Disadvantaged but different: variation among deprived communities in relation to child and family well-being.
BACKGROUND
Disadvantaged communities are increasingly the target for interventions. Sure Start was launched in England in 1999 to tackle child poverty and improve child and family services, with Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) targeted at relatively small areas of marked deprivation. However, they are located in a range of different types of communities where they may provide services to very different resident populations. They are all disadvantaged but underlying that label there are specific patterns of variability, relevant for service provision. To evaluate the implementation, impact, and cost-effectiveness of SSLPs, or other area-based initiatives, it is important to consider ways in which they can be grouped meaningfully according to these patterns.


METHODS
Data were collected from administrative databases to describe SSLPs in terms of demography, deprivation, and aspects of child and family functioning and grouped using cluster analysis.


RESULTS
Five different 'types' of SSLP community were identified, based on their socio-demographic and economic characteristics; typified by more, less or average deprivation in relation to all SSLPs, and in terms of the proportion of ethnic minority families resident in the areas. The groups differ in terms of community measures of child health, educational attainment, school disorder and child welfare and their prediction from demographic community characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
The groupings have implications for service delivery and the evaluation of area-based initiatives.
Barnes
Jacqueline
J
Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues, Birkbeck, University of London, UK. Jacqueline.barnes@bbk.ac.uk
Belsky
Jay
J
Broomfield
Kate A
KA
Dave
Sapna
S
Frost
Martin
M
Melhuish
Edward
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D004739:England; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012931:Social Environment; D012940:Social Problems / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors