Poole Family Information Service (FIS)

Borough of Poole’s Family Information Service (FIS), as the multi-agency hub of Children’s Services, is committed to providing parents, carers and young people with easy access to a wide range of information, advice and assistance on childcare, activities and family services. It will demonstrate how Children’s Services, organisations, groups and communities in Poole are working together to provide information for young people and families to improve their quality of life. The FIS will reach out to all families within Poole communities to overcome barriers to access.

The FIS is family-focused and supports all family members within Poole communities to have easy access to accurate and timely information through;

•Face-to-face contact; within the main town shopping centre for easy access from all transport routes; lift access to our Welcome Areas; children’s play area/toys; buggy and wheelchair access; accessible toilet and on-line service point to access other Local Authority services.
•Telephone helpline,
•Web access – offering 24 hour access to information and the opportunity to make comment on services and activities helping services to meet local needs.
•Brokerage to childcare – providing individual support to parents who find access to childcare difficult.
•Community Outreach – small team qualified in ‘Information, Advice & Guidance’, working with Children’s Centres, local schools, health visitors, community groups to promote access to information, childcare activities and family services.
•A variety of publicity materials that recognise the multi-cultural diversity of Poole’s family communities

To help us meet the Family Promise we are committed in 2012 to get these areas of our work right for families:

continue to develop its service, with focus over the next year on improving the web-based Family Information Directory to better meet the needs of families responding to local consultation, service evaluation and national research.

work together with public and private sector partners to expand the range of information available.

proactively promote access to the 15 hours free entitlement to Childcare and Early Learning to support family life and improve the outcomes of children in Poole.

provide easily accessible family information from a choice of locations, in different media and formats

seek to demonstrate how Children’s Services are working together for families of Poole.