Issue - items at meetings - Sure Start and Children's Centres Budget Strategy

Report of the Interim Director of Children’s Services (copy attached)

            RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee notes the revised budget savings proposals for Sure Start going to full Council to maintain the city’s network of Children’s Centres; and

            (2) That the Committee agrees to local consultations to change the status of Westdene and Preston Park Children’s Centres from designated to link sites and to no longer employ receptionists in linked sites (Saltdean, Coldean, Goldstone).

35.1         The Committee considered a report of the Interim Director of Children’s Services outlining an alternative strategy to meet the proposed budget reductions of £640,000 in Sure Start for 2013/14, which would reduce the impact on Children’s Centres.

35.2    The Head of Sure Start explained that initially the proposal had been to reduce funding for Children’s Centres by £500,000 and to consult on significant changes to Children’s Centres in the city. There was a statutory duty for local authorities to make arrangements for the sufficient provision of children’s centres to meet local need.

35.3    Children’s Centres had been established in three phases starting with the most disadvantaged areas, the resources for these centres being based on the local level of need. The two Phase 3 centres in Westdene and Preston Park offered a limited range of services and in reality they acted as additional venues for the Hollingbury and Patcham and Hollingdean centres. It was therefore proposed that consultation take place on changing their status from that of a designated to a linked site. This would mean that they would be inspected by Ofsted together with their linked Children’s Centre, this would not change the level of existing services.

35.4    There were five existing linked sites to main designated Children’s Centres : Coldean and Bevendean (linked to Moulsecoomb), Saltdean (linked to the Deans), Goldstone (linked to Hangleton) and Fairlight (linked to City View). The linked sites established in Phase 2 had included part-time receptionist posts but had not been the case for those provided in Phase 3: Fairlight, Westdene and Preston Park. It was therefore proposed to consult on no longer funding receptionist posts in Coldean, Saltdean and Goldstone.

35.5    The main change to the budget proposal was to reduce the Children’s Centre saving from £500,000 to £323,000. This proposal represented 11% of the total cost of £2,881,000. Part of the saving would be achieved by the Value for Money programme contributing £50,000 towards the Early Parenting Assessment Programme. There were also plans to charge services for their use of Children’s Centres. The actual reduction in Children’s Centre funding would be £239,000. The Children’s Centre had underspent the previous year due to a combination of factors including alternative funding for childcare places for two year olds, more accurate information on premises costs and running cost savings. Based on analysis of this year’s budgets £160,000 could be found without any reduction in services. The proposal to reduce receptionist posts would save a further £34,000. It was proposed to find the remaining saving of £45,000 by not filling vacant posts.

35.6    This paper was intended to inform the Committees budget proposals 2013/14 which would be consulted on as part of the budget consultation. Local consultations would be organised on the changes to Children’s Centres.

35.7    The Chair commended the report and the efforts which officers had made to mitigate against savings which could potentially reduce outcomes for children by reducing the savings required of children’s centres and focussing services on disadvantaged children.

35.8    Councillor Pissaridou stated that whilst the savings needed to be made she was concerned that in her view those who were most disadvantaged would suffer most due to the proposed reductions which would lead to 20% fewer subsidised out of school childcare places and the impact this would have on low income families. Early support for such families was very important

35.9    Councillor Simson enquired regarding the level of grant/subsidy available for provision in/to the voluntary sector. It was explained that as the Government had moved funding for supporting extended schools, the Council no longer provided funding for childcare run by schools. Schools had not used their budgets to fund private and voluntary childcare providers who cared for their children. The Council had therefore continued to support private and voluntary sector providers with sustainability funding.

35.10  In answer to further questions it was explained that as part of the strategy to reduce the impact on Children’s Centres, officers had tried to spread the savings across all budgets including the extended schools budget. Funding reductions for individual providers would be small but it was recognised that this might effect their financial sustainability.

35.11  RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee notes the revised budget savings proposals for Sure Start going to full Council to maintain the city’s network of Children’s Centres; and

            (2) That the Committee agrees to local consultations to change the status of Westdene and Preston Park Children’s Centres from designated to link sites and to no longer employ receptionists in linked sites (Saltdean, Coldean, Goldstone).

            Note: Councillors Gilbey, Lepper and Pissaridou abstained from voting in respect of the resolution(2)above.