sure start children's centres: performance, achievement and

SURE START CHILDREN’S CENTRES: PERFORMANCE, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OUTCOMES REVIEW

Name of Local Authority/Children’s Trust

Name of Sure Start Children’s Centre

Review Year April- March 20--

Version 8: Revised Feb 2010 1

INDEX

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................3

GUIDANCE ON COMPLETING THE FORM...........................................................3

ROLE OF A CHILDREN’S TRUST..........................................................................3

MANAGING PERFORMANCE TO ACHIEVE OUTCOMES....................................3

INSPECTIONS OF CHILDREN’S CENTRES..........................................................3

PART A: Sure Start Children’s Centre Details.........................................................3

Section 1: Factual information about the children’s centre.......................................3

Section 2: Information about the local area served by the children’s centre............3

PART B: Data on Performance and Performance Indicators...................................3

Section 1: Quantitative data: Performance against national PIs..............................3

Section 2: Quantitative data: Performance against local PIs...................................3

Section 3: Recent reports of judgements from Ofsted or other inspections, quality kitemark judgements such as, social care, adult learning and QA schemes for customer care................................................................3

PART C: Review of Performance Improvement.......................................................3

Section 1: Qualitative analysis: Centre contribution to ECM outcomes with reference to Performance Indicators..................................................3

PART C: Review of Performance Improvement (continued)....................................3

Section 2: ACCESS FOR THE MOST EXCLUDED GROUPS................................3

Section 3: PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY CONSULTATION AND INVOLVEMENT..................................................................................3


Section 4: CENTRE LEADERSHIP AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT...................3


Section 5: PARTNERSHIP WORKING....................................................................3

Please summarise how the children’s centre has developed and offers integrated services..............................................................................................3

PART D: CHALLENGES FOR THE FORTHCOMING YEAR..................................3


INTRODUCTION

Sure Start Children’s Centres are key to help achieve outcomes for all young children and their families, and play a major role in the delivery of early years services by local authorities. Local authorities, working within children’s trust arrangements, have specific responsibility to develop a clear and focussed strategy of planning around the measurement of performance of each children’s centre in their area. Those local performance management arrangements sit within a national framework of performance monitoring and support for quality improvement. Central Government monitors performance against priorities using Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets.

Sure Start Children’s Centres and local authorities with their partners are expected to improve performance and service delivery impacting upon outcomes for 0-5 year olds. The annual performance management conversation between the authority and the centre is designed to review information about outcomes, monitor impact and inform planning for the forthcoming year using:

1. Data about Sure Start Children’s Centre performance, to benchmark progress and to review impact.

2. Analysis, giving a rounded picture of practice and the local context against which progress should be judged.

This form is designed to help the children’s centre gather its evidence base throughout the year in preparation for that discussion and to help the children’s centre team maintain a clear focus on it priorities and objectives.


GUIDANCE ON COMPLETING THE FORM

When to complete the form

This review forms the basis of an annual performance management conversation between the local authority and the Sure Start Children’s Centre. This will be the focal point in the year when all performance information is brought together and an in-depth discussion is held to explore what lies beneath the performance of the review year and what the priorities and development goals should be for the forthcoming year.

We recommend local authorities ensure the Sure Start Children’s Centres within their areas follow the same timetable to allow for effective benchmarking; and that the form should be completed within a fixed time period each year to fit with the authority’s cycle of review and planning. Our discussions with authorities suggest that a January-March timescale, ahead of the end of the financial year and the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) would fit with most planning cycles.

More information about annual performance cycles and the local performance framework can be found on the Local Government website at: www.communities.gov.uk

How to fill in the form

The local authority should supply the form to the Sure Start Children’s Centre electronically, with fields on data against national performance indicators pre-populated where possible. Local authorities and Sure Start Children’s Centres should discuss and agree how data will be provided. Local authorities should make it clear what base-line information they will be providing and what data the Sure Start Children’s Centres will be required to collect. All boxes can be expanded to the size required. The Sure Start Children’s Centre should complete the form in draft, which will then be discussed with the local authority in the course of the annual conversation.

