EC Harris supports the delivery of 3,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres

[March 2010]

At a reception held in Westminster this week, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families, the Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo thanked all teams, including EC Harris’ IT Consulting team, involved in delivering 3,500 Sure Start Children’s Centres ahead of the Government’s target programme.

The children’s centres are key to achieving the ambition that every child and young person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.  Every family with young children in England has easy access to high-quality integrated services in their community.

Since 2004, built asset consultancy, EC Harris, has provided a technology platform – Sure Start On – that has allowed the DCSF to monitor and track the delivery of the children’s centres programme. The platform provides data for each children’s centre and its capital project (funded through the Sure Start, Early Years and Childcare grant) as well as each local authority’s children’s centre capital programme.

Simon Lucas, Head of Education at EC Harris comments; “We are pleased to be involved in such a vital project which is making a real difference in children’s lives.  Sure Start On has proved to be an invaluable system providing precise data and information on a daily basis as well as linking directly with direct.gov to allow members of the public to find their nearest Children’s Centre.”

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Notes to Editors

About EC Harris

EC Harris is an International Built Asset Consultancy - acting as trusted advisors to clients - in planning and executing strategies that optimise the construction, operation, use and ownership of built assets.  The firm has 46 wholly owned offices in 24 countries employing 3,400 people.  Turnover in 2008/09 was £306m.