Children’s centres must do more

More families from ethnic minority groups as well as those with learning difficulties and other disabilities should be attracted to the Government’s multi-million pound Children’s Centres.

Services need to be better co-ordinated and councils need to monitor and check on what difference the centres are making, according to a report by Ofsted, the education watchdog.

The report, published yesterday looked at how children’s centres and extended schools were making an impact with families and particularly vulnerable groups.

The centres, many attached to local schools, some newly built and some in converted buildings, are a flagship Government initiative to put education, health, social services, jobs advice and parenting services under one roof to give children the best start in life.

Ministers aim to have a centre in 20 per cent of the country’s most disadvantaged wards and eventually one in every neighbourhood.

Osfsted visited 30 centres between September, 2006, and April, 2007.

Ofsted’s chief inspector Christine Gilbert said children’s centres and extended schools are making good progress.

But she added: “The monitoring and evaluating the impact of these services is an area for improvement, especially in relation to the academic attainment of children and young people.

“And schools and centres need to do more to attract those families and individuals that are not yet using the services to make sure they have the opportunity to benefit too.”

The report said more needs to be done to reach people who are reluctant to use them or unaware of the benefits of the centres, including minority ethnic groups, and individuals with learning difficulties and disabilities.