The data collected should show the number of the target group, for example the number of lone parents living in the centre’s reach area, so that the centre can establish how many/what percentage of lone parents it has been in touch with.

As well as recording contact with target groups, the LA and the centre should have a good shared understanding of the reach area: the nature and number of ‘hard to reach’ groups and the extent to which the centre is engaging with these groups. The centre should also be mindful of its obligation to provide universal services, especially good information and access to ante- and post-natal services, parenting courses and local childcare provision.

Once the form is drafted it should be shared with the LA, and any relevant third party e.g. a voluntary organisation managing a centre under contract, and should form part of the annual conversation.


http://www.communities.gov.uk/

ROLE OF A CHILDREN’S TRUST

The local Children’s Trust Board should have good oversight of the centres within its area and may receive progress reports at least once a year from the LA to inform its development, monitoring and review of the Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP). This is a joint strategy setting out how the local partners will co-operate to improve children’s well-being and will include the Early Years Statutory Targets. Those reports should include summarised information with a focus on impact, outcomes and data collected. All of the advisory boards of local children’s centres will be consulted on the development of the CYPP and they should be represented on the Board so they can ensure that the CYPP takes full account of the interests of young children.

MANAGING PERFORMANCE TO ACHIEVE OUTCOMES

We know that local authorities and Sure Start Children’s Centres have a range of management structures, and they should agree between them the most appropriate Sure Start Children’s Centre representatives to complete the review. The Sure Start Children’s Centre manager should lead the process, but they may wish to draw on other Sure Start Children’s Centre staff, parents and any advisory group or other body involved in governance. They should also draw on input from other expert colleagues from both within the centre and from other partner services – e.g. health - as appropriate. The fundamental principle is that the local authority should hold the Sure Start Children’s Centre to account for its performance and impact upon outcomes through mechanisms of support and challenge.

INSPECTIONS OF CHILDREN’S CENTRES

The centre’s review form should be a separate document from the Ofsted self evaluation form. This is because the children’s centre review fulfils a different function - the Ofsted form supports the inspection cycle, while this form supports an annual performance management process with the Local Authority which should ensure the effective delivery and improvement of mainstream Early Childhood services.

The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 inserts a new part 3A after Part 3 of the Childcare Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”) which makes provisions about inspections of children’s centres by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (“the Chief Inspector”).


Ofsted will begin to inspect Sure Start Children’s Centres, in some areas, from 2010. Inspections will be centre specific and focus on the outcomes that are being achieved for children and their families. The strength of the leadership and management will be scrutinised as will safeguarding, inclusion and the systems for managing performance and resources.

Information recorded in this form will help to provide some of the data that Ofsted will be collecting as part of their inspection regime, starting in 2010 in some areas. Ofsted and DSCF are working together to ensure inspection processes are streamlined and bureaucracy is reduced. In the longer term Ofsted aim to use a single Self Evaluation Form for their inspection purposes.

This Review defines overall performance ratings as follows:

Rating 1

Outstanding

for exceptional centres that have excellent outcomes for children

The Sure Start Children’s Centre has highly recommended and excellent practice in the evaluation area linked to supporting excellent outcomes and PI indicators for the population reach. There are well-developed and robust integrated systems and procedures in place for the centre and partner agencies. Innovative arrangements and practices are evident.

Rating 2

Good

for strong centres that are effective in promoting outcomes for children

The Sure Start Children’s Centre has emerging good practice in the evaluation area linked to improving outcomes and PI indicators for the population reach. There are integrated systems and procedures in place for the centre and partner agencies.

Rating 3

Satisfactory

for centres that have acceptable outcomes for children but which have scope for improvement

The Sure Start Children’s Centre has basic processes and approaches in place for the evaluation area with some improving outcomes and PI indicators for the population reach. There are emerging integrated systems and procedures in place for the centre and partner agencies.

Rating 4

Inadequate

for weak centres that are not achieving improved outcomes for children

The Sure Start Children’s Centre has variable practice and current approaches are not achieving improved outcomes for children or increasing engagement with “hard to reach” groups. There are variable integrated systems and procedures in place for the centre and partner agencies.

