This book presents findings from studies evaluating Sure Start programmes in North-East England.

Announced in 1998, Sure Start is a large-scale cross-departmental Government effort to enhance the health and development of children under 4 years and their families in socially deprived communities in England. Through area-based initiatives, the programme now covers all children up to the age of 16, Sure Start Children’s Centres forming a key part of the delivery of early years services by Local Authorities. From 2007 children’s centre services should become permanent mainstream community services, with the active involvement of parents/carers and the local community.

Section I examines the aims, theoretical and evaluation framework of Sure Start; also the policy background and key concepts underpinning the programme: social exclusion, partnership-working, family support, inter-professionalism and parent participation.

Section II draws upon findings from the evaluation of five Sure Start programmes presented under three headings: facilitating access to services for children and families; parental involvement and participation; and inter-professionalism and changes to professional roles.

Section III presents evaluation findings from a separate but linked national programme, namely Sure Start Plus, based within five Local Authorities. This is a programme designed to provide inter-agency, inter-professional support to pregnant teenagers and young parents and the evaluation considers the role of specialist advisers supporting young people, the views of young people themselves, mainstream professionals’ perspectives and working towards targets and objectives.

Section IV, the conclusions, examines two areas: Firstly, findings drawn from the national evaluation of Sure Start which suggest that local programmes are more likely to deliver better outcomes for children and families if they are proficient, as measured by engaging service users, multi-agency working, leadership and ethos; and secondly, that local programmes provide a foundation for delivering the five outcomes set by the Labour Government Green Paper Every Child Matters (2003): be healthy, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being.

Nigel Malin Gillian Morrow