It is widely acknowledged that family factors have a decisive impact on children’s opportunities in life. Following its landslide victory in 1997, New Labour initiated Sure Start, a cross-departmental programme intended to combat child poverty and social inequality by providing comprehensive family-centred services to children in pre-school age and their families. First evidence, however, points to significant difficulties in reaching minority ethnic families. This paper seeks to explore conditions for engaging effectively with minority ethnic families in Sure Start Children’s Centres. Effective engagement is defined as provision which is accessible to as well as inclusive of users and has positive outcomes measured against policy, practitioner and user objectives. Given the significant diversity of ethnic groups and limitations of previous research, existing evidence on ethnicity and Early Years provision is complemented by findings of a case study on the experience of Somali parents in a South London Community. It will be argued that Children’s Centres’ potential for effective engagement can be enhanced through a) considering individual/ethno-specific factors as well as regulatory and physical contexts in service design; b) well-trained staff and adequate resourcing; and c) actively involving parents in service planning, delivery and evaluation. It will also be suggested that the ability to offer inclusive services is constrained by systemic tensions arising from the rapid expansion of service provision and the underlying target and performance management model.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Developing a Concept of Effective Engagement
3. Ethnicity and Effective Engagement - Research Evidence from the Early Years
3.1 Individual factors:
3.2 Structural factors:
3.3 Effective Engagement and Sensitive Service Design
4. Integrated Children’s Centres – The Background
5. Turning to Practice: Engaging Effectively with Somali Parents
5.1 Preliminary Remarks and Methodology
5.2 Service Engagement of Somali Parents – External Factors
5.2.1 Individual
5.2.2 Ethnicity
5.2.3 Environment
5.3 Service Engagement of Somali Parents – Centres’ Response
5.3.1 Accessibility
5.3.2 Inclusion
5.3.3 Outcomes
6. Concluding remarks
Research Objective and Scope
The dissertation investigates the conditions and challenges associated with engaging minority ethnic families, specifically Somali parents, within the framework of Sure Start Integrated Children’s Centres (ICCs) in the UK. The research evaluates how service design, staff training, and parental involvement impact the effectiveness of these centres in providing accessible and inclusive support for diverse communities.
- Theoretical conceptualization of effective engagement in public services.
- Analysis of individual, structural, and environmental determinants of service use among BME groups.
- Evaluation of Sure Start Integrated Children’s Centres' organizational structure and policies.
- Case study findings regarding the specific service experiences of Somali parents in South London.
- Impact of target-driven performance management on the quality of social service provision.
Excerpt from the Book
Individual
Somalis living in the area were predominantly recent refugees who settled in the UK fleeing civil war in their home country, which had significant consequences on their personal situation and service use. Community workers stressed that in contrast to long-established Somali communities, such as the one in Tower Hamlets with a settlement history dating back as far as the 19th century (see Kahin 1997), parents had little or no knowledge of public services (I). Limited English proficiency, wide-spread illiteracy and high levels of deprivation, mainly attributable to extreme unemployment rates of over 60%, were further identified as major barriers to service use (I).
Given their exposition to an armed conflict in earlier life and the higher incidence of deprivation, Somali parents were also more likely to have medical or psychological conditions such as long-term illness, post-traumatic-stress-disorder or depression which created additional needs ICCs had to consider in designing their services (see also Griffiths 2002). This might be further aggravated by over-crowded housing conditions, as most parents interviewed lived in small flats, often sharing one or two rooms with a whole family.
Somali mothers additionally reported facing severe time constraints due to household and care responsibilities arising from multitudinous families and community obligations, which made it difficult for them to participate in activities offered by ICCs, especially if parallel day-care provision for older children was missing (I). While these factors applied differently to each individual interviewed, all parents seemed to be exposed to a common set of conditions arising from their ethnicity.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the background of Sure Start as a key social policy initiative and highlights the persistent difficulties in reaching black and minority ethnic (BME) families.
2. Developing a Concept of Effective Engagement: Defines effective engagement as a three-dimensional framework comprising accessibility, inclusion, and outcomes to analyze service delivery.
3. Ethnicity and Effective Engagement - Research Evidence from the Early Years: Examines individual and structural factors that influence the service-parent relationship, emphasizing the intersection of ethnicity, social disadvantage, and service responsiveness.
4. Integrated Children’s Centres – The Background: Provides an overview of the development of Integrated Children’s Centres (ICCs) as the successors to Sure Start, focusing on their governance and strategic objectives.
5. Turning to Practice: Engaging Effectively with Somali Parents: Details a qualitative case study in a South London locality, exploring how Somali parents interact with local centres and how practitioners address their specific needs.
6. Concluding remarks: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that effective engagement requires culturally sensitive services, well-trained staff, and a move away from rigid, target-driven management models.
Keywords
Sure Start, Integrated Children’s Centres, BME families, Somali community, effective engagement, social policy, early years provision, ethnic minority, service accessibility, inclusion, parental involvement, qualitative research, child poverty, service delivery, cultural sensitivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this dissertation?
The dissertation examines the conditions under which Sure Start Integrated Children’s Centres (ICCs) can engage effectively with ethnic minority families, with a specific focus on the Somali community.
What are the central themes addressed in the work?
The work addresses the intersection of social policy, ethnic diversity, parental engagement in public services, and the operational challenges of managing multi-sector early years programmes.
What is the core research objective?
The primary objective is to explore how ICCs can move beyond standardized service models to become more inclusive and responsive to the specific needs of minority ethnic users.
Which research methods were employed?
The author utilized a qualitative case study approach, combining documentary analysis, participant observation in a Somali-focused play and learn group, and semi-structured elite interviews with key service providers.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers the conceptual definition of engagement, an assessment of individual and structural barriers for BME parents, a background analysis of ICCs, and a detailed field study of Somali parents' experiences.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Sure Start, Integrated Children’s Centres, effective engagement, BME families, Somali diaspora, service accessibility, and social policy evaluation.
How do clanship and nomadic traditions affect service usage?
The study notes that clanship fosters strong internal community support, which can be an asset for self-help, while the pastoral nomadic history requires services to be more flexible and consistent in scheduling to match the community's mobile lifestyle.
Why does the author argue that the current target-driven model is problematic?
The author suggests that a rigid, business-like focus on technical efficiency and performance targets may de-humanize social relationships, subordinate the nuanced needs of parents, and compromise service quality.
- Arbeit zitieren
- MSc Ricarda Röleke (Autor:in), 2010, Social Inclusion and Integrated Service Delivery: Children’s Centres and Ethnic Minorities, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/196354
