Agenda item

Cabinet will consider the recommendations of the EYCY Task & Finish Group following their review of Early Years, Children's Centre and Early Help Services.

Councillor John Bull in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 5 and on the Council’s website] asked for a reversal of the plans.  He felt that the PDS Panel’s response to the issue was not sufficient.  The aim of Children’s Centres should be to reach all young children and their parents; moving to targeted services for only vulnerable families would undo the progress made since Sure Start.  He asked that the Panel should be asked to reconvene and come up with proposals for a sustainable level of service.

Councillor Bull presented a petition of 880 signatures to Cabinet.

The Chair referred the petition to Councillor Dine Romero for her response in due course.

Councillor Liz Hardman in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 12 and on the Council’s website] introduced her minority report and reminded Cabinet that the Panel had admitted that there were a number of unanswered questions.  She felt that the Panel should be asked to report back to Cabinet in December with new proposals.

Roz Lambert (Chief Exec, First Steps Bath) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 6 and on the Council’s website] said that if Children’s Centres were obliged to be self-funding, they would depend only on government Early Years funding and fees from parents.  The kind of holistic intervention presently possible would be lost.

Sue Pendle (Chair of Trustees, First Steps Bath) in a statement read by Dougie Brown [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 7 and on the Council’s website] said that the 38% cut was out of balance with the rest of the Council’s budget reductions.  It was also out of line with the Council’s stated priorities.  Provision should be based on need, not on financial savings alone.

Nettie Williams (parent, Radstock) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 8 and on the Council’s website] spoke of her personal passion to see Children’s Centres thriving and helping young families especially at critical times in their lives.

Jane Carter (Branch Secretary, UNISON) in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 9 and on the Council’s website] spoke of the importance of the work undertaken by Children’s Centres and of the concern of her members about the impact of the proposed cuts.  She urged the Cabinet to note the issues raised and to consider the recommendations of the minority report.

Councillor Eleanor Jackson in a statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 10 and on the Council’s website] expressed her concern that the PDS Panel had been asked to consider where the cuts should be made, but had not been asked to consider the depth of the cuts.  Not enough account had been taken of the equality impact assessment.  If the cuts were made as recommended, the service remaining would not be sustainable.  She urged Cabinet to accept the proposals outlined in the minority report.

Tony Crouch (Chair, Keynsham Children’s Centre Advisory Group) in a statement stressed that Cabinet should not make a decision based only on the information currently available.  He asked for further thought to be given to the issue.

Elsie McKenzie in an ad hoc statement explained her role as Assistant Head Teacher and SENCO in a nursery for 2-year-olds.  She felt that her job would become untenable if the input from Children’s Centres was lost.

Councillor Michael Evans in an ad hoc statement said that as a member of the Task and Finish Group, he had been aware that the Panel was dealing with the consequences of a Council Budget adopted in February.  Children’s Centres were very valued.  But he acknowledged that the Cabinet were obliged to manage within budget.  He appealed to Cabinet to find funds from another source, even if short term, to minimise the impact of the changes.

A mother and user of a Children’s Centre in an ad hoc statement said that Children’s Centres were essential to some families.  She didn’t know where she would be without her local Children’s Centre.

Lesley Mansell (Chair, Radstock Town Council) in an ad hoc statement [a copy of which is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 11 and on the Council’s website] welcomed the recent re-opening of a Children’s Centre in Radstock.  She reported that the petition handed in by Councillor John Bull had been well received in Radstock.  The Youth Service had already been reduced in the town.  She agreed with Councillor Liz Hardman that the process leading up to the Panel’s report had been flawed.

Councillor Dine Romero introduced the item by thanking all those who had contributed to the debate and to the investigations by the Task and Finish Group.  The level of cuts imposed by central government had been unprecedented and the Council could not escape this.  She had been impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of those she had heard.  She wanted to emphasise that although across the country Children’s Centres were being closed, the proposals before Cabinet were not to close any Children’s Centres at all.  Any changes would not be implemented until March 2015.  She asked Cabinet to support her proposals to focus on finding new ways to deliver Children’s Centre services.

She moved the proposals.

Councillor Paul Crossley seconded the proposal.  He reminded Cabinet of the difficult times and unprecedented cuts by central government.  He emphasised that no Children’s Centres were to be closed, but there would be a refocusing on those most in need.  He thanked First Steps and the other speakers, and the PDS Panel for its hard work on a difficult brief.

Councillor David Bellotti acknowledged the part played by Children’s Centres as a partner across many different services.  He outlined some recent improvements in services, but said that it was necessary to find new models of delivery.  It would not be acceptable to charge vulnerable families for the service, nor would it be acceptable to close any centres.  He supported the proposals.

Councillor Tim Ball remembered that he had been involved in funding First Steps when it originally set up in Twerton.  He had said then that should central funding be removed, the provision would be in danger of failing.  He expressed some doubt about the relevance of the petition, because many signatories had been erroneously told that the Children’s Centres were to be closed.

Councillor David Dixon thanked Councillor Liz Hardman for her minority report.  He had been disappointed by the outcome of the main Scrutiny report.  He wanted the Scrutiny Panel to be asked to look again at the issue.  He supported the recommendations.

Councillor Dine Romero summed up by reminding everyone that the Panel had worked to its Terms of Reference so it was not true to say they had failed in their task.  She thanked them for their hard work.  The ongoing debate would enable a new model to be developed, drawing on all the contributions received.

On a motion from Councillor Dine Romero, seconded by Councillor Paul Crossley, it was

RESOLVED (unanimously)

(1) To NOTE that the Early Years, Children & Youth Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel had a number of questions, in particular which services will be provided at the Children’s Centres under the proposed new model, who will run the various Children’s Centres, and to whom these services will be available;

(2) To NOTE the issues raised in the Minority Report; and

(3) To FORMULATE their response to the Panel's recommendations and to the Minority Report.