Promoting inclusive services

Sure Start Children’s Centres provide integrated family support, education, care and health services under one roof. The diversity and quality of services available are intended to promote good outcomes for children and their parents – including those from minority families.

Sure Start Adwick and Bentley

A lack of knowledge about local minority families saw QA commissioned to establish the nature of their needs and decide how the programme could meet them. The following minority groups were of particular interest to the programme:

• Minority ethnic families
• Traveller families
• Asylum seekers
• Parents with children with a disability

In-depth interviews were conducted with organisations working with minority families to understand their perceptions of the challenges they face. Interviews and focus groups with parents and carers from these communities soon followed.

The focus group and interviews with Turkish Kurd and Albanian asylum seekers were assisted by interpreters who transcribed the responses. Interviews with mothers of children with disabilities and special needs took place by telephone or on a face-to-face basis. And thanks to support from the Doncaster Traveller Education Service, two face-to-face interviews were conducted with mothers with children aged under four. Finally, a mapping exercise established existing provision in the area for minority families.

Meeting minority family needs

Accessible and affordable childcare and early years services are important for all children and families. Sure Start Adwick and Bentley, now renamed Bentley Children’s Centre, has used the findings to frame new services which encourage the integration of minority families and promote the many benefits of Children’s Centres.