Children’s Centres Attacked On Two Fronts In Reports Into Work

Sure Start children’s centres have been slammed in two separate reports for failing to reach ethnic minority families and the most disadvantaged communities.

A report published by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has built on findings by the National Audit Office showing that many children’s centres have been slow to set up partnerships with health and employment services and many have not proactively sought out the most disadvantaged families.

“Parents are generally happy with the services that are provided, but smaller ethnic minority communities, single fathers and children with special needs are less well served,” MPs on the committee concluded in their Sure Start Children’s Centres report.

Conservative MP Edward Leigh, chair of the committee, said: “Action is needed on three fronts: commitment of all the partners so centres do not fail because one partner does not play its part; effective management, to build services families want to use and make them sustainable; and focus, so that the services really do reach the most disadvantaged families.”

Meanwhile, the latest study from the Government’s national evaluation of Sure Start, Sure Start and Black and Minority Ethnic Populations, has identified “serious failings” in the way some centres work with minority groups. The study found fewer minority staff were employed in senior positions inside centres and this sent out “an important but negative message”.

Universal services often miss minority populations and need to be specifically targeted, the study found, and because creating links can be time- consuming many centres have simply given up.

The report concluded centres should be looking to develop good practice such as targeted outreach work, effective consultation with communities and consciously working across ethnic boundaries.