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Integrating services
The need for joined-up working has been increasingly highlighted by research, policy guidance and messages from parents and is reflected in local strategies and plans. Much progress has been made and yet the time, attitudes and structures needed for successful integration continue to present challenges.
Early home learning services cannot stand alone. They need to be delivered as part of a raft of universal and targeted services, including measures to tackle poverty and services for families affected by mental health, illness or disability.
In their study of local authority services to support early home learning, Reynolds and Cotton were able to identify some well developed and integrated provision. These best practice examples were characterised by:
- strong, clear and enthusiastic leadership at a senior and authority-wide level, combined with committed lead practitioners within children's centres
- alignment of education and childcare elements of early years services
- joining up of the early years and parenting agenda
- joined up working across early years, children's centres, education, social care and health
- links with local private, voluntary and independent providers
- supportive frameworks such as authority-wide quality standards, action plans and monitoring and evaluation.
At locality level, children's centres can provide an effective hub for joined-up services, hosting initiatives and diverse practitioners, cascading training and good practice and facilitating links between early years, schools, health and the private, voluntary and independent sector.
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