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Memorandum submitted by Barnardo's and Leicester City Council
1. Summary · Leicester has developed a Neighbourhood integrated service model for children aged 0-19 years. Health, Education and Social Care have embraced the SureStart model, redesigning and developing integrated teams to deliver a wide range of services
· Experience has demonstrated that the Children's Centre model is a key intervention in breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming patterns of poor parenting
· Co-located, non stigmatised services are tailored and targeted in order that resources follow need
· Evidence is emerging that Children's
Centres in
· Leicester Children's Centres model is effective for reaching families especially those most vulnerable through universal non-stigmatised services that are valued and trusted. It has taken time for Children's Centres to get to this position of trust to be able to positively influence parenting and tackle the impact of poverty.
2. Introduction
2.1 Leicester City Council and Barnardo's have completed a joint response due to their combined commitment to the future of Children's Centres. The professionals compiling the evidence combine the expertise and perspective of Senior Managers who have responsibility for Sure Start Children's Centres in the city.
3. How models of Children's Centres have developed as the programme spreads from the most deprived neighbourhoods? 3.1 3.2 Building on
the success of six Sure Start programmes, 3.3 3.4 Leicester
has demonstrated the Children's Centre infrastructure has been key to
delivering new government initiatives in an efficient and cost effective way for
example, the Two Year-old National Education Grant pilot and the Common
Assessment Framework(CAF). 3.5 3.6 Experience has demonstrated that the Children's Centre model is a key intervention in breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming patterns of poor parenting. Children's Centres have become a major way in which Barnardo's delivers their key purpose of helping the most vulnerable children transform their lives. 4. The range and effectiveness of services provided by Children's Centres 4.1 The co-location and integration of multi-professional teams in Children Centres has proved vital in delivering a range of effective services. 4.2 Integrated teams includes for example, Midwives, Health Visitors, Speech and Language Therapists (SALT), Dietetic workers, Early Years Specialist Teaching Service ( EYST), Housing, Family support and outreach workers, Early learning /Play workers, Community development workers, Book and toy library workers and Children in Need Team. In addition there is wide partnership working. This has resulted in: · Contacts being made with all families in the city resulting in increased scope for early identification of need · Early intervention delivered through progressive universalism with seamless access to specialist services · Holistic responses to children's needs · Increased access to high quality early years and parenting provision in disadvantaged communities · Families involved in their child's development and learning · Children's Centres being central community hubs for families. 4.3 The Children's Centres provide a wide range of diverse services; case studies and examples are outlined below: 4.3.1 Early learning and Childcare 4.3.1.1 Playgroup - (Case study) a Barnardo's Children's Centre Playgroup was concerned about a child's development and behaviour. The Early Support Team and SALT worked with the child. With the support of the Children's Centre Teacher an Individual Educational Plan was created and targeted activities provided. The Family received support from Family Support including a home teaching package to support the parents understanding of the child's learning. The Children's Centre liaised with the school to ensure a smooth transfer for the child and jointly requested Inclusion support and a referral to an Educational psychologist. 4.3.1.2 Book library - at the Children's Centres in 2008-09 children and families borrowed 42,537 Library Books.
4.3.1.3 Parents as Partners in Early Learning - all Children's Centres deliver programmes, in groups or within the families' home, to enable parents to become active co-educators in their children's learning. The programme encourages parents to be: · Involved in their child's learning and development · Aspirational in terms of what their children can achieve · Able to build foundations for good communication skills, personal, social and emotional development.
4.3.2 Family support and parental outreach
4.3.2.1 Domestic violence- (Case study) at a Local Authority Children's Centre, in response to the levels of need identified in the community, the centre delivers a Freedom Programme, in partnership with the Police. The programme supports women in building self esteem and confidence to enable them to safeguard and improve the quality of life for themselves and their children and introduce them to community support resources. Referrals to the group primarily come from the Health Visiting and Midwifery teams who are able to develop trusting relationships with women through the outreach services they offer.