Local authorities should retain completed forms to facilitate year on year assessments of Sure Start Children’s Centre performance and improvement over time. Local authorities and Sure Start Children’s Centres should aim to set challenging targets in relation to the relevant key performance indicators to embed an approach that will deliver continuous improvement, highlight impact and provide an evidence base of outcomes for children and families.


PART A: Sure Start Children’s Centre Details

Section 1: Factual information about the children’s centre

1. Name and Address of Sure Start Children’s Centre

2. Name and contact details of centre leader

3. Name, address and contact details of local authority

4. Name, address and contact details of main sponsor

5. Please give a brief description of how the centre is structured. Is it located in one building, or are some services delivered from linked sites or run by other agencies? If they are please add the linked site details here. Consider aspects such as: areas/rooms used, access to outdoor space and general access such as a lift, ramps or stairs.

6. Nature of main centre (i.e. former Sure Start Local Programme, Early Excellence Centre, Maintained Nursery School, Health Centre, community centre, primary school, Family Centre, purpose built etc).

7. Name and give the main service delivery function of other sites (e.g. Early Years Foundation Stage provision, health services, outreach etc).


8. a) Date of designation:

b) Date of delivering fully operational services:

c) What is the number of children under 5 in the Sure Start Children’s Centre reach area?

d) Which lower super-output areas are served by the Sure Start Children’s Centre and is the coverage wholly or partly covered by the centre?

9. Is the centre serving:

a) a very disadvantaged children’s centre reach area?

b) a less disadvantaged children’s centre reach area?

The understanding of the deprivation in the centre’s reach will need to be agreed with the LA based on comparative demographic data.

10. Core offer of services:

a) If the centre is serving a very disadvantaged area, does the centre offer all elements of the core offer?

Integrated childcare and early learning

health family support

outreach links to Jobcentre Plus

Childminder network

If no, which services does the centre currently offer?

b) If the Sure Start Children’s Centre serves a less disadvantaged or affluent area, which elements of the universal offer are in place:

Integrated childcare and early learning OR Drop-in/stay and play sessions

Health Links to Jobcentre Plus Family support and outreach


Childminder network Other

11. What health services are provided by or from the Sure Start Children’s Centre?

12. How many Health service hours/sessions are provided per week or per month in the Children’s Centre?

13. Do Jobcentre Plus staff work out of the Children’s Centre and if so how many hours/sessions a week on average?

14. What Jobcentre Plus services are delivered, for e.g. general advice, mandatory interventions, job points, or direct phone links?

15. Please outline details of overall establishment/staffing roles and their level of qualifications, such as childcare and family support staff.


Section 2: Information about the local area served by the children’s centre

16. Please outline briefly (in a few sentences) the main characteristics of the local area, including its social, economic and ethnic background. Indicate in broad terms the level of prosperity or deprivation and the main issues affecting the people who live here.

17. Please outline (in a few sentences) any specific contextual local or other developments or ongoing issues which act as aids or barriers to improving performance. These might include any difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff, recent or impending re-organisation, changes in leadership or issues in the local area.


PART B: Data on Performance and Performance Indicators

Section 1: Quantitative data: Performance against national PIs

1. This part records the performance of a children’s centre against performance indicators. Not all indicators are national performance indicators and where they aren’t there are no agreed definitions. Local authorities and centres, where appropriate, should agree a set of relevant indicators from the National Indicator Set supplemented with local indicators if required. It is expected that the LA will provide pre-populated data, as indicated in the following table. The aim of the performance indicators is to:

a. Signal clearly strategic priorities, tied to Every Child Matters outcomes and national Public Service Agreement targets.

b. Support local improvement, by enabling authorities and Centres to identify strengths and weaknesses and to plan services which will address these.

c. Provide a measure of progress against which to judge local performance and to help focus performance management discussions including targets for improvement and decisions about resourcing.

