ABSTRACT
The focus on improving outcomes for vulnerable families is a key component of the newly revised Ofsted Framework for Children’s Centre inspections (Ofsted, 2012) and central to the core purpose of children’s centres (DfE, 2011). At Pen Green we have always maintained the importance of offering high-quality universal services within which more targeted support is available. There is a paradox in the recent Government emphasis on targeted services (ibid.) as such services run the risk of stigmatisation and disengagement from the community, resulting in less uptake rather than improved access by those who may be the most vulnerable.
