MPs launch bid to save SureStart centres from public spending axe

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Communities and also in Housing

A cross-party committee of MPs today issued a plea for the national network of SureStart Children's Centres to be protected from the axe in the round of public spending reductions expected after the election.

The Commons Children's Committee hailed SureStart as "one of the most innovative and ambitious initiatives of the last two decades" said it would be "catastrophic" to cut it back before its long-term impact is known.

The committee also cautioned against proposals - backed by Conservative leader David Cameron - to return SureStart to its original focus on the most disadvantaged children.

From the opening of the first SureStart in 2004, the network grew to 3,500 centres catering for under-fives in every community in England.

The centres bring together childcare and help with health, parenting, employment and other issues in one venue.

Labour repeatedly accused the Tories of planning to scale back or scrap its flagship scheme, but Mr Cameron insists he is committed to keeping it, but would target it at the most disadvantaged families.

In a speech in January, he said: "SureStart has lost its focus. The people who need it most - disadvantaged and dysfunctional families - are not getting enough of the benefit... I want not just to repeat our commitment to keep SureStart. But to... improve SureStart by taking it back to its original purpose."

In today's report, the Children's Committee said that the operation of the centres was "based on research evidence and a sound rationale", and that it was the "unambiguous" belief of workers in the sector that they delivered improvements to the lives of families who use them.

But the report acknowledged that they had "not yet decisively shown the hoped-for impact", largely because their goals of improving the life chances of young children can only be measured over the long term.

"This should not be a cause for panic," said the committee. "The nature of the problems which Children's Centres are attempting to address and the short history of the service mean that it will only be possible to evaluate the full impact over the long term.

"In the meantime, centres must be given financial and policy stability.
A cross-party committee of MPs today issued a plea for the national network of SureStart Children's Centres to be protected from the axe in the round of public spending reductions expected after the election.

The Commons Children's Committee hailed SureStart as "one of the most innovative and ambitious initiatives of the last two decades" said it would be "catastrophic" to cut it back before its long-term impact is known.

The committee also cautioned against proposals - backed by Conservative leader David Cameron - to return SureStart to its original focus on the most disadvantaged children.

From the opening of the first SureStart in 2004, the network grew to 3,500 centres catering for under-fives in every community in England.

The centres bring together childcare and help with health, parenting, employment and other issues in one venue.

Labour repeatedly accused the Tories of planning to scale back or scrap its flagship scheme, but Mr Cameron insists he is committed to keeping it, but would target it at the most disadvantaged families.

In a speech in January, he said: "SureStart has lost its focus. The people who need it most - disadvantaged and dysfunctional families - are not getting enough of the benefit... I want not just to repeat our commitment to keep SureStart. But to... improve SureStart by taking it back to its original purpose."

In today's report, the Children's Committee said that the operation of the centres was "based on research evidence and a sound rationale", and that it was the "unambiguous" belief of workers in the sector that they delivered improvements to the lives of families who use them.

But the report acknowledged that they had "not yet decisively shown the hoped-for impact", largely because their goals of improving the life chances of young children can only be measured over the long term.

"This should not be a cause for panic," said the committee. "The nature of the problems which Children's Centres are attempting to address and the short history of the service mean that it will only be possible to evaluate the full impact over the long term.

"In the meantime, centres must be given financial and policy stability.
It would be catastrophic if short-term financial pressure on the service jeopardised the chances of realising and evaluating long-term gains for children and communities."

Last week's Budget resulted in an increase in resource funding for SureStart centres in line with inflation.

But the Department for Children, Schools and Families announced that, together with providers of education for 16-19-year-olds, the centres would be expected to deliver GBP150 million in efficiency savings on expenses like procurement and energy bills.

Neither Labour nor Tories promised to protect SureStart following the election by "ring-fencing" spending in the way that has been done with priorities like the NHS.

Children's Committee chairman Barry Sheerman said: "To put at risk the pioneering work of the last 12 years would be nothing short of a disaster.

"The early years are when the greatest difference can be made to a child's life chances and it is vital that investment in Children's Centres is allowed to bear fruit."

The committee argued against reducing the number of centres or limiting access to those outside the most disadvantaged areas.

"Yielding to short-term financial pressure by reducing the number of Centres or pruning the range of services offered would be a mistake,"
said the report.

And it added: "It is feared by some that implementing a universal service runs the risk of diluting the focus and resources expended on the most disadvantaged.

"However, only universal coverage can ensure that all the most disadvantaged children, wherever they live, can benefit from the programme; this was the right policy to pursue."

The report warned that information about value for money in Children's Centres was "unacceptably difficult to come by" and urged the Government to do more to ensure details are readily available.