Coming soon! Health Information and Data Sharing for Children's Centres
This product is for health professionals, CC coordinators and service managers collaborating and sharing data and information to develop and align services for children and families in individual children’s centres.
The product supports the DCSF-DOH leaflet 'Health and Children’s Centres: How to share information appropriately in a children’s centre'. A further published version of this product is planned for October 2010.
NEW! Demonstrating Outcomes in Sure Start Children's Centres
Demonstrating Outcomes in Sure Start Children's Centres is a pack which assists local authorities and children's centres in providing baseline data, collecting the contact numbers and percentages reached and recording this information together with outcomes and costs.
It is available to download as a complete pack,or as individual sections and template documents.
Facilitating Integrated Practice between Children's Centres and Health Version 1.0 November 2009
This product contains examples of innovative working practice where services are integrated with health and collects them into a series of case studies.
This document accompanies A Toolkit for the Integration of Sure Start Children’s Centre Services, Children’s Services and Health (coming soon), and acts as a support resource for those who use the toolkit for training and development purposes.
Sure Start Children's Centres and Extended Services: Alignment in Practice October 2009
A resource to support links between extended services and children's centres
This resource has been developed to support local authorities, their stakeholder partners and individual children’s centre teams to consider effective approaches to aligning the Sure Start Children’s Centre and extended services core offers. It also signposts a range of useful TDA / NCLSCS tools and techniques aimed at supporting planning and performance.
It is designed as a web based electronic resource to encourage a broader understanding of the opportunities presented by encouraging closer alignment of children’s centres and extended services. The product contains links to useful documents and worked examples of adaptations for use in a range of contexts. The product is aimed at local authority lead officers, children’s centre officers and other local authority officers.
How to Commission High Quality Sure Start Children's Centre Services
A practical guide to developing an outcomes-based approach to commissioning high quality Sure Start Children’s Centre services.
Local authorities and their partners can use the practical tools, case examples and documents contained in this product to support the commissioning of high quality children’s centre services.
The product is for commissioners of children’s centre services including Early Years Lead Officers and those in local authorities, and their partners, tasked with developing high quality children’s centre services.
Sure Start Children's Centres Workforce Wheel
This is an interactive tool to support the development of an effective, integrated multi-agency children's centre workforce.
It provides information about the roles and responsibilities of staff, partners and volunteers working in and with children's centres. It was created in response to local authorities and children's centres requests for easy access to job descriptions, personal specifications and workforce information.
Practical Tool to Inform Disability Planning in Sure Start Children's Centres May 2009
This product provides an easily accessible overview of the key elements which underlie a local authority disability strategy.It allows local authorities to make a strong start in ensuring that planning and provision for children with disabilities and their families are placed at the centre of their children’s centre agenda.
The document emphasises the need for a detailed audit of need and mapping of existing provision. It focuses on the importance of data for strategic planning purposes but also to enable the demonstration of impact. It identifies a range of partners and stresses the importance of partnership working and building on Early Support as a foundation already likely to be in place. Issues such as workforce development and governance are also highlighted.
Products on Working with Families in Sure Start Children's Centres
Working Effectively with Families in Sure Start Children's Centres v1.1 July 2009
This product is for Sure Start Children’s Centre leaders and others in Sure Start Children’s Centres and local authorities who are responsible for the provision of services to families.
It consists of an initial section listing a number of key tips formulated by Children’s Centres Leaders, the main part is written in checklist format to assist the review and development of the services provided by Sure Start Children’s Centres for families. The intention is that those responsible for working with families can scan a list of questions and follow up resources and other links to areas where they feel there are gaps or a need for further development.
It is hoped that this will help in the development of services relevant to the needs of the communities each children’s centre serves, both in terms of the nature of the services and the quality of that provision.
NEW! Working Effectively with Families in Sure Start Children's Centres - Drawing up a Strategy v1.0 November 2009
This product provides a work plan and ideas for drawing up and reviewing an authority wide strategy for working with families in children’s centres.
