 
Quick Links: Click here to find out if you live in our Sure Start areaSureStart West Somerset is a Government funded programme that works to improve the quality of life for children from birth through to school age and their families. We aim to achieve this goal through a wide range of new or improved services. Sure Start West Somerset operates in the following ward areas: Brompton Ralph & Haddon, Carhampton & Withycombe, Dunster, Old Cleeve, Alcombe East & West, Aville Vale, Watchet, Williton, Exmoor, Quarme, Dulverton & Brushford.
Your SureStart West Somerset programme aims to :
- Improve children’s emotional and social development
- Improve health
- Improve children’s ability to learn
- Strengthen families and communities
Click on the link at the top of the page to find out if you live within our current area.
We work to give parents the opportunity to have a say in what services should be established in their community and to become actively involved in managing them. Following consultation with local parents, a 10 year plan has been developed that will enable families to access:
- Quality play, learning and childcare experiences for their children
- Enhanced healthcare services, including advice about child health and development
- Support for children with special needs, including access to specialist services
- Family support delivered directly in the home
- Advice and information, including counselling and benefits advice
A partnership board has been established to oversee the programme and includes parents and staff representing Social Services, Health, Education, the District Council, and the voluntary sector.
Sure Start Children's Centres are places where children under 5 years old and their families can receive seamless holistic integrated services and information, and where they can access help from multi-disciplinary teams of professionals. For details of the range of services offered by children's centres please contact us.
Sure Start Children's Centres are at the heart of the Government's strategy to deliver better outcomes for children and families, building on successes of Sure Start local programmes, early excellence centres and neighbourhood nurseries and mainstreaming the lessons learned to extend the benefits to all families.
The Government is committed to delivering a Sure Start Children's Centre for every community by 2010. Sure Start Children's Centres are a vital part of the Government's 10 year childcare strategy to enable all families with children to have access to an affordable, flexible, high quality childcare place for their child. Choice for parents, the best start for children: a ten year strategy for childcare (2004) can be accessed at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
Local authorities have been given strategic responsibility for the delivery of children's centres. They are planning the location and development of centres to meet children's centre targets, in consultation with parents and other key partners.
The Sure Start Children's Centre programme is based on the concept that providing integrated education, care, family support and health services are key factors in determining good outcomes for children and their parents. The concept itself is not a new one. Sure Start Children's Centres are about building on existing good practice, rather than starting afresh.
The Sure Start Children's Centre model builds on principles developed, and lessons learned, through earlier Sure Start funded settings which are expected to become children's centres over the next few years. A signigicant number of families with young children already benefit from good quality integrated services. Sure Start Children's Centres enhance these services and extend the benefits to more families - bringing an integrated approach to service delivery to areas where it is most needed. Most Sure Start Children's Centres will be developed from earlier Sure Start funded settings and other existing providers including maintained nursery schools, primary schools and other local "early years" provision including voluntary and private settings. |
