skin can be more comfortable Better for the planet Non-recyclable nappies take 500yrs to decompose in landfills Even eco-friendly alternatives take 50yrs Much of North London's nappy waste is also burned at the incinerator £70 Voucher Visit www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk for helpful info. including explanations of different nappy types and info. on a voucher scheme worth up to £70 toward purchasing cloth nappies. Our local partners For over a year we've been lucky enough to be supported in our cloth nappy transition by three local organisations working tirelessly to promote cloth nappy use in Waltham Forest. Our heart-felt thanks go out to the 'Women's Environemental Network', 'Waltham Forest Cloth Nappy Library' and 'Nappy Ever After'! Check out their web and social media pages to find a wide range of cloth nappy resources and useful information. Women's Environmental Network Nappy Ever After Waltham Forest Cloth Nappy Library Please note: The links on this page will open external websites. The 'Lloyd Park Children's Charity' accepts no responsbility for content or downloads on any external pages. Any downloads that you choose to make should be verified with your own threat detection software.

Class Schedule

Musical Climbers & Creators A year of exploring music with some wonderful SEND children In 2023/24 we were delighted to bring this wonderful project to life in our Grow Wild adventure play space with the support of Youth Music. This fun and uplifiting session was co-produced by the Lloyd Park Children's Charity's SEND and outdoors play practitioners, parent/carers, children and the amazing music-making charity, Soundcastle. The project delivered unique music-based outdoor learning and sensory experiences for children living with SEND who are often excluded from music-making and outdoors adventure play. Sounds from the Forest Stomp in the Forest 00:00 / 09:06 These beautiful tracks were composed by Soundcastle using vocals, sounds, beats and music made by the children, recorded as they explored the space and made music together. Meditation in the Green Space 00:00 / 09:22 Magical Memories Outdoors music-making in our inspiring 'Grow Wild' adventure playspace Real musical instruments to play led by musicians Freedom for children to play and join in at their own pace Music-making combined with creative play Inclusive music-making for SEND children and their siblings Breakthroughs for SEND children in socialising and personal confidence Building more confidence to jump and tumble with drum beats Children discovered a passion for music-making Parents saw leaps in their children's development Feedback from parents and carers I cannot enthuse about this playgroup/adventure playground and staff more. It is SUCH a supportive environment for not only my son but my daughter too aswell as myself. Staff have gone above and beyond for both my children as they often run in opposite directions and I physically can't keep an eye on both of them! The staff are unfaltering in their care for both the children, this is so important to me as often siblings can sometimes not be so welcomed in my experience which is very difficult for me. The musical element to the session is genuinely magical. At first the musicians would play musical instruments as my children played and slowly but surely my children have actively taken part in playing the musical instruments themselves which they both adore. I feel like my children get so much out of this sen session, they both have gained so much confidence in the setting since coming and both get so excited when they realise we are going to Grow Wild I myself, as their parent, really enjoy coming too! I can never usually relax in other settings as my son can be unpredictable with his behaviour at times, but here I can just breathe and let my children have fun with staff who are always enthusiastic to see them. Thank you so much! We have truly enjoyed our sessions on a Tuesday. My son loves to be outside and to be able to enjoy all the instruments in this free way has been so enriching for him. The musicians are wonderful with the little ones completely working at their pace and direction! Tirelessly playing “train” and offering different instruments and sounds occasionally so he gets a varied experience. All done in a respectful way so he hasn’t felt overwhelmed or too directed. If I had to think of something I’m tempted to say it would be nice to have some more performance group playing from the musicians with flute etc but perhaps that’s more my wanting as the simpler instruments have been generously shared and given access to and the children lead the way!! Thank you all and hope you can keep going …. We will keep coming!! Since we started attending in May my son has made huge progress in his speech, language and communication and these sessions have been a huge part of that. He finds communication challenging and this usually prevents him from interacting with other people. He became very comfortable very quickly at Grow Wild and very quickly started to interact with the musicians and it has been an absolute joy to see. He then repeatedly talks about Grow Wild at home throughout the week so not only is the session beneficial when he's there, but he loves it so much that he wants to talk about it all week, so it's been fantastic for his development at home as well. My daughter has also just started to come out of her shell. She usually only speaks to me but this week she spoke to three different adults at the session too and was much more confident and independent. I also love how safe these sessions are. Being able to run around outside in a safe space with other children and parents who understand his differences is priceless. These sessions are by far the best SEND sessions I have been to in Waltham Forest as they tick so many boxes. A safe outdoor space, access to a wide range of activities like climbing, water play, painting etc. all alongside the musical elements and an energetic, kind and enthusiastic team of adults running the sessions. ....So many of my son's sensory needs are met in one session which