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<br /><p>Children’s centres provide access to health services – either by providing
the services or by providing advice and assistance on gaining access to services.
Local authorities and local health commissioners have statutory duties to consider
providing services through children’s centres to ensure that families get access to
the services they need. The transfer of responsibility for public health services
to local authorities in October this year provides new opportunities for local areas
to configure health services to best effect.</p><br /><p>The Department of Health
has been working with local authorities in order to ensure sharing regular and timely
updates of live birth data between NHS trusts and children’s centres and have mapped
out a process for putting in place appropriate arrangements to support a national
solution.</p><br /><p>Children's centres can also have a key role in delivering integrated
reviews, which check a child's health and educational progress at age two.</p><br
/><p>Future policy on children’s centres will be informed by the planned consultation
on the future of children’s centre services, which is due to be launched shortly.</p><br
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