Agenda item

Further to Minute No. 189 of the Cabinet meeting held on 9^th March, 2011, consideration was given to a report presented by the Assistant Head of School Effectiveness containing proposals for changes to the delivery of Children’s Centre services in Rotherham, ensuring the Council’s statutory duty to provide sufficient Children’s Centres to reach under fives and their families is met and to provide a more efficient and effective service. 

The recommended action was for a reshaping of the Centres in a cluster format described in Options 2 and 3 of the Cabinet report:-

:     Option 2 identifies the potential clustering of 17 lead Children’s Centres with 5 Children’s Centre satellites;

:     Option 3 identifies the potential clustering of 14 lead Children’s Centres and 8 Children’s Centre satellites.

The consultation process is to be about the preferred Option 2.

The presentation and subsequent discussion included the following salient issues:-

-           the impetus provided by national reviews of children’s centre provision by Frank Field and Graham Allen;

-           the Council’s expressed preference for option 2 (detailed in the report submitted);

-           there will be no closure of children’s centres; high quality care and education remains the priority;

-           (option2) : 22 centres will remain, at least one located in each geographical learning community; service provision will respond to the needs of the learning community;

-           Stepping Stones (Maltby) is the only children’s centre not located on a school campus;

-           the extension of the Children’s Centre contracts with both governing bodies of schools and staff working within Children’s Centres from 1st April until 31st August 2011; the proposed changes would take effect from 1st September 2011;

-           use of Sure Start Children’s Centre practice guidance which defines the delivery of services to families in vulnerable circumstances;

-           service provision from organisations in the private and voluntary sector; the cost and extent of such provision is assessed, based upon the local authority’s pricing policy;

-           flexible use of children’s centres to facilitate the provision of services for older children;

-           consultation on the proposals (from 10th March 2011 until 5th May 2011), with a children’s centre questionnaire published on the Council’s Internet web site; the consultation process includes public meetings, focus group meetings and discussions with service providers;

-           satellite sites (5 provided in option 2) : their role and function; opening hours and staffing levels; these buildings will be available for children’s centre use for vulnerable families, although the level of need will be assessed and the building may also be used for other purposes (eg: adult community learning; parenting courses);

-           the complex needs of children newly-arrived in the Rotherham Borough area; service-levels and resource provision are being assessed as part of the review and consultation process;

-           specific provision for children aged 0-2 years : day nurseries, child-minding and children’s centres;

-           definitions of vulnerable families and groups of people (per national guidelines); centres attempt to allocate resources according to the specific needs of the local communities they serve;

-           the funding of children’s centres and ensuring that the needs of vulnerable groups of people in all areas of the Borough are considered;

-           the probable impact of the Payment by Results : the Early Years provision accountability framework, being introduced by the coalition Government; and being able to assess that service provision impacts in a positive way upon vulnerable communities.

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That this Scrutiny Panel expresses its support for Option 2, as detailed in the report now submitted.

(3) That this Scrutiny Panel’s future work programme shall include an early review of the impact of the proposed changes in Children’s Centre services.