Call for evidence: Foundation Years - Sure Start children's centres

Written submissions of evidence are invited considering the following points:

• the new Core Purpose of Sure Start children’s centres, how this has evolved and is different from the original design and purpose of Sure Start
• the effectiveness and impact of Sure Start children’s centres to date, including the role of Ofsted inspections
• the range of services and activities provided at Sure Start children’s centres, and their desired outcomes, and whether/how these differ from family centres, early Sure Start local programmes and early years settings.
• how Sure Start children’s centres compare with similar initiatives in other countries
• how to define and measure good practice in family and parenting support and outreach, including the effectiveness of the Government’s payment by results trials, and what measures of child development and school readiness might be used
• how to increase the use of evidence-based early intervention in children’s centres
• how to strengthen integrated working between health, social care and education as part of a multi-agency early help offer, including how to improve information-sharing and the proposal for children’s centres to have access to a "named social worker"
• how to increase the involvement of families (especially fathers, disadvantaged families, minority ethnic groups and families of children with SEN and disabled children) in the running of children’s centres and in their regular activities
• how the overall level and quality of provision is being affected by moves to local funding.

The Committee asks for written submissions in accordance with the guidelines below by midday on 19 October 2012.