4.3.2.2 Tailored support for targeted individual families - (Case study) at a Barnardo's Children's Centre a mother under the care of a Community Psychiatric Nurse and Cognitive Therapist was struggling with her child's behaviour and low moods. This difficulty had escalated since the father had left the home. The mother sometimes used alcohol as a coping mechanism and had made suicide attempts. The Family support worker supported the mother to complete a CAF to ensure the support package was integrated, and respite was provided by the Children's Centre to support health appointment attendance. The mother completed an evidence based parenting programme and the family support worker undertook play based child development sessions in the home to improve the Mother's relationship with her child. 4.3.3 Child and family health services 4.3.3.1 Tackling Health inequalities - a number of awareness campaigns are held annually e.g. a Barnardo's Children's Centre held an obesity awareness week attended by 32 children and 31 adults. Information and displays showed how much fat and sugar is in every day food and healthy alternatives. Healthy snacks were provided and parents were given healthy cookery book developed by the community food worker. In line with NICE guidance physical activity through play and Yoga for children was provided. 4.3.3.2 Antenatal and postnatal care - holistic, preventative programme for pre birth to six month old babies (Discovering babies) delivered by a multi professional team. Examples of topics covered include, preparing for birth, infant feeding, early language development, first aid and infant ailments. 4.3.4 Support for children with special needs and or disabilities 4.3.4.1 Early support implementation - Children's Centre Outreach workers have been trained and supported by Menphys in order to deliver the co-ordination of services for children with disability and complex needs. (Case study) - The Children's Centre key worker identified that the family were feeling very frustrated and over whelmed with the professionals supporting their child. The parent was supported to set goals and to plan how they could overcome their challenges. The mother was encouraged to seek support from her doctor for her depression. The parent reported that she felt supported and less over whelmed with an improvement in family life. 4.3.5 Services for looked after children / safeguarded children and children in need 4.3.5.1 An integrated approach, through the Children Centre model, ensures vulnerable children benefit from universal and targeted services. Children's Centre teachers lead the development of Personal Education Plans ( PEP) for 0-3 year-olds and contribute to the 3-5 year olds PEP's. 4.3.6 Activities to achieve economic wellbeing 4.3.6.1 Benefit advice - through a Service Level Agreement Children's Centres are able to ensure families maximise their budget, £1,110,407 was raised in benefits in 2008/9. 4.3.6.2 Housing - (Case study) at a Barnardo's Children's Centre the Health Visitor worked with the Housing (STAR) worker where a family had difficulties with overcrowding, previous history of domestic violence, debts on utility bills; mum was very depressed and felt isolated. The mother was a lone parent with 3 children, a boy 8 and girls 4 and 1 year-old living in a 2 bed housing association property. After an assessment the STAR worker was able to assist to maximise the points to gain re-housing, improve general home environment, maximise income, reduce rent arrears and access charitable organisations for financial support. This promoted confidence in the individual to manage future life choices.
4.3.6.3 Job Centre Plus - a Barnardo's Children's Centre undertook a pilot 'Take Three Days' delivered in partnership with Jobcentre Plus. The aim of the course was to help lone parents return to work, education and training. 5 lone parents attended the sessions. Parents commented: 'It was a big boost to my confidence'... 'I've got a more positive outlook on finding work.' 5. Funding, sustainability and value for money 5.1 Children's Centre funding is used to provide a core team, a base for co-location with partner agencies and service delivery. Partner agencies fund their own staff and effectiveness is increased through integrated working, cascading skills and shared resources. 5.2 Universal services are predominately delivered by partner agencies supported by the Children's Centre core team. There is a focus on targeted work with the most vulnerable children and families to tackle the impact of deprivation e.g. 81% of a Barnardo's Children's Centre direct service delivery budget (2008-09) was spent on targeted work. 5.3 Sustainability is dependent of the Local Authority receiving Sure Start Children's Centre funding.
6. Staffing, governance, management and strategic planning 6.1 The Children's Centre core staff team are qualified and undertake a comprehensive training programme e.g. the Outreach Family support workers are trained in Solution Focused therapy, Solihull approach, evidence based parenting programmes such as Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities, specialist training in mental health, breast feeding, substance misuse, ASPIRE and safeguarding. 6.2 The Local Authority, as the accountable body for the SureStart Children's Centre grant, performance manages the Children Centres through a robust performance management policy that includes an Annual Self Evaluation Form (SEF) and a Business plan. This ensures that Children's Centres are focused and delivering improved outcomes for children. 6.3 There is a city wide approach to strategic planning and Children's Centres contribute to the priority targets within the Children's and Young Peoples Plan and the Local Area Agreement as well as the Sure Start targets.
6.4 Locality planning is undertaken by Children's Centres who have built an in-depth knowledge and understanding of their local communities so that services are provided according to the community's culture, faiths and languages. Locality outcome improvement plans are developed and overseen by the Children's Centre Neighbourhood Advisory Boards.
