Foundation Years - Sure Start Children's Centres

Written evidence submitted by the Association of senior children’s and Education Librarians

The Library Service has worked closely with Sure Start Programmes since these programmes were developed and in many cases library staff involved in the strategic development of the programmes. In some cases Library staff were funded through Sure Start to work into centres, for eg in Derbyshire where these staff are now employed through Children’s Services. This firm partnership has linked to the following Sure Start criteria as listed in the call for evidence:

· Outreach work with parents is supported in the partnership between libraries and Children’s Centres. The activities that libraries offer through the group work of storytimes and rhyme times provide parents with a social outing where they are able to talk to other parents and also talk to professional staff from Children’s Centres. Some examples of work supported by Children’s Centre staff in libraries include information on welfare benefits, local nursery provision, safeguarding issues.

· Literacy support to children and families with direct delivery of literacy projects within libraries and Children’s Centres. High quality book stock for all ages and abilities available free from libraries stimulates a child’s desire to read.. They also offer books and universal resources in different formats to Children’s Centres to support disadvantaged families, minority ethnic groups and families of children with SEN and disabled children.

· Integrated working through the Bookstart Programme, a multi-agency early years literacy focused scheme brings together professional staff from health, libraries and Children’s Centres to share information and expertise. In Calderdale research was carried out including interviews with parents and teaching staff from Children’s Centres. Whilst parents described the value of sharing books with their children as being invaluable, the Children Centre teacher describes the outcomes of this experience in many other ways. She describes the fine motor skills practiced by children when turning pages, the building blocks to reading. The vocabulary and hand/eye coordination which develop. The value of talking about stories with all the communication skills this promotes, and also the close, bonding one to one time between parent and child that book sharing supports.

· Consultation with families about the provision of regular activities in their local Children’s Centre often takes place in libraries where families are very comfortable sharing their ideas in a free, safe and comfortable environment. Often parents all know each other as they meet together on a weekly basis for storytmes and therefore they are for more confident in their responses.

One final comment links to the current economic climate. In light of the joint working that exists combined with the location of both Children’s Centres and libraries with buildings in very close proximity, could the future include some joint centres.

December 2012