NESS Publications

National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS)

Publications

• The impact of Sure Start Local Programmes on Three Year Olds and their Families
  Assesses the impact of Sure Start local programmes on child-development and family-functioning outcomes when the children were followed up at three years old.
  
• Parenting programmes in Sure Start Local Programmes
  Documents the type of family and parenting support provided and identifies good practice.
  
• Sure Start Local Programmes work on Domestic Abuse
  Explores the existing and planned contribution of Sure Start local programmes to the objective of staying safe. It also examines their strategic and operational relationships with social services departments, in order to identify existing good practice.
  
• Safeguarding in Sure Start Local Programmes
  Looks at the practices and services surrounding domestic abuse, including working in partnership and the provision of sensitive services through integrated provision.
  
• Understanding Variations in Effectiveness amongst Sure Start Local Programmes
  This study investigated what made Sure Start Local Programmes more effective and what made them less so. It will be key in informing the implementation of children’s centres.
  
• Promoting Speech and Language – a themed study in fifteen Sure Start Local Programmes
  Determines the extent to which the emerging knowledge about speech, language and pre-literacy are being utilised in Sure Start Local Programmes, and the role played in this process by speech and language therapists.
  
• Changes in the Characteristics of SSLP Areas between 2000/01 and 20004/05
  The report looks at changes in the characteristics of Sure Start Local Programme areas in rounds 1 to 4 between 2000/2001 and 2004/2005.
  
• Sure Start and Black and Minority Ethnic Populations
  This study reviews the policy and practice issues that arose from the operation of Sure Start Local Programmes in areas where there were significant black and minority ethnic (BME) populations. It also looked at how smaller BME populations were served in other Sure Start Local Programmes.
  
• A Better Start: Children and Families with Special Needs and Disabilities in Sure Start Local Programmes
  This research explores how Sure Start Local Programmes improve services for the families of children with special needs and disabilities, and how they meet their needs.
  
• Empowerment and Sure Start Local Programmes
  Explores how far and in what ways the practices of Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) have facilitated individual and community empowerment.
  
• Outreach and Homevisiting and Sure Start Local Programmes
  The study aimed to find out how far Outreach and Home Visiting were contributing to the overall aim of Sure Start.
• Changes in the characteristics of Sure Start Local Programme areas between 2000/01 and 2003/04 (full version)
  This report documents the change at the community level in Sure Start local programme areas in Rounds 1 to 4 over a period of three years, between the fiscal years 2000/01 and 2003/04.
  
• Changes in the characteristics of Sure Start Local Programme areas between 2000/01 and 2003/04 (summary version)
  This summary outlines key findings from the report documenting change at the community level in Sure Start local programme areas in Rounds 1 to 4 over a period of three years, between the fiscal years 2000/01 and 2003/04.
  
• Cost effectiveness of implementing SSLPs: an interim report
  An interim report looking at the cost effectiveness of implementing Sure Start Local Programmes
  
• Changes in the characteristics of Sure Start Local Programmes areas - 2000/01 to 2002/03 (full version)
  This report documents the change at the community level in Sure Start local programme areas in Rounds 1 to 4 over a period of two years, between the fiscal years 2000/01 and 2002/03.
  
• Changes in the characteristics of Sure Start Local Programmes areas - 2000/01 to 2002/03 (summary version)
  This summary outlines key findings from the report documenting change at the community level in Sure Start local programme areas in Rounds 1 to 4 over a period of two years, between the fiscal years 2000/01 and 2002/03.
  
• Buildings in Sure Start local programmes - July 2005 (full version)
  This report highlights how buildings have been planned, designed and built, and are being used in Sure Start local programme communities.
  
• Buildings in Sure Start local programmes - July 2005 (summary)
  This summary highlights how buildings have been planned, designed and built, and are being used in Sure Start local programme communities.
  
• Implementing Sure Start Local Programmes – An in-depth study – Part 1 – Full Report
  This report presents the findings of the Case Study analysis of 20 Rounds 1-4 programmes, carried out in the Implementation Module of the National Evaluation of Sure Start.
  
• Implementing Sure Start Local Programmes – An in-depth study – Part 2 – Full Report
  This report presents an in-depth picture of the individual services being delivered by the first 260 Sure Start Local Programmes
  
• Improving the Employability of Parents in Sure Start local programmes - June 2004 Summary)
  This summary report outlines the ways in which Sure Start local programmes are helping to improve the employability of parents and also describes examples of promising practice.
  
• Improving the Employability of Parents in Sure Start local programmes - June 2004 (Full Report)
  This report identifies the scale and range of activities that Sure Start local programmes are undertaking to improve the employability of parents and also describes examples of promising practice.
  
• Towards Understanding Sure Start local programmes – findings to date - June 2004
  This summary report highlights a selection of findings from the evaluation so far, including preliminary findings from the study looking at the impact of Sure Start on outcomes for children and parents.
  
• Characteristics of Sure Start local programme areas - 2001/02 (Summary)
  This summary outlines the key findings from the report documenting changes in Sure Start local programme communities since 2000/01
  
• Characteristics of Sure Start local programme areas - 2001/02 - (Full report)
  This report describes the changes in Sure Start local programme communities since 2000/01
  
• Fathers in Sure Start local programmes (Summary, August 2003)
  A short summary of findings from a report that investigates how far fathers have been involved in Sure Start Local Programmes and suggestions on how to encourage more fathers to get involved.
  
• Fathers in Sure Start local programmes (Report 04, September 2003)
  A report that investigates how far fathers have been involved in Sure Start Local Programmes and suggestions on how programmes can encourage more fathers to get involved.
  
• Characteristics of Sure Start local programme areas: Rounds 1 - 4 (Summary, June 2003)
  A short summary of findings from a report that describes the characteristics of Sure Start local programme areas.
  
• Characteristics of Sure Start local programme areas: Rounds 1 - 4(Report 03, June 2003)
  Full report describing the characteristics of Sure Start local programme areas.
  
• National Evaluation of Sure Start - Summary (October 2002)
  Details of the national evaluation being undertaken by a consortium of academics and practitioners by Birkbeck College
  
• Getting Sure Start Started - Summary of Findings (August 2002)
  A summary outlining the main findings from a report describing the experiences of those involved in setting up a local Sure Start programme.
  
• Getting Sure Start Started - Full report (Report 02, July 2002)
  The second report from the National Evaluation that describes the experiences of those involved in setting up a local Sure Start programme.
  
• Early Experiences of Implementing Sure Start - Summary of Findings (June 2002)
  A short summary of findings from the first evaluation report on early experiences of implementing local Sure Start programmes.
  
• Early Experiences of Implementing Sure Start - Full Report (Report 01, June 2002)
  The first report from the National Evaluation of Sure Start which reports the early experiences of implementing local Sure Start Programmes.
  
• Sure Start Survey of Parents (2001)
  Survey showing the early impact of Sure Start local programmes.
  
• National Evaluation of the Sure Start Programme in England (June 2000)
  Specification of Requirements.
  
• Sure Start Evaluation Development Project (November 1999)
  Report to Sure Start, Extended Schools and Childcare Group.

Sure Start Plus

For information on the Sure Start Plus programme and evaluation, visit the Teenage Pregnancy Unit website.