Extended Services
The Extended Services agenda includes the development of Children's Centres and Extended Schools. This agenda in particular provides service delivery opportunities for the VCS.
Children's Centres
The DCSF website describes Sure Start Children's Centres
"Children's centres are service hubs where children under five years old and their families can receive seamless integrated services and information. By 2010, every community will be served by a Sure Start Children's Centre, offering permanent universal provision across the country, ensuring that every child gets the best start in life."
To read more, go to: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/earlyyears/surestart/surestartc...
Extended Schools
The DCSF website describes the Extended Schools agenda. It talks about "...a core offer of services that all children should be able to access through schools by 2010".
The core offer includes:
- a varied range of activities including study support, sport and music clubs, combined with childcare in primary schools
- parenting and family support
- swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services
- community access to facilities including adult and family learning, ICT and sports grounds.
Schools will need to work closely with parents, children and others to shape these activities around the needs of their community and may choose to provide extra services in response to demand."
To read more, got to: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/ete/schools/extendedschools/ext...
Extended Services - Local Context
In Leicestershire County, VAL is working through its team of District Development Officers to support the VCS to engage with the Extended Services agenda. District Development Officers are engaging with Extended Services Locality Partnership Groups (multi-agency partnership groups at district level) and will be working to support local VCS groups / organisations to engage with commissioning opportunities etc. More information about this will be available on this website in the near future.
In Leicester City, VAL is currently in dialogue with the City Council around developing support for the VCS to engage with the Extended Services agenda. More information about this will be available on this website in the near future.
