This article describes the origin of the UK's Sure Start programme, an innovative early years' programme launched in 1998. The programme owed its beginnings to support from the UK Treasury that saw it as a vehicle for combating intergenerational deprivation. The programme has expanded rapidly in...

This article describes the contrast between the clearly expressed and optimistic intentions of section 17 of the Children Act 1989, namely to produce a genuine service continuum that will promote and safeguard the welfare of children, and the reality of the post‐1989 implementation process. It...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe a collaboration between independent researchers and an English local authority to develop a framework for understanding and measuring outcomes in children centres. Design/methodology/approach – The project was based on developing a system...

Purpose This paper explores service provision for young fathers through analysis of data from the three-year ESRC funded project Following Young Fathers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the idea that young fathers are a “hard to reach” group. It begins with a discussion of literature...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the changes in child protection policy and practice in England over the last 30 years, in particular to critically analyse the nature and impact of the “refocusing” initiative of the mid-1990s. Design/methodology/approach Policy...

Purpose This paper aims to assess the reliability, validity and use of the Family Star Plus, one of several Outcomes Stars increasingly used as part of outcomes-based accountability approaches in the delivery of family support services. The Family Star Plus measures progress towards effective...

Purpose – With the UK Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government reaching its mid-term point, this paper examines its austerity measures and public expenditure reductions in family support and children's services, and its revisions of family support, family intervention, child poverty, child...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer a view about the future of children’s social work from the perspective of a frontline practitioner. Design/methodology/approach Reflections of a frontline practitioner are based on his experience of practising social work with children and...

Purpose The purpose of this article is to explain why Sweet et al.'s assertions are not well founded and raise unsubstantiated doubt over the use of the Family star Plus and the Outcomes Star suite of tools as outcomes measures. Design/methodology/approach Evidence is presented of flaws in the...