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Memorandum submitted by the Association of Senior Children's and Education Librarians (ASCEL)
Summary
· This submission, centres on the following policy aspects: o How well Children's Centres work with other partners and services, especially schools and health services o Whether services are being accessed by those most in need and how effective they are for the most vulnerable
· It highlights relevant research, models of partnership working and national and local evaluative data available to evidence 'narrowing the gap'.
· The Association of Senior Children's and Education Librarians (ASCEL) comprises the Heads of Service of each local library authority's public library service for children and young people and/or the Schools Library Service. The aim of the Association is to provide a pro-active forum in order to stimulate developments and respond to initiatives so that quality services for children and young people through public libraries and education services are offered for all.
· ASCEL works actively with all governmental, professional and other appropriate organisations and individuals in order to promote the value and awareness of library and information services for young people.
Background and research
1) Local authority library services for children and young people have long established services for under-5's and their families. Pre-dating Sure Start Children's Centres, they have worked in partnership with early years partners to introduce stories, rhymes and books to these children and their families 2) The nationally and internationally acclaimed
Bookstart programme, funded by DCFS through Sure Start was piloted in 1992 in 3) A number of recognised research studies into children's early learning have cited the importance of, alongside parental influence, an early introduction to books and the positive impact on both early language acquisition and overall early learning through Key Stage 1 Effective Provision of Pre-school Education 1997-2003 4) The research also shows that parents who do the following with their children will 'stretch their minds': · Read with them · Sing songs and rhymes · Go on visits · Paint and draw · Go to the library · Play with letters and numbers · Create opportunities to play with others Sylva and others 2004 The above all happen through the partnership working between Libraries and Children's Centres
Partnership models
5) Much as there are different models of Children's Centres according to local need and geography, so there are different models of partnership working between Libraries and Children's Centres. Many Children's Centres have a taster collection of books and act as an access point to the wider services available from the public library. Many have regular visits from public library staff to run Bookstart related activities. In some, where a Children's Centre is co-located with the local library, a fully integrated service is provided that enables families to easily access services they need, no matter what their starting point 6) A particular strength of the partnership its inclusive nature. Building on Bookstart dual-language packs and linked to the diverse communities in each local authority, the partnership can ensure that all cultures are celebrated. All authorities have stories to tell of work with the cultures represented in their communities. This work both recognises the value of each culture whilst also encouraging integration and community cohesion. A participant in one library authority's Bookstart activities said 'I'm Polish so when I moved here, the staff made me feel welcome. They tell me about the sessions on a Friday. I didn't know the English rhymes, but now we can sing them at home. I like it very much.' 7) The partnership working also facilitates the equally important development of services of direct benefit to adults in the family. These could be offering access to basic skills training, offering opportunities for volunteering within the community, gaining further qualifications and support in seeking employment. Many authorities' library services are now structurally a part of a wide 'Adult and Community Services' directorate. Partnership working with Children's Centres has facilitated cross - generational working involving, for example, the grandparents generation of a family
National and local evidence of success due to partnership working
8) Children's Centres are monitored via key indicators: NI 72 and NI 92 - Foundation Stage Profile (FSP) data. In one local authority, the FSP 2008 data shows the success of Children's Centres, especially where effective partnerships are in place with the Library Service and especially in areas of deprivation 9) Case study 1. A family has 4 children ages 9, 7, 4 and 3. They attended a potentially heavy Children in Need family meeting in their local Children's Centre (also co-located with the public library). The meeting gave the parents much to reflect upon. On their way out the family were introduced to the Library Manager and the children were gifted their long overdue bookstart packs, joined the library and borrowed more books. This family had never visited a library before due to the parents' lack of confidence and literacy skills. Now, they also use another local Children Centre to borrow and return library books 10) Case Study 2. A Children's Centre staff member witnessed good practice at one Children's Centre and took it to her new post at another Children's Centre. One family visited the Children's Centre every Friday with their Bookstart bag. This family had never visited a library before. The Children's Centre staff member has since taken the family to the local library, a short walk away, where they were met by the Library Staff, shown round the library and made to feel welcome 11) Case Study 3. In this family, the father had recently been convicted of an offence and sent to prison. His young daughter would need to deal with the new experience of visiting him there. Appropriate books from the public library helped her family to introduce this topic with her and to start to understand and work through that experience.
Helen R Boothroyd Chair October 2009 |