2. This table is designed to give a quantitative snapshot of performance. In many cases, this data will be proxy, based on available information for wider areas, e.g. the district authority area. It is therefore important that these findings are supported by a qualitative analysis of the causes and circumstances that led to these figures. This is covered in the next section.

3. Please note that there is a column asking for the review year data and one for the previous year. If a centre has been monitoring performance for more than two years they may also add that information here. For advice on producing base-line data see the Together for Children tool-kit ‘Demonstrating Outcomes in Children’s Centres’.


DATA ANALYSIS TABLEDescription of performance indicator

(a) Contact data - review year

(b) Contact data - previous year

bi) Contact data – from 2 years ago – if collected

(c) Base-line data Percentage reached in review year, or % rate for the area

% reached in previous year or % rate for the area

National or statistical neighbour comparison

Access for the most excluded groups

Number with whom the CC has had contact

Number with whom the CC had contact

i.e. number in the relevant group living in the CC area – Local Authorities to work with CCs to provide the base-line data

i.e. (a) as a % of (c), or the % rate for the area

No of teenage mothers and pregnant teenagers

(Base-line data only available for 15-17 year old mothers at lower tier LA level; there is no data-base available for pregnant teenagers)

(a) as %age of (c)

No of lone parents

(Base-line data available at SOA, and therefore CC level but lower level information is distorted due to rounding; LAs may therefore wish to use at lower tier LA level)

(a) as %age of (c)

No of children in BME groups

(There is a variety of sources for base-line data, which may only be available at LA level)

(a) as %age of (c)

No of children with disabilities

(This depends on what data the LA holds; it should seek to improve the data over time. There is no nationally agreed definition or data-base)

(a) as %age of (c)

No of children with parents with disabilities

(As above) (a) as %age of (c)

No of fathers (Approximate figures for fathers with resident children can be calculated at SOA and therefore CC level)

(a) as %age of (c)

No of parents of 0-5s in the

(CCs in conjunction with their LA should agree a method of collating this data at CC level; base-

(a) as %age of (c)


CC area satisfied with services

line might be all families in the area, all those using services, or all those who responded)

DATA ANALYSIS TABLE CONTINUEDDescription of performance indicator (a) Contact

data - review year

(b) Contact data - previous year

(c) Base-line data % reached in review year, or % rate for the area

% reached in previous year or % rate for the area

National or statistical neighbour comparison

Access for the most excluded groups

Number with whom the CC has had contact

Number with whom the CC had contact

i.e. number in the relevant group living in the CC area – Local Authorities to work with CCs to provide the base-line data

i.e. (a) as a % of (c), or the % rate for the area

%age of children in reception year who are obese

(PCTs should be able to provide the percentage rate at lower tier LA level; there is no contact data for the CC to collect)

Percentage rate for the area

%age of infants breastfed at 6-8 weeks from birth

(As above) As above

%age of children who achieve a total of at least 78 pts across EYFS with at least 6 pts in each of the PSED & CLL scales

(LAs must provide the percentage rate at CC level; there is no contact data for the CC to collect)

As above

%age gap between the lowest achieving 20% in the EYFSP and the rest

(LAs should use the overall LA %rate; ) As above

No of children aged 0-4 living in households dependent on workless benefits

(Base-line data available at SOA, and therefore CC level but small numbers are distorted due to rounding and LAs may therefore prefer to use lower tier LA level data.)

(a) as %age of (c)

%age of eligible families benefiting from the childcare element of WTC

(%age rate for 0-14s is available at SOA and therefore CC level; it cannot be provided for 0-4s. There is no contact data for the CC to collect)



%age rate of emergency admissions caused by unintentional or deliberate injuries to children and young people

(PCTs should be able to provide the percentage rate at lower tier LA level; there is no contact data for the CC to collect)



Section 2: Quantitative data: Performance against local PIs

In this section the local authority and the children’s centre may record performance against any locally set performance indicators which reflect local priorities, perhaps derived from the Children and Young People’s Plan and/or the Local Area Agreement. While there is no obligation on local authorities to set local indicators, we know some do, and they may find it useful to include them here. Please link all indicators to a relevant ECM outcome.