helps him to feel calm and regulated throughout the rest of the day. There is something available and beneficial for every child and it's fabulous to see every child enjoying themselves week after week. So thank you so much for everything. I hope that you can secure funding for September as it'll be a huge loss to the SEND community if these sessions were to stop. Both my children have both asked me if they can go to Grow Wild three times today already and this will happen every day until next week 😅 We have a home education journal and at the end of every day, we write down what we've done and my son often likes looking back at the photos of him at Grow Wild and asks for his own musical instruments. Just wanted to say how fantastic the musical element to the play has been and how much both my 19month old and I have enjoyed coming to those special sessions. It has given my son great exposure to music and to different and unique instruments we would not normally come across in our own play. The musicians are all so very talented, professional yet friendly and have a natural ability to connect with the young ones. I feel very fortunate to have attended the sessions we have with you, which have really enhanced my son's learning through song, tune and creativity. This group has been a lifeline to us from the start until now. We attend whatever the weather and my ASD child has thrived and grown from being in such an accepting and accomodating environment. He has gone from a child who was extremely uncomfortable around people, particularly adults, to somebody who seeks out interactions from the Grow Wild and Soundcastle teams. He's changed from being crying and anxious on arrival to shouting "go to see Zoe!" the minute he sees the tree. He has developed a tolerance for other children, for group singing and for music. He has developed so many social skills and even shown a keen interest in making music himself. He gets all of his sensory seeking needs met, has the freedom to explore without any pressure and we are truly fortunate to be able to attend this group. My child has developed and grown into somebody who can be in public without severe discomfort and who actually enjoys the company of other people, and I believe Grow wild has played a massive part in that.....

You and Your Child You and Your Child What can we learn from parents’ experience of our home visiting family support project Wendy Fields This summary reflects learning from the You and Your Child (Y&YC) family support approach, drawing on collaborative action research research (2012) alongside programme data collected from 2013 onwards. The project was developed through close collaboration between parents and practitioners, learning together about what works best for families. This reflects a process of collaborative action research, where practice and learning evolve alongside one another. Project Summary and Overview You and Your Child is a home-visiting family support project designed to reach families experiencing multiple and complex challenges. It offers personalised, relationship-based support delivered through a multi-agency team, working in partnership with parents to improve outcomes for both children and families. Families supported through the project often face a combination of challenges, including parenting confidence, behaviour management, mental health and emotional wellbeing, financial stress and housing instability, as well as concerns about child development such as speech and language delay. Many also experience isolation and limited access to support networks. Our Approach The project is grounded in the Family Partnership Model, a strengths-based and evidence-informed approach that places the parent at the centre of the work. Practitioners focus on listening carefully, valuing parents’ knowledge of their own lives, and working collaboratively to set goals that feel realistic and meaningful. Rather than offering prescriptive advice, practitioners work alongside families to explore their experiences and identify practical changes together. A core aim is to build self-efficacy, supporting parents to feel more confident and able to manage their family life independently over time, rather than becoming reliant on services. What Families Told Us Parents’ experiences highlight what makes the project effective. A consistent theme is the importance of feeling listened to without judgement. Many parents described how practitioners took time to understand their situation and worked at a pace that felt comfortable, creating a safe space to talk about complex or sensitive issues. This was key to building trust. As trust developed, parents reported a noticeable increase in confidence and self-belief. Several described a shift from feeling overwhelmed to feeling more in control of their lives. This growing confidence often led to wider changes, including improvements in family relationships and day-to-day life at home. Parents spoke about reduced conflict, calmer routines, and stronger connections with their children. The project also helped families access wider support. Through relationships with practitioners, parents felt more able to navigate services, join community groups, and seek help when needed. This reduced feelings of isolation and helped build a stronger sense of connection. At the heart of all of this was the relationship between parent and practitioner. Feeling valued and understood enabled parents to reflect on their experiences, try new approaches, and make changes that lasted beyond the period of support. Data and Impact (Years 1–3) Over its first three years, the project demonstrated steady growth in reach, engagement and impact. Referral numbers remained consistently high, with over 130 referrals each year from a wide range of agencies. Across this period, the project supported close to 1,000 individuals, indicating both strong demand and sustained engagement. Improving parental confidence emerged as a central outcome. Across all years, families reported increased self-esteem, greater ability to manage family life, and stronger engagement with services. Feedback consistently showed