Evaluation Toolkit
Self Evaluation Toolkit for Children's Centres
This Self Evaluation Toolkit has been developed specifically for use within Children’s Centres, and their associated services. It ties evaluation to the 5 Every Child Matters Outcomes, and helps services to look at the quality of their service as well as the difference they are making. It will provide the evidence to back up Centres’ SEF completion.
The Toolkit was originally put together for two Sure Start programmes in Plymouth (in 2006). Following feedback from the Centres using it, it was developed for use across all sixteen of Plymouth’s Children Centres during 2007.
The Toolkit is now available to all Children's Centres to purchase.
The toolkit includes:
Guidance on planning your self evaluation - Guidance on doing evaluation with groups
- Information on the range of methods that can be used
- Template evaluation forms
- Participatory tools for evaluation – templates and guidance on their use
- Visual tools – sample graphics and guidance on how to use these
- Examples of other methods for the more practiced or for specific situations (eg telephonene interviews, photographic evaluation, evaluation diaries)
- Further reading & useful contacts
The Toolkit provides simple templates for staff to evaluate their work day-to-day and the differences it’s making for families. The toolkit provides simple, quick evaluation tools for everyday use. Please see the Contents page.
The Toolkit includes a range of tools which can be used as they are, or edited for particular circumstances (the Toolkit comes with a CD-rom version for easy editing). The aim of the tools is to keep things simple and to make evaluation easy to do, and fun for participants. Examples of some of the tools can be viewed from the links at the bottom of this page. A simple key makes it easy to see when you can use tools and what situations they are appropriate for.
To order a toolkit, please complete the attached form, or contact either Angela McTiernan on 01392 202326 or angelamctiernan@blueyonder.co.uk or Sarah Taragon on 01363 860151 (or sarahtaragon@hotmail.com). Also contact Angela or Sarah to with any queries on the toolkit or on other ways in which Red Door Associates can support your Children’s Centre(s) with their evaluation,
Red Door Associates are also able to offer a range of training sessions focused on participatory evaluation methods for use with groups and individuals. Please contact Angela McTiernan if you are interested.
Please note: images used on our website currently, are from Plymouth City Council's Toolkit, and may vary slightly from the version available for purchase.
The Toolkit has been funded by, and developed in liaison with, Plymouth’s Children’s Centres and Plymouth City Council.
Examples of some of the tools and content of the Toolkit can be seen below (more will be available soon). Please feel free to use the resources supplied here.
Example form
Example of a Visual tool
Example of a simple tool – no reading/writing required
Toolkit order form