ECM outcome

Local Performance

Indicator

Result Review Year

Previous Year

Results from 2 years ago if

data has been collected

Section 3: Recent reports of judgements from Ofsted or other inspections, quality kitemark judgements such as, social care, adult learning and QA schemes for customer care.

Please summarise the most recent judgements on the setting and explain how action identified in those judgements is being carried forward. You may attach extracts from Ofsted or other reports.

Judgements Date Action carried forward/timeframe

What will happen as a

consequence?


PART C: Review of Performance Improvement

This section is designed to give more in depth information about the quantitative data in Part B sections 1 and 2. It is a chance to give the bigger picture behind the data recorded there and to support or qualify it where necessary.

When providing review answers consideration needs to be given to how the centre’s activities and services contribute to each of the five ECM outcomes. For all of these fields, you should think in particular about the impact on the children and families in your reach area at the greatest risk of social exclusion. Capturing evidence can also be provided through a narrative case study or attaching any existing documentation.

Section 1: Qualitative analysis: Centre contribution to ECM outcomes with reference to Performance Indicators

Please outline briefly (e.g. a few sentences) what your main priorities for the review year were, how you approached/actioned them and how they reflect the context in which you work. Set out the main outcomes and the resulting impact on children and families and your service delivery.

Priorities Actions Outcomes


1. BE HEALTHY: Please set out what the children’s centre has undertaken to help children and families to be healthy and adopt healthy lifestyles and give an assessment of their impact.

National PIs Local Priorities Activities/Outputs Outcomes NI 53 Prevalence of breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks from birth (PSA 12)

NI 55 Obesity among primary school age children in Reception class

Factors to Consider:

Children’s and families starting points when first making contact with the children’s centre Do children take adequate physical exercise and eat and drink healthily? What measures do you take to assess children’s health and what has this shown you? In what ways do you use good and innovative practice to improve outcomes? Are there any mitigating factors, which have prevented you reaching the outcomes you wanted? What is the centre’s impact on groups who find services hard to reach?

Based on your evaluation, what are your priorities for improvement in the year ahead?

Overall effectiveness in meeting the BE HEALTHY outcome [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]

Rating 1: Outstanding

An exceptional centre with excellent outcomes for children

Rating 2: Good

A strong centre that is effective in promoting outcomes for children

Rating 3: Satisfactory

A centre that has acceptable outcomes for children but has scope for improvement

Rating 4: Inadequate

A weak centre that has unacceptable outcomes for children


2. STAY SAFE: Please set out what the children’s centre has undertaken to help children and families to stay safe and give an assessment of their impact.

National PIs Local Priorities Activities/Outputs OutcomesNI 70 Hospital admissions caused by unintentional and deliberate injuries to children and young people


Children’s and families starting points when first making contact with the children’s centre How do you encourage children and their families to adopt safe practices? What measures do you take to assess children’s safety and what has this shown you? In what ways do you use good and innovative practice to improve outcomes? Are there any mitigating factors, which have prevented you reaching the outcomes you wanted? What is the centre’s impact on groups who find services hard to reach?

Based on your evaluation, what are your priorities for improvement?

Overall effectiveness in meeting the STAY SAFE outcome [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good


Rating3: Satisfactory





3. ENJOY AND ACHIEVE: Please set out what the children’s centre has undertaken to help children and families to enjoy and achieve and give an assessment of their impact.

National Pls Local Priorities Activities/Outputs Outcomes NI 72 Achievement of at least 78 points across the Early Years Foundation Stage with at least 6 in each of the scales in Personal Social and Emotional Development and Communication Language and Literacy (PSA 10)

N1 92 Narrowing the gap between the lowest achieving 20% in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and the rest (PSA 11)


Children’s and families starting points when first making contact with the children’s centre What measures do you take to assess children’s enjoyment and achievement and what has this shown you? What are children’s attitudes, behaviour, attendance and participation like? How do you encourage children’s spiritual, moral, emotional and cultural development? In what ways do you use good and innovative practice to improve outcomes? Are there any mitigating factors which have prevented you reaching the outcomes you wanted? What is the centre’s impact on groups who find services hard to reach?



