Incorporating HC 799-i and ii, session 2008-09

The Government launched the Sure Start programme in 1998 to help give the best start in life for every child, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, by bringing together early education, childcare, health and family support services. From April 2006, local authorities have been responsible for managing the programme for their area and decide whether to do so directly or to contract out management to a private or voluntary provider, whilst the DfES issues guidance to local authorities and monitors performance. The first 800 centres were located in the most deprived areas, but the Government has pledged to create a children's centre for every community by 2010, around 3,500 in all, committing £3.2 billion of funds until 2008. Children's centres also have income from various other sources including grants and fees for childcare charged to parents. This NAO report focuses on the capacity of the centres set up by September 2005 and the performance of responsible local authorities in delivering value for money through sound financial management, in reaching the most disadvantaged families, and in monitoring their performance effectively. It finds that good progress is being made although the full effectiveness of the centres will be measurable only in the long term. The centres are valued by most of the families who use them, although the early signs are that more still needs to be done to reach and support some of the most excluded groups. The costs of centres and activities vary widely, and local authorities and centres that the NAO visited need to understand their costs better and assess whether they were using their funds cost-effectively.

The Government needs to prove that it is serious about closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged children by setting out coherent, long-term thinking on early years and children's centres. Ministers should start by making clear the Government's strategy for realising its aspiration to put in place a highly qualified workforce with equal pay and status between early years teachers and those in primary schools. The Government also needs to be clear what children's centres should be offering and who they are for. The Committee identified three different types of centres but this is not reflected in current policy. They also found that the stated core purpose is far too vague and broad. The core purpose needs to focus on achievable outcomes and reflect the difference between centres, especially where they do not offer early education or childcare. Stronger accountability is needed for how well individual children's centres perform and, critically, for how effectively local authorities use children centres to improve outcomes for children in their areas. Closing children's centres should go ahead only after proper consultation and where alternative options have been considered. While some changes may make the network as a whole more effective, it should be up to local authorities to decide how best to organise and commission services. Funding pressures mean some targeting of services is inevitable but all families should be able to access the services they need and that universal services of some sort play a significant part in encouraging families to engage in the first place

Incorporating HC 852-i and ii, Session 2012-13. Additional written evidence is contained in Volume 3, available on the Committee website at www.parliament.uk/educom. Incorrect paper number 346-II printed on document

Following 5 years of systemic research exploring the efficacy and impact of Sure Start Local Programmes, this book pulls together, in a single volume, the results of the extensive National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS).