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- Childcare & Play Services
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- Contact Us
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- Hill View,
Hill View Drive,
Welling,
Kent DA16 3RY
- 020 8303 7777
- Useful Links
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Children's
& Young People's Services
Family Information Service (FIS)
Introduction
The Family
Information Service (FIS) introduced by the Department of Education and
Employment Office (DfEE) now known as the Department for Children, Schools
and Families (DCSF) as part of the Green Paper "Meeting The Childcare
Challenge" has been established in Bexley since January 2000.
A FIS is a central point of information covering all aspects of childcare
and support for children and young people up to their twentieth birthday.
The main function is to provide accurate, up to date, impartial information
on childcare including childminders, nurseries, and playschools/pre-schools
and out of school activities. The service also provides support and guidance
for all ages from birth to twenty years.
It also holds information on informal childcare and support, carer and toddler
groups, toy libraries, leisure activities, library services, support groups,
health information as well as training opportunities within the borough.
The main means of access is through the dedicated phone line, which has an
answer phone service outside office hours, a text service and web access through
the national website.
The FIS also provides outreach surgeries in public locations.
The  National Association of
Family Information Services (NACIS) have set out 7 minimum standards
for all FIS's to comply to which include, impartiality, confidentiality,
accuracy, accessibility to all and others including partnerships with other
bodies. They have also set up an award scheme to demonstrate that FIS's maintain
a high quality service, which meet these standards. In England there are
150 FIS's and in April 2005 Bexley FIS achieved the "Matrix" Award.
The FIS mainly offers support and guidance to parents for their needs for
children and young people. It can advise on affordability and standards of
care, helping parents make an informed choice for themselves and their families
and to provide information which takes into account a person's own requirements
as a parent, the individual needs of a child and the location in which childcare
is required.
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Useful Contacts
Family Information Service
Extended Services In and Around Schools
Early Years Advisory Service
Organisational Development Unit
- 020 8836 8093
- Hill View, Welling, Kent DA16 3RY
Ofsted
- All enquiries: 08456 404040
- Freshford House, Redcliffe Way, Bristol BS1 6LX
DCSF
- 0870 00 12345
- 6-12 Tothill Street,
London SW1H 9NA
Inland Revenue
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