1. What is a Children’s Centre and why are Children’s Centres being developed?
The Government has described Children’s Centres as ‘Every Child Matters’ in action. Children’s Centres are integrated centres for young children and their families offering childcare, health, family and support services from one central base. The centres are being developed to improve outcomes for all children through the creation of seamless services with a focus on early intervention and preventative work.
2. What services will be provided?
A Children’s Centre is required to deliver community health services (such as health-visiting and ante-natal support); family support (delivered from the Centre and on an outreach basis); information, advice and guidance that supports parenting; and a range of activities that support parents to access training and employment which will include close working with Job Centre Plus.
In the 30% most disadvantaged areas there will be a requirement to ensure the delivery of early years education integrated with childcare, in the more advantaged areas the requirement will be to deliver parent and toddler type activities.
3. Where will Children’s Centres be? Will every community be served by a Centre?
By 2010 all children aged 0-4 in Cheshire will have access to a local Children’s Centre. In the more deprived urban areas the aim will be for Children’s Centres to be within pram-pushing distance of the families they seek to reach and support.
4. How will Children’s Centres fit with the development of Extended School provision?
In Cheshire we aim by 2010 to have created a range of provision for children of all ages and their families through linkage of the Children’s Centre and Extended Schools initiatives. In terms of childcare services will be available for children and young people from 0-14 years (16 years for children with additional needs).
5. How will Centres be governed and managed, especially if located on a school site?
Where Children’s Centres are on active school sites we expect the buildings management to be carried out by the Governing Body through a service level agreement with the Children’s Services Department. Service delivery from the Centre will be guided by a local management committee which will include representation from the school and local parents. Day to day coordination of the Centre will be the responsibility of a Service Coordinator employed by the Children’s Services Department
6. How will the childcare arrangements operate within the Centre?
In the 30% most disadvantaged areas of Cheshire childcare will be integrated with early years education and will be operational from 8 am – 6 pm, 48 weeks of the year. We hope to expand this model as Extended Schools develop in line with the Government’s Ten Year Childcare Strategy.
7. Who will be responsible for admission arrangements?
Independent childcare providers operating from the Centre will be contracted to operate an admissions policy that safeguards the right of children living in the catchment area of the school, at which the Centre is based, to receive their early years entitlement at the Centre. Admissions procedures will also ensure the needs of children with additional needs are supported appropriately.
8. What about children with additional needs?
As we commission new nursery spaces we are designing environments that enable the inclusion of children with additional needs. When utilising existing spaces we will seek to remove barriers to inclusion. The Sure Start Inclusion and Quality Assurance team will be actively involved in promoting and supporting the inclusion of children with additional needs.
9. Our school is situated in a rural area. How will Children’s Centre provision develop in such areas?
We recognise that the urban ‘pram-pushable’ model will not be replicable in large areas of rural Cheshire. We are currently investigating models based upon outreach services working from a central base. This model is often referred to as ‘hub and satellite’ provision.
10. Who are the key partnering agencies in Children’s Centre developments?
In Cheshire we are engaged in ongoing dialogue with our health service partners, investigating how their services might be re-shaped around Children’s Centre delivery. We are discussing with our voluntary sector partners how we might develop existing partnerships to deliver family support. We work closely with FE Colleges and Job Centre Plus to create opportunities for parents to access training and education leading to employment. We have already contracted with a number of private providers to enable the delivery of integrated early years provision and foresee a growing pattern of private investment to facilitate this.
11. How does the Children’s Centre programme link with the TLC developments?
Children’s Centres are seen as a cornerstone of the Transforming Learning Communities Programme, providing a good example of how the Local Authority can work in close partnership with its schools to enhance and improve services for local communities. The aim is that services should reflect local need and be strongly shaped by service users. Consequently there is no blueprint and each centre will develop in ways which make sense to local children and their families.
12. Who can I contact for more information?
Ric Turnock
Children’s Centre Strategy Manager
Sure Start Cheshire
Merchants House
Hamilton Place
Chester
CH1 2BE
Telephone: 01244 603074
or
Email Ric Turnock
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