It is for those in local authorities who are responsible for the provision of services to families and can be used by groups who wish to draw up or review their strategy for providing services and activities to families in children’s centres, or are contributing to related local authority strategies.
Finance and Sustainability
How to Maximise Cross Border Local Authority Working
This product gives an overview on the current issues around cross local authority border working. It aims to raise awareness of the issues, give examples of cross border working and provide a workshop structure which can be used with neighbouring local authorities to establish agreement on how local authorities can work together.
This document is aimed at all those involved in the planning and delivery of Sure Start Children’s Centres including local authority children’s centre lead officers, partners, key stakeholders, children’s centre managers, parents and advisory groups.
The 'How to Plan and Deliver Sure Start Children’s Centre Services Based on Value for Money Outcomes' product is due soon, after it has been rolled out with selected Local Areas.
Designation Checklist for Local Authorities
This document will help Local Authorities to prepare for the designation of their Children's Centres, and shows the criteria to be met according to current guidance. Local Authority TfC Local Programme Advisors will be able to provide more information and support in relation to the designation process.
Please note: The only amendment that has been made to the Designation Checklist version 3 is the addition of an new input box relating to area type on the first page.
Designation Checklist for Local Authorities
V3 January 2010
Policies Product
Many local authorities have requested support and model documentation to help Sure Start Children’s Centres develop policies which relate to the practical multi-agency nature of Children’s Centre Services. This Together For Children product attempts to recognise and address some of that need.
This product suggests a suite of polices needed to practically operate day to day delivery of Sure Start Children’s Centres. Each policy has a policy framework, a series of open prompt questions and legislative references for discussion with full staff teams, parents and partners to deliver a quality policy for each Sure Start Children’s Centre’s unique context. There is also a checklist for each policy as a reflective tool for Sure Start Children’s Centre managers and practitioners, to enable them to check the scope of their draft policy, review and refresh the policy.
Performance Management
The resources in this product are designed for a wide audience from improvement partners to strategic and operational leads for Sure Start Children’s Centres. There are three constituent parts to the resource.
Effective LA Approaches to Performance Management
This focuses on the different stages of planning, monitoring and managing performance as part of an overall improvement agenda. It is aimed at local authority strategic and operational leads for children’s centre services, and has been developed from resources and advice from local authorities around the country.
The product is designed as a web-based resource that can also be downloaded if required. It provides links to children’s centre guidance, websites, training resources, templates, top tips and planning checklists for use mainly by those responsible for planning, monitoring and managing the performance of children’s centres.
How to Undertake the Sure Start Children’s Centre Cycle
This sets out some of the key process steps which assist in providing a shape to the performance management of Sure Start Children’s Centres. It also illustrates the interdependent relationship between processes including the children’s centre self-evaluation (SEF) and the annual review and challenge conversation.
The resource will be of assistance to children’s centre leaders/coordinators and local authority staff involved in orchestrating and brokering partner arrangements to focus on delivery and performance.
Sure Start Children’s Centres SEF Standards Matrix
This sets out descriptions that illustrate what could be judged to be Outstanding, Good, Adequate or Inadequate for each section of the Sure Start Children’s Centre self-evaluation form. The descriptors are key indicators of quality and processes which should be features of service delivery and arrangements and have been designed to be relevant for all types of children’s centre.
The matrix will be of principal benefit to children’s centres leaders and host agencies and steering groups/governance bodies wishing to improve and develop service offerings. It will also be of assistance to local authority, PCT and partner agencies wishing to assist the development and improvement of service delivery.
Child Poverty Product
In January 2008, the DCSF commissioned TfC to create a suite of support products to assist local authorities and children’s centres to address the child poverty agenda.
An incubator event took place on 28th February 2008, which brought together practitioners, government organisations, the voluntary sector and other key stakeholders to discuss and highlight the crucial elements needed for children’s centres to assist families living in poverty. The event involved a series of exercises that sought to draw out well-focused debate framed by a presentation from the new DCFS and DWP Child Poverty Unit, who have a key role in driving an integrated approach to tackling poverty.
