1. Integrated ‘Children’s Centres’ in England
Chris Pascal
&
Tony Bertram

2. Social and Economic Priorities in UK
Thatcher’s period of economic rationalism ensured UK’s economic cycle is different to most of EU
1997 Blair inherits robust economy but high levels of:
Child Poverty
Inequality & Social Exclusion
Welfare Dependency
Educational Underachievement
Poor Health and Well Being
Identified as the ‘top level’ social and economic policy objectives.

3. Action from
UK’s Early childhood lobby was successful politically in convincing Government of benefits of investing in a national integrated early childhood policy
From 1997 Govt experimented by radically extending and reshaping services for children and families in England to provide integrated (education/care plus) and community led service delivery

4. Experimentation and Innovation
Introduced four targeted innovative programmes to explore and evaluate ideas of integration in action:
Early Excellence Centre Programme
Sure Start Programme
Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative
Extended Nursery and Extended Primary Schools
EPPE Study (Sylva et al 2002, 4, 5), EEC Study (Pascal and Bertram 2002,3,4): effectiveness& good practice in integrated services.
OECD Report (Bennett, 2000, 2006): commended investment and integrated practice but suggests too many initiatives and needs sustained funding.

5. 2004 Children Act & 2006 Childcare Act
A New Legal Framework
2004 Children Act & 2006 Childcare Act
first statutory entitlement in England to free integrated early education (from 3) and childcare (from birth) for all families
Root and branch reform of children AND family services at every level in England to ensure children and young people thrive within ‘safe’ communities
Centre for Research in Early Childhood

6. Universalisation and Amalgamation
All experimental Programmes to be integrated with existing provision (state, private & voluntary) and universalised
Every community in England to have a ‘Children’s Centre’ and/or ‘Extended School’ by 2010
More integrated delivery at front line through multi-professional teams, including health, education and social services
Significant, stepped increases in Gov investment

7. Children’s Centres
Children’s Centres and Extended Schools will provide community based, ‘joined up’ services for children and families, open from dawn to dusk, all year round, to provide as the core, access to:
Education integrated with full day care;
Parenting and family support;
Health services;
Adult training including workforce training;
Employment advice;
Childminder base and community hub.

8. Children’s Centre Infrastructure
Local Authority to be ‘parents’ champion’ and facilitate seamless, quality integrated services by extending existing state, private and voluntary provision in community-led partnerships (NB ‘subsidiarity’)
Local‘Children’s Trusts’ combine existing Health, Education & Social Services budgets and plan, fund and commission integrated services tailored to local needs
Parents/carers and children to be more closely involved in design, delivery and management of services

9. Understanding Integration
Co-located services are NOT integrated services
Services delivered through development of ‘multi-professional teams’ based in Children’s Centres/ Schools
Services are led by community, family and children’s needs

10. 5 Features of Integrated Service
Shared philosophy, vision, codes of practice
Perception by users of cohesive, common services
Perception by multi-professional teams of shared identity and purpose
Commitment by partner providers of services to pool resources
Inclusive leadership and management structure which reflects and supports integrated working
Pascal and Bertram 2004

11. Some Challenges
Understanding and agreeing vision – developing leadership
Creating multi-professional teams through a managed change process
Long term finance and sustainability
Access and inclusion
Participative practice with children, parents and the local community
Pascal and Bertram 2004

12. Children’s Centres as Civic Institutions: Citizenship in Action
“There is a set of issues about how we develop a community voice into children’s services. This will fail unless we are actively engaging children, their families and community, and finding ways which consistently and imaginatively make people feel they are participating in this agenda.”
NCB Evidence to HoC Select Committee, ECM Enquiry, 2005

13. Integration in Action!