Sure Start Centres

Dear Mr Russell,

Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

We are writing to acknowledge receipt of your email dated 9^th October
2009, in which you request the disclosure of information under the
provisions of the above Act.

We have begun a search for the information you require and shall contact
you again when we are in a position to respond further. Should we envisage
any delays, or require more details from you, we will contact you
immediately. In the meantime, if you have any queries about the above,
please do not hesitate to contact us, quoting ref. RFI 701/2009.

Yours sincerely,

On behalf of the Freedom of Information Team

Freedom of Information | Access to Information Team

Lancashire County Council, PO Box 78,

County Hall, Preston, PR1 8XJ

Tel: 01772 533997 | Fax: 01772 530949

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Lancashire, a place where everyone matters

********************

Dear Mr Russell,

Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Further to your email dated 9^th October 2009, in which you request the
disclosure of information under the provisions of the above Act, we are
now in a position to respond.

Please supply a list of all Lancashire County Council Sure Start
Children's Centres.

Sure Start Children's Centres within Lancashire County Council's
administrative boundaries are set out on its website:
[1]www.lancashire.gov.uk/childrenscentres

Are these run privately or council controlled?

The children's centres are run by a mixture of organisations. The county
council runs 36 of the 79 centres within its boundaries. The rest are
predominantly run by schools and the charitable sector.

If council controlled under which department do they fall?

Sure Start Children's Centres form part of responsibilities of
the Directorate for Children and Young People at Lancashire County
Council.

Are these run for profit, if council controlled supply the accounts?

As government funded centres, none of them are run for
profit.

What are the policies in place and who created these?

There are numerous policies in place to ensure safe, effective and high
quality services. Policies are usually drawn up by the organisation which
runs the service. The County Council has developed a number of model
policies for consideration and potential use by all organisations which
run children's centres in its boundaries.

What services do these centres provide?

Centres are required by government to deliver a basic set of services
called the 'children's centre core offer'. The 'core offer' is broken
down into sections: early education and childcare; child and family
health; family support; and, links to other services. Any service
delivered by a centre should meet one or more of the Every Child Matters
outcomes and fit into the 'core offer'.

How many children on a yearly basis do these centres cater for in each
area?

National guidance indicates that services at each centre should be
available for a population of 800 children under the age of five.
Services in Lancashire have been planned on this basis.

We trust that our response is to your satisfaction, but in the event that
you wish to complain about the manner in which your enquiry has been
handled, you should write in the first instance to The Freedom of
Information Officer, Lancashire County Council, PO Box 78, County Hall,
Preston PR1 8XJ, or email [2][Lancashire County Council request email]

If, after this stage, you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to refer
the matter to the Information Commissioner, whose contact details are as
follows:

The Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Tel: 01625 545700

Email: [3][email address]

Website: [4]http://www.ico.gov.uk

Your request will now be closed as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information

Lancashire County Council

PO Box 78

County Hall

Preston

PR1 8XJ

Tel: (01772) 531116

Fax: (01772) 530949

Email: [5][Lancashire County Council request email]

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Lancashire, a place where everyone matters

********************

References

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1. http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/childrensce...
http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/childrensce...
2. mailto:[Lancashire County Council request email]
mailto:[Lancashire County Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]
mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
http://www.ico.gov.uk/
5. mailto:[Lancashire County Council request email]
mailto:[Lancashire County Council request email]