“It sounds good but … ”: Children's Centre managers' views of evidence‐based practice

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore the understanding and interpretation of evidence‐based practice among Sure Start centre managers. Design/methodology/approach – Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with Children's Centre managers from one London borough. Findings – The interviews highlighted the varied and, for some limited, view of evidence‐based practice. For many managers their understanding was confined to evidence generated locally rather than perceiving a role for externally‐generated evidence to support effective practice. Managers also highlighted the constraints they face in taking what some perceive to be an evidence‐based approach. Originality/value – Although Sure Start Children's Centres are one of the main sites for delivering evidence‐based interventions to improve outcomes for young children and families in the UK, and despite Government announcements promoting the use of evidence‐based practice in these settings, little is known about the knowledge and interpretation of managers on this issue or the difficulties of translating ideas into practice on the ground. Thus, there is a danger that some of the potential benefits of evidence‐based practice may be lost if this disconnect between policy and practice is not addressed.