Valerie White

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Valerie White

• Sure Start Childrens Centres Extended Schools
  Division

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Since November

• Legislation 2nd reading Sure Start Childrens
  Centres are here to stay!
• Child Health Strategy - strengthened role for
  childrens centres
• Childcare Strategy Deep dive on childcare
  sustainability
• Parents Survey Emerging evidence of the usage
  and satisfaction of childrens centres.
• Communications (directgov , branding signage,
  adverts)

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1. Sure Start Childrens Centres - Here to Stay

• Further legislation to ensure childrens centres
  are permanent, universal mainstream services for
  families.
• Underpinning Childcare Act 2006 duties, new
  legislation will require local authorities,
  working with PCTs and Job Centre Plus, to
• establish and maintain sufficient
  childrens centres to meet local need
• through Childrens Trusts and the Children and
  Young Peoples Plan - consider the case for
  providing early childhood services in childrens
  centres
• ensure every centre has an advisory board
  representing parents/carers of children, service
  providers, local community
• regularly consult all parents/community.
• And will put in place
• - A duty for Ofsted to inspect Sure Start
  Childrens Centres.

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Progress and Next Steps

• February second reading as part of the
  Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning
  Bill. Key points
• Conservative support for childrens centres
• Funding
• Hard to reach families
• March Commons committee stage. We expect the
  four clauses on SSCCs to be considered by
  committee in the last two weeks of March (we are
  Part 9 of the Bill).

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2. Child Health Strategy Published February 2009
Commitments to strengthen support in pregnancy
and the early years
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3. 'Next steps for early learning and childcare'

• Government committed to look at the
  sustainability of childcare within children's
  centres.
• Especially important to areas of high deprivation
  where children have the most to gain from high
  quality provision but where parental demand and
  ability to pay is most limited.
• Work now under way to conduct a priority review
  of childcare sustainability in children's
  centres.
• We are identifying appropriate local authorities
  to ensure we get a geographical spread and to
  find those that are developing good practice and
  working well with the PVI sector.

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4. Latest Findings from Survey of Parents 2008

• Headline findings from the study are very
  positive
• 78 of respondents knew about their local centre
  and 74 were familiar with the term childrens
  centre
• 45 of respondents had used or attended their
  local centre
• 92 of childrens centre users were satisfied
  with their local centres (68 very satisfied)
• The report shows use of health services in
  childrens centres is lower than other services.

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5. Sure Start Childrens Centres
Communications

• National
• 2nd tranche of advertising in popular magazines
  (last 2 weeks of March 09)
• New supplement to Early Years Magazine focussing
  on how childrens centres are working with
  Jobcentre Plus (published 8 March 09)
• Refreshed Sure Start Childrens Centres Branding
  published
• Major national/local communications campaign in
  09/10 to publicise Sure Start Childrens Centres
  your local communications activity will be key
• Designated centres now listed on the
  www.directgov.uk website
• Local
• SSCC Communications Toolkit tips and advice on
  how to publicise your services locally -
  available to order on 0845 60 222 60 (quote ref
  00222-2008BKT-EN)
• Sure Start Childrens Centres Parents Leaflet
  available to order too (ref no. 00787-2008LEF-EN)

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Useful websites and guidance

• TfC website - www.childrens-centres.org
• www.direct.gov.uk/childrenscentres for
  information on designated Sure Start Childrens
  Centres
• www.surestart.gov.uk
• Sure Start Childrens Centres Practice Guidance
• Sure Start Childrens Centres Performance
  Management Guidance