Venue details
Address (not for correspondence):
162 Tenison Road, George Pateman Court,
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 2DP
Opening hours
Days & Times: 1st & 3rd Saturday of month 10am to 4pm
Centre charges
No charge for service
Services available here
Supported contact
Handover
Accepts self referrals
Accredited
To make a referral,
contact:
Address: PO Box 226, Ely, CB6 3WG
Telephone: 07812 157448
Alternative: 07812 157448 (Mon to Sat) & message facility
Email: mary@ceccc.org.uk
Contact
Website: www.ceccc.org.uk
Telephone: 07812 157448
Alternative: 07812 157448 (Mon to Sat) & message facility
Email: mary@ceccc.org.uk
Notes from this centre
No child abuse.
This centre is accredited to provide supported contact
Accreditation is a way of checking that your contact centre is safe and meets our standards.
How is a centre checked?
An assessorSomeone working on our behalf who has experience and an interest in child contact services and must assess if a service meets our standards. looks round the rooms, toys, equipment, and any outside play areas to make sure that they are safe and good for you to use. They talk with the people at the centre to make sure that they are trained and helped to do their job as well as possible. They then check the informationThe assessor checks through the centre’s accreditation portfolio which includes policies, procedures, risk assessments, reports (if the service offers supervised contact) and information for families. on what happens at the centre and how it keeps you safe.
When the assessor is happy that a centre meets our standards then they are awarded their accreditation and you can find them on this website. Accreditation happens every three years with extra checks if needed.
Accreditation Summary
Date: 29/05/2022
Summary:
Cambridge (where the contact centre was established over 30 years ago) is a university city. The centre provides supported contact and is housed in the social rooms of George Pateman Court, a community room managed by the council, at the station end of Tenison Road. A small number of parking spaces are generally available, but if not, parking is available at the railway station which is only 5 minutes’ walk away. There are good bus links to the city centre. The centre’s management committee also runs the centre in Ely, with policies and procedures common to both as a result, and because they have the same co-ordinator.
The centre is a community room provided for the benefit of residents of George Pateman Court. It is clean and well maintained, comprising one large room, a small kitchen and two toilets (including one for those with disabilities and a changing area). There is a small outside play area.
Mostly referrals are self-referrals since legal aid was abolished, though some come from Cafcass, and social services. Referrals are made via a PO Box, and the co-ordinator determines which centre will be allocated depending on the family’s situation and availability of places at each centre.
The co-ordinator and their team are very aware of the risks presented by some families, and there is careful checking on receipt of a referral. No alcohol or drugs are allowed on the premises which is made clear at the first visit. Arrangements are in place so that the families do not meet which is helped by having staggered arrival times, and the facility for parents to phone from the carpark on arrival so that children can be collected, and then the same at departure time. Evaluations are done informally and there were several instances of very positive and grateful cards and letters. Parents are expected to make their own contact arrangements after about 6 months and this expectation is discussed at the outset though of course there are occasions when this isn’t possible, and it takes a bit longer.
The paid co-ordinator has been in post for seventeen years and provides strong practical leadership for the volunteer team. Some volunteers have been in post for more than 6 years and come from a variety of backgrounds. They wear ID badges during the contact sessions. The volunteers on duty demonstrated a sound understanding of the needs of the children in the centre and were very kind and sensitive.
This is a warm welcoming space full of activity with children and parents enjoying time together. The co-ordinator and their team of volunteers are hugely experienced, and it is abundantly clear that children are at the very heart of everything that happens. Parents spoke positively about the centre, and are profuse in their thanks when they leave, trusting the judgement and advice of the co-ordinator. Any recommended actions following the visit are now complete meaning the service meets the standards for supported contact re-accreditation.
Photos from this centre