6.5 Good information on the break down of communities is gathered so that isolated communities/families are identified. This has been an important element in meeting the needs of the most vulnerable families. 7. How well Children's Centres work with other partners and services, especially schools and health services 7.1 Partnership working is fundamental to the way Children's Centres deliver improved outcomes for children and is achieved by harnessing the strengths and resources of all agencies and disciplines working within them. 7.2 The scope and variety of the organisations with whom the Children's Centres work has expanded and this has enabled the Centres to contribute to the agendas and plans of the Children's Trust, Social Care and Safeguarding, NHS Trusts, Education, Voluntary Organisations and the Independent Sector. 7.3 Schools 7.3.1 Early Years Foundation Stage - Children's Centre partnership working with schools has resulted in raised standards in the Foundation stage. For example, in improving on the target NI.72 there was an increase from 32% in 2007 to 44% in 2009 of children achieving a total of at least 78 points across the foundation stage profile with at least six points in Communication, Literacy and Language (CLL) and Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED). This was achieved by the Children's Centre teachers and schools identifying children who were not expected to achieve 6 points in CLL and PSED. In partnership with Class Teachers Family Learning programmes were undertaken and /or individual work programmes by the Children's Centre Teacher, Children's Centre Early Years Play Team and Family Learning Tutors. 7.3.2 Family Support - at a Local Authority Children's Centre the Family Support in School worker in 2008/9 achieved improved outcomes by supporting 41 children and their families on issues such as arriving on time for school/nursery, attendance and behaviour. 7.3.3 Shared Governance - links between Children's Centres and schools is enhanced through shared governance responsibilities. 7 of the 18 Children's Centre Leaders are on the Governing Bodies of their local schools and the schools have representatives on the Children's Centre Neighbourhood Boards. 7.3.4 CAF - Schools are active participants in the CAF for 0 - 12 year olds which are managed by the Children's Centre Leaders. Partnership working with schools and other partners, through the CAF process, has significantly improved ECM outcomes for children. 7.4 Health
7.4.1 Co-location - Health Services are co-located and integrated in the Children's Centres and are part of the multi-professional team. Midwives, Health Visitors and SALT deliver Health drop-ins through universal Play and Stays. 7.4.2 Joint Working - the Health staff and Outreach Family Support workers provide integrated packages of support, particularly for the most vulnerable children and families e.g. Children's Centre referrals are made by the Health Team and case management meetings are held to agree joint work to be undertaken to support the family and improve ECM outcomes. 7.4.3 Child Health Promotion programme - an integrated multi-professional approach to Child Health Promotion is undertaken in the Children's Centres. For example, two year multi-professional development checks are undertaken resulting in early identification of need e.g. In one centre 40% of family support referrals, 30% of EYST and 50% of SALT referrals arise from 2 year-old health checks. (Case study) - At a two year-old health check a child was identified with language development delay by the Family Support worker and Health Visitor. His mother did not share their concerns and so refused a referral to the SALT. The workers were still concerned and so asked the mother to come back for another check explaining why. One of the workers at that next check was from SALT where the mother agreed to a referral.
7.4.4 Breast feeding - the Children's Centres in
8. Whether services are being accessed by those most in need and how effective they are for the most vulnerable. 8.1 Leicester Children's Centres model is effective for reaching families especially those most vulnerable through universal non-stigmatised services that are valued and trusted. It has taken time for Children's Centres to get to this position of trust to be able to positively influence parenting and tackle the impact of poverty.
8.2 Young children are at considerable risk of coming in to care and are very vulnerable to abuse. Children's Centres identify a significant number of safeguarding and child protection concerns and deliver preventive programmes through multi agency teams.
8.2.1 Children with Safe guarding plans - historically children who received tier three services were not benefiting from tier two services. Children with Safeguarding plans are now supported by the Children's Centre to access their services; they are encouraged to attend Play and Stays, parenting programmes and are able to access support from the multi professional team.
8.3 Use of outreach - has greatly increased Children's Centres ability to provide services to the most disadvantaged. (Case Study) In order to address the local travellers' barriers to participation, the Children's Centre delivered services at the traveller's site. This encouraged families to access universal and specialist services from the Children's Centre and increasingly they accessed the Children's Centres for form filling and benefit advice.
8.3.1 Door knocking - a widely used
approach by Children's Centres in
8.4 Parents quotes:
8.4.1 'My child has got disabilities, it is great that someone can come and see me at home or I can pop into the centre rather than across the city I feel as if I am not alone.'
8.4.2 'With the support of Sure Start staff I have moved myself and my children out of domestic violence. I would never have had the strength to do this without their support.'
8.4.3 'The Family Support Team offers a human, professional service. They treated me like a human being and I felt respected and relaxed. They reminded me how to be me. Now we don't just have to survive - we can live.'
October 2009 |