Issue - meetings

This report will advise the Panel for the need to reduce the operating costs of the Bath and North East Somerset Council managed Children’s Centre Services which are projecting a current overspend in this financial year and the need to develop a sustainable Children’s Centre Service for the whole of Bath and North East Somerset in the future.

Roz Lambert, First Steps CEO addressed the Panel, a copy of her statement will be available on the Panel’s Minute Book and online as an appendix to these minutes. A summary is set out below.

We are very concerned about the long term outcomes for children and families in Bath West. We are not assured that the options put forward in the Children’s Centre briefing paper outlining the Local Authorities option appraisal process to decide on a model of Children’s Centre Service Delivery have been fully or fairly thought through. 

We feel that some of the options unfairly disadvantage First Steps and this is a concern as First Steps is a community organisation working in the heart of the most disadvantaged areas.

It is completely inappropriate for First Steps as the organisation delivering the Children’s Centres in Bath West to contribute to or be damaged by measures taken to resolve an overspend by Local Authority officers on the budget for the internally delivered 9 children’s centres.

A third sector organisation which is managing resources more effectively and efficiently should be encouraged and supported by the Council not destroyed.

About First Steps – what we do.

First steps is a charity and company limited by guarantee, it is a registered social enterprise, operating  three Child Care settings and  two Children’s Centres, one in Moorlands and one in Twerton. First Steps IS a community organisation, it grew from the community and has kept to the original mission to “Work in partnership with children, families colleagues and the community”

It has been in operation for almost 25 years; First Steps was the Children’s Centre before the term was used by the Government and seeded the Children’s Centres in the rest of B&NES.

Our parent led services help parents to form positive and joyful relationships with their children, address debt, worklessness, lack of training, loneliness. 

The result is that over the years the levels of school achievement in the area have been rising and the gap in achievement has been narrowing. 

Our social enterprise model of Childcare delivery builds social capital, funding stays in the community.  First Steps has a strategy to employ local people and use a parent led approach to family support.  As a result First Steps staff are seen as community champions and accepted.  Over 50% of participants on the First Steps Volunteering programme are in further education or employment. 

Councillor Peter Turner asked what would happen if First Steps was to be brought within the Council.

Roz Lambert replied that it would have a huge effect and would likely lead to the loss of Children’s Centre funding and changes to their management team.

Councillor Karen Warrington asked if this proposal would lead to any savings.

Roz Lambert replied that she believed there would be no savings in reality as existing staff would transfer across to the Council.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked if they had received assurances from the Council that no decision had yet been made.

Roz  ...  view the full minutes text for item 56