Current Research

Meeting the challenges of the Childcare Act (2006)

We are working with Cornwall and Northumberland County Councils on their childcare sufficiency assessments, identifying the current and future childcare needs, to meet the new local authority duty to provide a sufficiency of childcare. The projects include mapping of current supply, surveying current and future needs, analysis of forecasts and trends and an analysis of the collected information to shape future childcare development strategies.

Project evaluations

With the move from Sure Start local programmes to children’s centres we are currently completing the external independent evaluations of Sure Start programmes (Townfield, London Borough of Hillingdon; Hartlepool South and Hartlepool North).  We have already completed a consultation of parents for Bluecoat children’s centre in Stamford and expect to undertake more consultations and smaller evaluation projects for children’s centres this year.