that when parents felt listened to and supported, confidence increased and isolation reduced. There were also clear improvements in outcomes for children and families. Parents reported better behaviour in children, stronger parent–child relationships, and more stable routines. In some cases, families were able to step down from statutory services, suggesting reduced risk and increased resilience following early intervention. Work on parenting skills supported meaningful behaviour change. Parents grew in confidence in managing behaviour, communicating and playing with their children, and establishing routines. Many described lasting changes in both their own approach and their children’s behaviour. A particular strength of the model has been the integration of speech and language support. Across the three years, large numbers of children and families accessed targeted intervention, both through home visiting and group provision. Parents consistently reported increased confidence in supporting their child’s communication, while earlier identification of need led to children being referred at younger ages and receiving support sooner. Improvements were seen in children’s communication, interaction and engagement. The project has also strengthened community connections and partnerships. Relationships have been built with over 20 referring organisations, with new partners joining each year. This has improved coordination of support and contributed to wider community outcomes, including increased volunteering, pathways into employment, and the development of initiatives such as a Baby Bank. Key Learning from Three Years of Data Across the data, several consistent messages emerge. The project is effective in reaching families who are often isolated and experiencing multiple layers of disadvantage. Confidence stands out as a key mechanism for change, with improvements in parental confidence leading directly to better outcomes for children. The home-visiting, relationship-based model supports sustained engagement, particularly for families who may not access other services. Integrated support, combining family support, speech and language input, and parenting programmes, appears especially effective. Overall, the evidence suggests that early intervention of this kind reduces the need for more intensive statutory or crisis services. What We Have Learned The learning from this work reinforces the importance of relationships as the foundation for change. Families are far more likely to engage when they feel respected, listened to and understood. It also highlights the need for holistic and flexible support. Families rarely experience challenges in isolation, so approaches that address multiple aspects of family life simultaneously are more effective. Confidence emerges as a central driver of change. As parents feel more capable, they are better able to make decisions, manage challenges and support their child’s development. This in turn leads to more stable and positive family environments. The project also demonstrates the impact of early intervention. Engaging families earlier leads to improved developmental outcomes, reduced reliance on statutory services, and greater long-term stability. Finally, the process of co-learning and reflection has been essential. Ongoing action research with practitioners has strengthened service quality, deepened understanding of family needs, and supported staff to work more effectively. Summary You and Your Child is a highly effective early intervention model that reaches families who might otherwise not engage with support. By building strong relationships and working in partnership with parents, it helps develop confidence, resilience and independence. This leads to improved outcomes for children, stronger family relationships, and reduced pressure on statutory services. By combining evidence-informed practice, integrated support and strong partnerships, the project demonstrates how personalised, relationship-based approaches can deliver meaningful and lasting impact for families and communities

Funded Projects Our Funding Partners We are delighted to be working with these major donors to deliver vital community work in East London Family Wellbeing and Support Project We were delighted to be awarded funding to run our early years social prescribing and co-production project by the 'City Bridge Foundation'. Working in partnership we are delivering a 5 year programme offering support to families with a focus on health and welbeing outcomes. The Community Wellbeing Support Worker helps families identify what matters to them and ways to achieve their goals. Families are supported to design and lead activities based on their 'living experiences'. This creates innovative and exciting resources for local children and families. Musical Climbers and Creators Memory Book Youth Music, funded this wonderful project via their Trialblazer programme. It provided unique music-based outdoor learning and sensory experiences in our ' Grow Wild' adventure play space. Activities focus on local children facing barriers in accessing mainstream music and outdoors provisions, particularly those children living with SEND. This fun and uplifiting session was co-produced with Soundcastle musical therapy charity, children, parents and our SEND team. Huge thanks to Youth Music for funding this wonderful SEND music-making project! Grow Active 'Grow Active' was delivered in partnership with the 'London Marathon Foundation'. Waltham Forest is home to a large number of marginalised children, many of whom have little or no outdoor space to explore. ‘Grow Active’ offered children a wide range of opportunities to improve physical fitness and self-esteem in our safe, inclusive Grow Wild outdoors adventure play space. Our aim was to inspire more children to take up physical activity in their early years, helping them to build the confidence to be more active in their future lives. Many Many thanks to 'London Marathon Foundation' for funding this amazing project for a whole year, between November 2023 and October 2024! Community Living Room & Kitchen “My child has been able to develop more social skills and interact with friends". "It’s a warming environment, everyone’s happy, they’re smiling, joking, that’s how it’s been since the beginning". "We’re all able to talk about the same problems”. Enjoy a hot meal, play and socialise Our Community Living Room & Kitchen is run in partnership with London Borough of Waltham Forest and has proved to be one of our most popular community resources over the last year. With our funding we have created a safe, invite only, welcoming space where families, with children ages 0-5yrs, can stay warm, socialise, play and enjoy a tasty hot meal. Our team are on hand during sessions to offer support and advice if needed. Contact us to see if you're eligible to attend using our 'Help Request' form button below. Request Help