Overall effectiveness in meeting the ENJOY AND ACHIEVE outcome [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good







4. MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION: Please set out what the children’s centre has undertaken to help children and families make a positive contribution and give an assessment of their impact.

National Pls Local Priorities Activities/Outputs Outcomes


Children’s and families starting points when first making contact with the children’s centre What measures do you take to assess the contributions children and their families make and what has this shown you? How do you encourage children to express their views and contribute to activities in the centre, their local community or

their family? In what ways do you use good and innovative practice to improve outcomes? Are there any mitigating factors, which have prevented you reaching the outcomes you wanted? What is the centre’s impact on groups who find services hard to reach?


Overall effectiveness in meeting the MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION outcome [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]

Rating1: Outstanding


Rating 2: Good







5. ACHIEVE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING: Please set out what the children’s centre has undertaken to help children and families achieve economic well-being and give an assessment of their impact.

National Pls Local Priorities Activities/Outputs Outcomes NI 116 Proportion of children in poverty (PSA 9)

NI 118 Take up of formal childcare by low-income working families


Children’s and families starting points when first making contact with the children’s centre What measures do you take to assess the progress children and their families make to achieving economic well being

and what has this shown you? How do you link with learning providers, such as FE colleges and the local LSC and how do they link with local

childcare provision? In what ways do you use good and innovative practice to improve outcomes? Are there any mitigating factors, which have prevented you reaching the outcomes you wanted? What is the centre’s impact on groups who find services hard to reach?


Overall effectiveness in meeting the ACHIEVE ECONOMIC WELL-BEING outcome [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good







PART C: Review of Performance Improvement (continued)

Section 2: ACCESS FOR THE MOST EXCLUDED GROUPS

Please outline how the children’s centre supports access to services for the most excluded children and families and the impact this activity has had on them. This links with the performance indicator on accessing excluded groups set out in Part B Section 1.

ACCESS FOR THE MOST EXCLUDED GROUPS Action Outcomes

To what extent have excluded and disadvantaged groups, including the key target groups, (Part B section 1) accessed services and the practical outcomes they have achieved? (This should include any work that you have done to engage and involve fathers.)

How has the centre promoted an inclusive approach and how far have the centre’s outreach services supported this? For example, what activities have been designed to meet the needs of excluded families and to what extent have they been involved in designing and reviewing services?

How many fathers/male carers have been involved in helping to plan services? What proportion of fathers have accessed services? Does the centre provide any activities targeted at fathers, or fathers from excluded or disadvantaged groups? What proportion of these fathers have accessed services?


ACCESS FOR THE MOST EXCLUDED GROUPS (Cont’d) Action Outcomes

How do you measure the impact of your activity on the most excluded and how do you act on this information? For example, are all accessing your services? What proportion of each group is accessing services? What are their views on services? Are there any not accessing services, and if so why? Have you run specific consultation events with any of these?

How well is equality of opportunity and inclusive practice promoted and discrimination tackled so that all service users and staff can reach their potential?

What exactly is the nature and extent of your outreach/home visiting work? For example, do you leaflet the area, knock on doors, and/or use health visitor information to identify families? What is the estimated resource devoted to this work (e.g. 1 FTE, 3 FTE)?

Based on your evaluation, what are your priorities for improvement next year?

Overall effectiveness of action to support an INCLUSIVE approach [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good







Section 3: PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY CONSULTATION AND INVOLVEMENT

Please outline the ways you consult and seek the views of fathers, mothers, carers, children and the community. Please also outline the other ways in which they all are involved in the development and delivery of services and the strategic management of the centre and its services.

This section links to the parental satisfaction indicator at the end of Part B section 1. This is a chance to explain and analyse the data recorded there.

