Decision details

Further to Minute 32 of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services) held on 22 November 2011, the Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Young People and Families on the consultation arrangements that had taken place on the reconfiguration of Sefton’s Children’s Centres.

The report incorporated a copy of the report considered by the Children’s Centre’s Review Board and a copy of the Resolution passed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Children’s Services).

The Cabinet also considered the content of a letter from Mrs. K. Sumner of Southport expressing concerns with the quality of the review process undertaken and objecting to the proposals in the report, together with the response of the Strategic  Director - People.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:            That

(1)       the letter from Mrs. K. Sumner of Southport and the response from the Strategic Director – People be noted;

(2)       the funding reduction continue to be implemented in line with the Council Resolution agreed on 3 March 2011;

(3)       a network of Children’s Centres across the Borough be maintained without the closure of any centres;

(4)            approval be given to the merger of centres across the Borough, in order to maintain an appropriate service delivery model to the communities they serve;

(5)       the Children’s Centre’s Review Board be requested to evaluate an alternative proposal presented by the Core Group for Freshfield Children’s Centre, subject to additional information being provided; and

(6)            approval be given to the use of £600,000 one-off Council reserves to underwrite the shortfall against the 2011/12 Children’s Centre’s saving target.