In identifying the support products participants recognised the wealth of resources already in existence including TfC products and the recently launched Child Poverty Toolkit from the Child Poverty Action Group and Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion. The TfC product therefore seeks to complement existing products and signpost users to these resources.
We hope you find these products useful. If you have any feedback or further examples of good practice in child poverty work, we would welcome you contacting us at mail@togetherforchildren.co.uk
Sure Start Children's Centres - Governance Guidance
Sure Start Children’s Centres Governance Guidance – Quick Reference Guide to putting Guidance into Practice.
Exemplification of Models
Together for Children have created a quick reference guide, which is designed to support you to develop appropriate governance arrangements for your children’s centres.
This reference guide is intended to provide you with a practical interpretation of the recently published DCSF Governance Guidance for Children's Centres and Extended Schools.
Full Core Offer Process, Checklist and Support Documentation Updated : January 2010
Product for Priority & Excluded families Updated : v6.2 April 2009
The product launched by Together for Children provides practical advice and guidance for local authorities. The toolkit highlights the importance of understanding and analysing the local situation, consulting widely, and the need to treat children, their parents and carers as individuals rather than make assumptions based on their membership of certain groups.
Checklists provide questions and discussion points for local authorities, children's centre and partner organisations, covering groups such as teenage parents, fathers, minority and ethic families, disabled children and parents, partners and families of prisoners, parents with drug or alcohol problems and the homeless and families in temporary accommodation.
Supporting the successful delivery of rural children's centres July 2007
Together for Children, Local Authority and Voluntary Sector representatives and the Department for Children Schools and Families held a joint incubator workshop in July 2007 which brought together experienced contributors from across the country. The aim was to capture knowledge and experience from all sectors and create some practical products which can be used in rural areas and ensure that the extensive knowledge which has already been developed is made available through one site and put to full use.
The outcome is a suite of products and links to other specialist resources, designed to be used by all partners engaged in developing and sustaining rural children's centres.
Working with the PVI Sectors July 2007
| Together for Children (TfC) held an incubator workshop in July 2007 which brought together representatives from Local Authorities (LAs), Sure Start Children's Centres (SSCCs), the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), private childcare providers, the Confederation of British Industry and national children's charities, including childcare. |
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The workshop explored how Local Authorities and the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sectors might be able to improve the way they work together in the delivery of Sure Start Children's Centres and services.
The outcome of the incubator is this suite of products: a range of documents which are designed to be used by both colleagues in LAs and in local PVI organisations as they work together to deliver SSCCs and services in their communities. |
Improving Health Local Authority Joint Working Updated : September 2008
Together for Children and the Department of Health held a joint "incubator" workshop in June 2007 which brought together expert contributors from Local Authorities, Children's Centres, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department of Health, the NHS and the Care Services Improvement Partnership. The aim was to capture knowledge and experience from both sectors and create some practical products which can be used locally to try and improve joint working arrangements.
The outcome of the incubator is a suite of products: a range of documents designed to be used by colleagues in both Local Authorities and in local Health organisations as they work towards their shared targets.
Product for Business Planning June 2007
The Business Planning Product has been developed to support local authorities, their stakeholder partners and individual children’s centres in considering different approaches to service and business plan development. It is based on a range of experience gathered from across England; and should be considered as part of a continuous improvement cycle. It includes:
- Signposting to other support and advice agencies, websites and resources
- References to guidance and policy documents
- Sample case studies
- Planning and review checklists
- Templates and schedules
TfC Glossary
The terms included in this glossary relate to the Children’s Agenda and focus specifically on higher level areas such as national and local bodies and senior management issues.
Role of a QTS
This paper results from discussion between TfC, the National Strategies Team and local authorities. It is intended as a guidance note for local authorities and relevant support agencies. Teacher support for children’s centres is of considerable concern to many local authorities and carries major funding implications for their children’s centre programmes.