It is important that the views of fathers, as well as mothers, are reflected. There should also be some indication of any differences in the involvement of the following groups: fathers, teenage mothers, lone parents, workless households, BME groups, refugees or asylum-seeking families, parents of disabled children or disabled parents and also with any additional groups identified locally as being particularly vulnerable or disadvantaged.

PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Action/Activities Evidence of Effectiveness

How and how often, are the views of fathers, mothers and other stakeholders gathered? How is it ensured that the information gathered is broadly representative?

What do these views tell the children’s centre about the quality of provision and the appropriateness of services?

How are these views taken into account in strategic development?


Continued…

How are these views collated and shared with fathers, mothers and other stakeholders?

How are the views of fathers and mothers and children not directly involved in the children’s centre taken into account?

How have children’s views been sought and how are they shared with children?

What are the customer satisfaction and complaints handling procedures?

Examples of action which the children’s centre decided not to take?

Any other mechanisms that have been used to engage with and involve families, fathers, mothers and children?

Based on your evaluation, what are your priorities for improvement over the coming delivery year?

Overall effectiveness of PARENTAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good








Section 4: CENTRE LEADERSHIP AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT:

Please summarise the overall effectiveness of leadership and management within the children’s centre that contributes to the ECM outcomes and overall children’s welfare.

.

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT Action / ExplanationEvidence of

Effectiveness/Outcomes/Impact

How do leaders and managers at all levels set a clear direction to staff that leads to high quality integrated services?

How transparent and efficient are the decision-making procedures?

How is performance monitored and improved and how are the lessons from earlier years fed into the ongoing development of the centre?


Continued…

How adequate are the numbers and suitability of staff? What efforts are there to promote integrated workforce development? Please indicate how many staff are graduates in leadership roles and those who have achieved either the NPQICL or EYP

How adequate and suitable is the specialist equipment, resources and accommodation for staff and service users?

Are there any other aspects that you feel should be addressed in this category?


Overall effectiveness of LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good







FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: Please summarise how effectively and efficiently resources are used to achieve value for money and the children’s centre’s outcomes.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Action / Explanation Effectiveness / Comment/Outcomes

What steps have been taken to obtain good value for money in providing services? How have these helped to achieve its outcomes, including brief outcomes of any specific external or internal audit assessments?

Please provide a broad description of how well the children’s centre and LA consider that the centre’s agreed financial responsibilities have been carried out?

What are the administration and management overheads as a % of total costs of the centre?


Overall effectiveness of FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]



Rating 2: Good








Section 5: PARTNERSHIP WORKING

Please summarise how the children’s centre has developed and offers integrated services.

PARTNERSHIP WORKING Action / ExplanationEvidence of Effectiveness /

Comment

How is private, voluntary and community provision being best used/or commissioned/procured when providing services?

Who are the key private, voluntary or community organisations providing services within or in partnership with the centre?

Are there groups that provide services to children and families in the area that you have not worked with? Are there plans to develop closer working links with these groups in the future?

What improvements have been made for families as a result of integration and links between services, e.g. the centre and specialist services, transition to school?

Where relevant, how successful are the centre links between its main site and satellite or other sites?


Continued…

How are partner agencies (such as the PCT and Jobcentre Plus) involved in the planning and decision making process?


Overall effectiveness of action for PARTNERSHIP WORKING to integrate services [Please tick /click for most accurate grade]

Grade 1: Outstanding


Grade 2: Good


Grade 3: Satisfactory


Grade 4: Inadequate



PART D: CHALLENGES FOR THE FORTHCOMING YEAR

Set out here relevant summary statements of wider children’s trust, Local Area Agreement and Children and Young People’s Plan priorities which relate to the Centre’s Reach Area needs

Please set out main objectives and planned/intended outcomes for the forthcoming year for the children’s centre based on evidence of performance, the capacity for improvement linked to specific needs and priorities

This form was agreed between [name of centre and centre leader]:

and

[name of local authority:

on [date]:

name of Chair of advisory board

Please enter comments below which capture the key elements for action arising from the annual conversation identifying which party to the conversation is accepting responsibility for further action.


sure start children's centres: performance, achievement and

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