Agenda item

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 Lambert replied that they had been assured that proposals were still being discussed and said the current joint working has worked well.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked if she felt that there should be one provider for Bath and one for North East Somerset.

Roz Lambert replied that she would welcome that.

Councillor Dine Romero asked what levels of funding were First Steps able to achieve.

Roz Lambert replied that they were on target to receive £45,000 in funding this year.

The Senior Commissioning Manager for Preventative Services explained that a range of options were currently being considered and that First Steps had influenced these. She added that provision did not have to necessarily come from one provider.

Councillor Lisa O’Brien asked officers to confirm that there are sufficient nursery places within Midsomer Norton & Keynsham should the two temporary nurseries close.

The Service Manager for Connecting Families replied that sufficient provision does exist and that they recognise the importance of easing transitions as much as possible.

Councillor Dine Romero asked if budget pressures were the driving force behind these proposals.

The Service Manager for Connecting Families replied that there are internal budget pressures owing to additional traded services not coming to fruition. She added there was an aim to reduce inspection costs through managing buildings differently.

The Chairman suggested that officers review how they got the figures relating to this issue wrong.

The Divisional Director for Safeguarding & Social Care replied that the gap had been identified at the beginning of this financial year.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked if the service could be commissioned by a range of providers.

The Senior Commissioning Manager for Preventative Services replied that the aim is to provide one service in lots of different ways, possibly through a consortium.

Councillor Liz Hardman asked if there was a timetable for the next steps in the process.

The Senior Commissioning Manager for Preventative Services replied that parties would meet again before Christmas and then with other stakeholders in January / February with a preferred option decision being reached in March / April 2017.

The Divisional Director for Safeguarding & Social Care commented that a number of services have been successful and in particular some at certain times of the year.

The Panel RESOLVED that the following actions will need to be considered and discussed as emerging proposals develop.

i)  Transferring the management of some outlying Children’s Centre buildings to other community organisations

ii)  Reducing Council delivered nursery provision, especially in areas where there is sufficiency

iii)  Ceasing traded activity where this is not viable and increasing activities after the initial trial period that are working well and are viable, extending the business model now tested and operating effectively.

iv)  Exploring options to commission and deliver a more efficient and sustainable Bath and North East Somerset Council Children’s Centre Service when the contract with First Steps for Bath West Children’s Centre service expires at the end of September 2017.

·  The options which will be considered as part of the commissioning process currently include:

•  Maintain current arrangements and mixed economy and proceed with tender for Bath West.

•  Explore and strengthen partnership arrangements between Bath West and B&NES delivered Children’s Centre services.

•  Bring Bath West into the Council to deliver as one Council managed Children’s Centre service.

•  Tender both the council run and external Children’s Centre services to procure one new contract for one Children’s Centre service. This service could be provided by a consortium.

•  Include the Children’s Centre Service within Your Care, Your Way (YCYW).