Will Children's Centre Managers effectively respond to budget cuts Dissertation

Will Children's Centre Managers effectively respond to budget cuts without compromising the children centres ethos and vision - Dissertation Example However, the recent budget cuts have had a key impact upon the services provided by these Centres. The dissertation deals with the managers’ response to the budget cuts taking into account the ethos and vision of the centres. The paper has been divided into various sections so that it becomes easier to achieve the aims of the research. At the outset, the paper tries to provide a short introduction to the Children’s Centres and the issues faced by them. The research aim is introduced in this particular section. The next chapter is the literature review that assists in the analysis of the findings. The third chapter is the research methodology where the researcher tries to address the research methods applied to successfully achieve the objectives of the research. Qualitative method has been applied in the dissertation. Questionnaire has been prepared for conducting the personal interview and analysed with the help of secondary data and with the help of the literature rev iew. The research paper progresses with research findings and analysis. It tries to address what the managers say regarding the budget cuts. Finally conclusion and recommendation are provided in order to summarise the findings of the whole study and to provide recommendation for further improvement. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Chapter One: Introduction 6 1.1. Background of the Study 6 1.2. Statement of the Problem 8 1.3. Objectives of the Study 9 1.4. Structure of the Study 10 Chapter Two: Literature Review 11 2.1. Children’s Centres’ Ethos and Vision 11 2.2. The Recent and Future Budget Cuts 12 2.3. Effect of Budget Cuts on Cambridgeshire Children’s Centres 16 Chapter Three: Research Methodology 20 3.1. Research Approaches 20 3.2. Research Methods 22 3.3. Data Collection Process 24 3.4. Data Analysis 26 3.5. Ethical Issues of the Study 27 Chapter Four: Findings and Analysis 28 4.1. Findings 28 4.2. Analysis of the Findings 32 4.2.2. Measure s and Management of the Budget Cuts 34 4.2.3. Involvement of Staffs in the Planning Process 35 4.2.4. Ethos and Vision of Children Care 36 4.2.5. Steps to Ensure That the Centres Stays Focused On the Ethos and Visions 36 Chapter Five: Discussion 37 Chapter Six: Recommendations 42 Chapter Seven: Conclusion 45 7.1. Summary of the Key Findings of the Study 45 7.2. Limitations of the Study 46 7.3. Scope of the Study 46 References 48 Bibliography 58 Chapter One: Introduction 1.1. Background of the Study In the modern era, Children’s Centres have become a significant part of the socio-demographic environment of various cultures. With the increasing complexity in the lifestyle preferred by the population, services provided by the Children’s Centres have proved to be of immense support to the parents. The services provided by the Children’s Centres in a society are related to the health services, family support services, family activity information, child care education services and employment and training counsels. However, Children’s Centres operating in various regions are concerned with the health, education and other related issues of the children aged between 0 to 5 years. With the aim of betterment of the child care practices in the society, Children’s Centres perform a variety of activities, such as drop-in play sessions, parental guidance, child development courses, access to health visitors and various other counselling services (Cambridgeshire County Council, 2009). Thus, Children’s Centres have become an integral part of the society in the current era which in turn signifies its obligation towards the local communities. In other words, as the interest of the local communities and its stakeholders is built-in with the operations of the Children’