Evaluating Sure Start Bridgwater

1. Evaluating Sure Start Bridgwater Lynnette Chapman Evaluation Officer lchapman@somerset.nhs.uk

2. Sure Start Bridgwater • Trailblazer - Aut 2000 • Urban • 2 areas - Hamp and Eastover • 640 children under 4 • Evaluation started - Jan 2001 • Nature of evaluation post • Collaborative approach

3. Evaluation planning • What have we done? • What approach have we taken? • What we plan to do next and why • How the next stage of the evaluation will work.

4. Evaluation outline • Number of stages to the evaluation • Collecting baseline info • Specifying need • Developing services • Themed evaluation

5. Collecting baseline info • Community questionnaire • Longitudinal • Measure change • Startpoint data

6. Specifying need • Eastover Childcare and Community Questionnaire • Courses • Childcare needs • Community questionnaire • Focusing resources - e.g. Eastover/Hamp

7. Developing services • Fine tune services • Home-Start drop in groups • Mobile Library Van • Staff satisfaction survey

8. The approach • Action research • Feed user views back to the service • Usable feedback/non threatening • Ownership of evaluation • Working with other agencies • Avoid over surveying • Share and gain access to additional information

9. Themed evaluation • Why themed evaluation? • Emphasis change • ‘How is this service performing?’ • ‘How is this service helping to contribute to Sure Start aims?’ • Manageable • Focus evaluation back to aims of the programme

10. Themed evaluation • Objective 1: Improving social and emotional development • Objective 2: Improving health • Objective 3: Improving children’s ability to learn • Objective 4: Strengthening families and communities

11. Themed evaluation • Will run each theme concurrently • Build up evidence base over time • Feed in completed evaluation data

12. Working with providers • Have reviews with providers • Link provider and objective • May impact on more than one objective • List providers by theme

13. Themed evaluation - an example Parent care worker - case study of impact the work has had on parents and children using the service In depth study of the innovative approach of the work of the Health Visitor and Midwife. The effectiveness of providing a non caseload HV/MW for parents, what this means for working practices. Impact of the work with the women’s refuge Complementary therapies Art group Easy access to Health Visitor Improving social and emotional development In depth interviews with Home-Start users to look at how the service is able to support them and their children. Monitoring data Visits to Info Officer Children re-registered on CPR Uptake of counselling service No families seen by first contact visitors PND data Childminding network How is the network being used? Parents use of the network for respite. Impact of the Male project worker

14. Themed evaluation - an example Pregnancy Pals group- impact on smoking and breast feeding, levels of guidance and support. Impact of the multi disciplinary training on breast feeding In depth study of the work of the Occupational Therapist. How parents/children have benefited from the service. Monitoring data No of pre school children needing dental attention via Sure Start dentist and hygienist. No of smoke alarms, stair gates, safety equipment fitted. Hospital admissions data Smoking, breast feeding data In depth interviews with those involved with the Horticultural worker, the impact it has had for them. Improving health Commissioning of a nutritional guide. How is this used by staff to advise Sure Start families..

15. Themed evaluation - an example Childminding network - study to help disseminate good practice. New building works, e.g. new playgroup venue for Greenfields and new play areas in the community - new learning outcomes? Documentary evidence - before and after. What has the impact of the changes to the library services had, change of location for mobile library, greater involvement in children’s venues. Improving children’s ability to learn Evaluation of the speech and language project Monitoring data Books issued through the Sure Start mobile library New members joining the library at van. Toy library - issues No of childcare places Speech and lang data Advisory staff, Early years teacher, Portage, Ed. Psychologist. In depth look at the impact for staff and children in early years settings, benefits and outcomes.

16. Themed evaluation - an example Impact of the employment worker Case study of the impact of the Forest School’s work with children and families Impact of the community café in providing a central focal point for Eastover Impact of the horticulture worker Strengthening families and communities In depth interviews with Home-Start users to look at how the service is able to support them and their children. Monitoring data No’s accessing training courses No of children living in households where no one is working No’s accessing services of the credit union Documentary evidence through photos of the children’s festival Parent forum - what involvement in the forum has meant for parents

17. Summary of approach • Baseline • Specifying need • Developing services • Themed evaluation

18. Conclusion • Scope for many different themes • Working closely with providers/ programme manager to ensure evaluation is integral part of working • Timing the start of your evaluation