Review of DE Targeted Early Years Interventions

To enable DE to ensure optimum focus on Early Years support for disadvantaged children, as recommended in “A Fair Start” report (May 2021), it was important to firstly examine efficacy of existing targeted interventions i.e. Sure Start, Pathway and Toybox.

DE therefore commissioned the independent ‘Review of DE Targeted Early Years Interventions’ and following competitive procurement, Ipsos UK was awarded the contract to evaluate the following three areas:

1. The appropriateness and effectiveness of current policy/ oversight (DE) and administration (DoH) roles and structures in Sure Start;
2. The optimum methodology for targeting available Sure Start resource (currently to 25% most disadvantaged areas by applying the Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure).
3. Whether Pathway and Toybox provision complements Sure Start provision, without duplication or displacement of Sure Start provision.

The Review has concluded and Ipsos provided a final report to DE in December 2023.