Yippee! Sure Start is back under a new name!

There were no middle class families involved with our local Sure Start, which was targeted at families in areas of deprivation.

Of course any scheme which costs millions needs to prove its worth.

Measureable outcomes are necessary. But some things can't be measured. How do you measure an uplift in mood due to singing or having somebody actually be kind and listen to you?

How do you measure that fragile sense of community and belonging and being part of which is so sadly lacking in this fragmented dog eat dog world?

lafagar, I was asked by a gran carer if she could move her gc to the new centre. I was reluctant to have more change. She asked me to go and look before deciding. I went, I looked, it was so good. Health, mh/substance team, library, family centre and school all in one site. This was a former mining area with many children with relative carers as dad then mum ended up on heroin after the pits closed.
The child moved school next term, gran became a volunteer - exactly what Blair’s focus on early years aimed for

Iam64

Granitanow, I’ve heard Starmer, Jess Phillips and my MP refer to Sure Start as one of the best things the Blair government did
David Blunket often mentions it

And they were quite right. Blair accomplished a great deal but the Left hated him and weaponised Ieaq against him. Despite that he won a third term. A pity he handed over to Brown as that led to Opposition and Corbyn - what a waste of time.

With yiu all the way Grantanow

Soft outcomes are measureable lafergar.
In my previous roles they were often measured - they just take more time to record and check and to find out about (both good and bad).

Tick box measuring is obviously easier- "your BP is down by 15% from your last visit" - but, like measuring pain at an arthritis clinic or mental health services that don't just look at crisis management, it can be done.

In my experience you can look at a family/child "in the round" I think. John may have been in trouble on Thursday in maths but at least he was at maths and went to school reasonably happily instead of refusing to go.

... and he had breakfast first and was washed - and then went fishing with a mentor afterwards.

NotSpaghetti

Soft outcomes are measureable lafergar.
In my previous roles they were often measured - they just take more time to record and check and to find out about (both good and bad).

Tick box measuring is obviously easier- "your BP is down by 15% from your last visit" - but, like measuring pain at an arthritis clinic or mental health services that don't just look at crisis management, it can be done.

In my experience you can look at a family/child "in the round" I think. John may have been in trouble on Thursday in maths but at least he was at maths and went to school reasonably happily instead of refusing to go.

Genuinely interested in how to measure soft outcomes.

So many families and chidren and young people under the radar Not attending anything , anywhere.

lafergar

NotSpaghetti

Soft outcomes are measureable lafergar.
In my previous roles they were often measured - they just take more time to record and check and to find out about (both good and bad).

Tick box measuring is obviously easier- "your BP is down by 15% from your last visit" - but, like measuring pain at an arthritis clinic or mental health services that don't just look at crisis management, it can be done.

In my experience you can look at a family/child "in the round" I think. John may have been in trouble on Thursday in maths but at least he was at maths and went to school reasonably happily instead of refusing to go.

Genuinely interested in how to measure soft outcomes.

So many families and chidren and young people under the radar Not attending anything , anywhere.

That's the worry and they will not be the ones whose parents would welcome Sure Start. I'm not in favour of home schooling for that reason either.

There are loads of methods to use and measure with - and dozens of papers on this and how to avoid bias etc.

Just Google how to measure soft outcomes and you will be amazed.

Or go to Google scholar and do the same for studies/research.

They usually involve some sort of "how far have I come?" measure and self reflection about change.

softoutcomes.org/#:~:text=%22Soft%20outcomes%20are%20outcomes%20that,the%20way%20they%20see%20themselves%22

These people (link above) have free examples if you want to see what kind of thing they might look like.
(I haven't used this website before).

Thanks