Guidance and Resources

Sure Start Children's Centre Performance Management Framework and Self Evaluation Form Update – July 2008

Sure Start Children's Centre Performance Management Framework and Self Evaluation Form have been updated to reflect the introduction of the National Indicator Set.

Phase 3 planning and delivery guidance

Sure Start Children's Centres: Phase 3 Planning and Delivery – published November 2007.

Assists local authorities in setting up Phase 3 Children's Centres (2008-10), to deliver the Government’s target of 3,500 centres by 2010.

Linking up with health

Linking up: Delivering health services through Sure Start Children's Centres - supplement with the Autumn 2007 edition of the Sure Start magazine. Hard copies can be ordered from DCSF Publications (email: dcsf@prolog.uk.com, tel: 0845 60 222 60), please quote reference: 00853-2007BKT-EN

Children's Centres: Making them happen on a small budget

Read what Wiltshire County Council have learnt from the setting up of a Mini Rural Sure Start (part of the pilot Sure Start local programme initiative). The report contains tips and advice on: consultation; publicity; multi-agency working; co-ordination and staff; protocols and procedures; and outreach. Produced in partnership with Barnardos South West and Birkbeck University, the report will be of interest to all children's centres, not just those in rural areas.

Media handling for newly Sure Start Children's Centres

Media Handling Kit for Newly Designated Sure Start Children's Centres - updated September 2007.

Sure Start Children's Centre Skeleton Press Release - updated September 2007.

Together for Children toolkit - business planning

Children's Centres Business Planning Toolkit - published July 2007.

Developed to support local authorities, their stakeholder partners and individual children's centres in considering different approaches to service and business plan development.

Childcare Act 2006 Guidance

Securing Sufficient Childcare Guidance - published July 2007.

This statutory guidance has been published to assist local authorities in completing their duties to secure sufficient childcare, which will enable parents to work and undertaken training. The duty comes into force from April 2008.

Delivering health services

Delivering health services through Sure Start Children's Centres - published June 2007.

Produced by the Department of Health, this leaflet sets out the responsibilities of NHS organisations towards Sure Start Children's Centres, ways in which Children's Centres can help deliver health priorities, some tips on effective partnerships and examples of good practice.

Governance Guidance

Governance Guidance for Sure Start Children's Centres and Extended Schools - published May 2007.

Guidance for Sure Start Children's Centre advisory boards and school governing bodies - provides suggested models of governance for standalone Centre and those on school sites. Hard copies can be ordered from DCSF Publications (email: dcsf@prolog.uk.com, tel: 0845 60 222 60), please quote reference: 00356-2007BKT-EN

National Standards for Leaders of Sure Start Children's Centres

National Standards for Leaders of Sure Start Children's Centres - published February 2007.

Together for Children toolkit - reaching excluded families

Toolkit for Reaching Priority and Excluded Families - published December 2006.

Provides practical advice and guidance highlighting the importance of understanding and analysing the local situation, consulting widely and the need to treat children and families as individuals rather than make assumptions based on their membership of certain groups.

Children's Centre Planning and Performance Guidance

Phase two: Planning and Performance Management Guidance – revised November 2006.

Designed to help local authorities to develop the next phase of the Government’s strategy to develop 2,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres by 2008, with the longer term aim of 3,500 children’s centres by 2010, one for every community.

Children’s Centre's Good Practice

Children's Centre Practice Guidance - revised November 2006.

Guidance on how to deliver services and practice issues, based on what we are learning from Sure Start local programme evaluation and other research. Hard copies can be ordered from DCSF Publications (email: dcsf@prolog.uk.com, tel: 0845 60 222 60), please quote reference: SSCC-PRACT2006

Phase 2 Planning Guidance

Planning Guidance to assist local authorities in setting up Phase 2 Children's Centres (2006-08) - to deliver the Government’s strategy of 2,500 centres by 2008 - published July 2005. Phase 3 guidance coming soon.

This page was last updated on 29 October 2007.