The impact of integrated services in Sure Start children's centres

Ofsted report July 2009

 A small scale report evaluating the impact of integrated services on children, parents and families in 20 children's centres in 2008.

Summary

Overall the impact on children and their families was positive. Headteachers of primary schools reported that children from the centres were being better prepared to begin school. Children with special needs were benefiting from the closer working relationships of different services and valuable sessions were being offered to parents promoting good child-rearing practices.

Issues remained, however, around the links between children's centres and primary schools:

"only about half of the primary schools contacted were linking effectively with children's centres and only one was tracking the long-term impact of its work on children and parents."

The difficulties in liaison led to problems assessing the difference children's centres made by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Concern was also expressed that children's developmental records from day care were not being used by reception class teachers.

A particular  area of concern were the links with Jobcentre Plus. No heads of centre were fully satisfied with the quality of the link and there were many reported difficulties in making this service accessible and ensuring its use. 

Children's centres were still finding it difficult to engage hard-to-reach families:

"Half of the centres were finding it problematic to reach out to the most potentially vulnerable families that may not ask for support, but where need is greatest."

The scale of the problems some families were facing made it very difficult for the children's centres to make impact. Equally some families were reluctant to engage, for example, those operating at the fringes of the law. Some communities could be suspicious of new initiatives and in some areas parents felt that being involved lead to them being labeled.

Of the 'Every Child Matters' outcomes, the pursuit of healthy eating was particularly prominent with there being a number of new initiatives evident such as allotments and gardening clubs. 

The role of the family support worker has been successful although they are much in demand and are often working to capacity. In some cases family support workers were supporting at home as parents  built  up the confidence to come into the centre itself.

Leadership and management tended to be a strength of the centres. Where there were issues this was usually because there was no current or permanent head of centre.

Key findings

·      In 11 of the 20 centres the impact of the integration of services on improving outcomes was good or outstanding

·      In only one centre was the impact inadequate

·      Parents strongly preferred a single site, one stop shop

·      There were some difficulties in gaining the confidence of White British families in disadvantaged communities

·      There is a long way to go in terms of supporting the neediest families - domestic violence remains a problem

·      Onward links with some primary schools remain weak - with some exceptions, primary schools do not engage fully with children's centres

·      Jobcentre Plus remains a weaker feature

·      Children's centres often lack the data about outcomes needed for the self-evaluation form

Recommendations

These include:

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) should:

·      encourage schools to work more closely with children’s centres, to include tracking children’s progress from centre through to school

·      work with the Department for Work and Pensions, improve joint working between Jobcentre Plus and children’s centres

·      support local authorities in developing accurate datasets at national level for children’s centres to use in their self-evaluation.

Local authorities should:

·      encourage schools to work more closely with children’s centres

·      develop accurate datasets at regional and locality level to support children’s centres’ evaluation of outcomes for children and parents.

Children’s centres should:

·      improve the use of self-evaluation through the quantitative analysis of the outcomes for children and their families

·      improve engagement with and outcomes for disadvantaged White British communities.

 

Children's Centre core offer

 

In the 30% most disadvantaged areas, children’s centres will offer:

·      good quality Early Years Foundation Stage provision (minimum 10 hours a day, five days a week, 48 weeks a year)

·      good quality input from a children’s centre teacher to lead the development of learning within the centre

·      child and family health services, including antenatal services

·      parental outreach

·      family support services

·      a base for a childminder network

·      support for children and parents with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

·      effective links with Jobcentre Plus to support parents/carers who wish to consider training or employment.

 

In more advantaged areas and in rural areas local authorities have greater flexibility in providing services to meet local needs. Sure Start children’s centres in these areas will offer:

 

·      appropriate support and outreach services to parents/carers and children who have been identified as in need of them

·      information and advice to parents/carers on a range of subjects, including local childcare. Looking after babies and young children, local Early Years Foundation Stage provision for three- and four-year-olds

·      support to childminders

·      drop-in sessions and other activities for children and parents/carers at the centre

·      links to Jobcentre Plus services