Sure Start and communty midwife groups being shut down

By 'this' I mean on the decision to close centres.

Does anyone have a link for reports on this? I can't find any - only for older articles speculating.

we all know that prevention is best and that investment in early years is sound....but then Graham Allen 's report suggest some "good efficient cost effective charities"......to use public funds

Home start is a nice theory but needs to come with a government health warning, you're opening your door to a lot of judgement and intervention at a time when you are most likely to be vulnerable and whilst the people out delivering home start are indeed volunteers most are doing so as a stepping stone to a paid role and HS have plenty of staff on the payroll too.
Some of which are social workers, i found it all very under hand.

When did I mention research? I said an article, and I linked to it. The basis of it is a 'government-commissioned report' that was led by Graham Allen.

And I think the premise behind the idea is that a little goverment 'hand-holding' at this early stage will lead to a lot less need to do so in the future.

no home-start has a mix of volunteers and paid staff, and costs a whopping £37M a year to the tax payer

Isn't Homestart run by volunteers though?
I'm all for volunteers.
It's government funding (ie you and me) for everythnig bar arse wiping that gets my goat.

well... I'm "yet" - maybe changing - even less inclined towards homestart than sure start....at least surestart provides evident services like education / training wherease homestart seem to provide even less of tangible benefits! and costs a lot

Mylife, that's not research.That's a general news report on something a Labour MP (natch) is recommending.

Peopel managed for years before Sure start came along.
Once you start expecing 'the government' to hold you
r hand at every stage of your life you end up on a very dangerous slippery slope.

For example look here

FCUK no, you could never meet a less inclined person to work for the likes of sure start, I accidentally found myself volunteering for home start and stayed a week.

I think it is terrible news. It has been shown that intervention in the early years (i.e surestart territory) is paid back a thousand times in lower rates of offending, better schooling and employment prospects etc.

There was an article very recently, I'll try and find it.

Surestart is a nice idea but with our current situation is unaffordable. If they charge for some services could they not increase prices or would that make them uncompetitive.

did you work for surestart mamatomany

Some need a subsidy and some don't.

If they cover their costs why do they require subsidy?

You are not alone in being concerned about this. I am deeply worried. Many, many families are surviving on the support they receive from Sure start. For many , if this goes, they will end up with social care involvement and all the stress that goes with that.

We have day centers for the elderly who have had 40 years to make friends and have pissed off all their family have none so why not some provision for mums ?
Plenty of these things charge an entrance fee so they cover their own costs and the midwives have to misinform people some how, it's as good a place as any.

What about other people who are lonely, are we going to have state provision for people who have no friends as well?

good nuseries, with adequate facilities for play and learn should indeed be encouraged.

easy access to midwife seems a cool idea,maybe OTT.

and if there's a job at the end of it for trained Mum, what coul be better?

surestart is very much about empowering families.

mamatomany...you got the irony about flower arrangment...

Cheaper than giving them anti depressants and better for their children too.

Is it really the job of the state to provide mums who are lonely with somewhere to go?

Plus they organise some very valuabl courses for those parent who choose to : basic math / english / ICT or more parenting like dealing with challenging behavior / positive authority or even flower arrangment / yoga.

Apart from the flower arranging that all sounds like it needs to be encouraged though.

That sounds like every other good nursery in the country

The 4 SureStart centers around where I live provide invaluable services to local families.

Pre-school is of a very good standard - I could not believe it when my little boy knew not only his ABC, numbers but also simple phonic words (in nursery! - not pre-school).

The head was there every morning to welcome the parents dropping the kids; she knew each of us and was always very helpful when I was asking her for advices.

The teachers were brilliant, the facilities (garden, play, books, create) amazing.

Plus they organise some very valuabl courses for those parent who choose to : basic math / english / ICT or more parenting like dealing with challenging behavior / positive authority or even flower arrangment / yoga.

so in short, gives a super start to the kids, empowers the parents who decide to take their life in their hand.

just a shame that it was Ball's flagship so the tories may not want it.

but...i do not know about the cost of those centres / soft performance targets....