Speaking during a visit to First Step Community Nursery in Hamilton, North Lanarkshire, Ms Jamieson said, 'Parents and their children have diverse needs, and local authorities and their partners have been flexible in meeting them. The importance of partnerships cannot be stressed too strongly. I encourage local authorities to continue working with the private and voluntary sectors in providing high-quality services.'
The Scottish Executive has consistently stressed the importance of partnership working, although the approach has been dogged by problems, with private and voluntary sector providers often complaining that partnerships are dominated by local authorities. Its guidance to partnerships on planning for 2001-2004, published in January 2001, said, 'There has been tension among members; difficulty in engaging members; doubt about whether partnerships could succeed, given the size of the task and the resources available; and doubt about whether the partnership model would survive.'
Ms Jamieson added that she was 'very pleased' to see the services offered by First Step Community Nursery at first hand. The nursery provides support for vulnerable families experiencing a range of difficulties including alcohol and drug misuse, homelessness, financial problems and health issues. Sure Start Scotland is funding 24 full-time places at First Step.
Ms Jamieson said, 'Sure Start Scotland funding enables local authorities to target additional support at families with very young children. Delivering this support is a priority if we are to close the opportunity gap and give all our children the best possible start in life. '
Ms Jamieson's visit to First Step Community Nursery coincided with the announcement that the number of three-year-olds in nursery education has increased by 5 per cent since last year, to 85 per cent, while participation of four-year-olds has dropped by one per cent to 96 per cent.
Ms Jamieson said, 'Today's figures show that parents are increasingly taking advantage of this provision.
'I want to encourage parents to take up the opportunity of pre-school education across Scotland. We will be working with local authorities to highlight the benefits and encourage expansion.'