Early Years Social Prescribing Early Years Social Prescribing: Our Evidence Base Our Commitment to Evidence-Based Practice At Lloyd Park Children’s Charity, our Early Years Social Prescribing Service is grounded in a strong and growing evidence base. We recognise that children’s development is shaped not only by healthcare, but by family wellbeing, relationships, and the wider social factors affecting everyday life. Our work focuses on supporting families experiencing challenges such as developmental delay, financial hardship, parental wellbeing needs, and social isolation. Why the Early Years Matter Research shows that the early years are a critical period for children’s development. Parenting and the parent–child relationship play a key role in shaping children’s emotional, social, and long-term health outcomes. Parental mental health is particularly important: Mothers are around twice as likely to experience depression during childbearing years Children of parents experiencing poor mental health are more likely to develop anxiety and depression Parenting stress can influence how difficulties are passed between parent and child. Importantly, research highlights that many of the risks affecting children are modifiable within the family environment, meaning timely support can make a real difference. What is Social Prescribing? Social prescribing connects families to community-based support, activities, and practical resources to improve wellbeing. Studies show this approach can: Reduce loneliness and isolation Improve mental health and emotional wellbeing Increase confidence, resilience, and coping skills Strengthen community connections and support networks It also helps address the wider determinants of health, such as housing, relationships, and financial pressures, which are often at the root of many challenges families face. Why Social Prescribing for Families? Supporting parents is one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes for children. Research shows that: Parent and child mental health are closely linked and influence each other Interventions that support both parent and child together are more effective Strengthening parenting capacity improves children’s development and life chances By improving parental wellbeing, social prescribing helps create more stable, nurturing environments for children to thrive. The Power of Community and Connection A strong sense of belonging and connection to others is essential for wellbeing. Evidence shows that when people feel part of a community, they experience: Greater emotional support and resilience A stronger sense of purpose and identity Improved overall health and wellbeing This is why our service focuses on building local connections and supportive relationships, not just providing services. Co‑Production: Working Together with Families Our approach is co-produced with families through our CoCo East project. This means parents and community members actively shape the support available. Research shows co-production: Improves engagement and relevance of services Builds confidence, empowerment, and independence Reduces social isolation Leads to more sustainable and effective support It also recognises that communities understand their own needs best, and that tailored, local solutions are more effective than generic approaches. Tackling Inequality Early Children growing up in disadvantaged circumstances experience poorer health and developmental outcomes due to social and economic factors. Social prescribing helps to address these inequalities by: Providing early, preventative support Reducing reliance on crisis services Improving access to community resources and opportunities This approach supports fairer outcomes for children and families. How Our Approach Works Research highlights that effective social prescribing services are: Person-centred and holistic Built on strong partnerships across services Focused on co-producing solutions with families Designed to build long-term resilience and independence Our Early Years Social Prescribing model reflects these principles in practice. Measuring Our Impact We use evidence-based approaches to understand the difference our service makes, including looking at: Sense of belonging within the community Levels of social support Experiences of loneliness or isolation Overall wellbeing and quality of life This helps ensure we are continually improving and delivering meaningful outcomes for families. Summary The evidence is clear, supporting parents, strengthening relationships, and connecting families to their communities can have a powerful and lasting impact on children’s development. Early Years Social Prescribing offers a preventative, holistic, and evidence-informed approach that improves wellbeing for the whole family and helps children get the best possible start in life. Our Evidence Base This work is informed by a range of research, including: Daundasekara et al. (2021) – parental mental health and child outcomes Thomas et al. (2021) – social prescribing and co-production Hassan et al. (2023) – social prescribing systems and implementation Wakefield et al. (2022) – social connection and wellbeing Goldfeld et al. (2017) – social determinants of child development Waylen et al. (2008) – parenting and child health outcomes Kuckertz et al. (2018) – parenting and child mental health