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Sure Start

Sure Start local programmes form a cornerstone of the Government's drive to tackle child poverty and social exclusion, based on firm evidence of what works.

They are concentrated in neighbourhoods where a higher proportion of children are living in poverty and where Sure Start local programmes can help them to succeed by pioneering new ways of working to improve services.

Sure Start local programmes work with parents and parents-to-be to improve children's life chances through better access to:

• Family support
• Advice on nurturing
• Health services
• Early learning.

Calderdale has three local Sure Start programmes:

1. Sure Start Elland. Telephone 01422 373133
2. Sure Start North Halifax. Telephone 01422 251091
3. Sure Start West Central Halifax. Telephone 01422 342552.

Sure Start local programmes are an area-based initiative with the aim of improving the health and well-being of families and children from before birth to four, so children are ready to flourish when they go to school.

Sure Start local programmes are delivered by local partnerships, with strong parental and community involvement. All agencies (local authorities, NHS, voluntary sector and others) are encouraged to work together in new and constructive ways in order to provide better services focused on the needs of families and young children.

Programmes also work with service providers outside catchment areas to identify better ways of delivering services to young children and their parents. We expect that these new methods will eventually be adopted by all service providers. In this way, the lessons learned by Sure Start: the government programme| will benefit all young children.

Whilst any new services will be designed to meet the needs of families under four within each catchment area and offered to those families first, many of the services developed will be available to those living outside the catchment area. For example, many programmes choose to provide open access drop-in facilities for families with young children.

Nationally, all 524 Sure Start local programmes are now operational, helping up to 400,000 children living in disadvantaged areas - including a third of under 4s living in poverty.

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