Issue details

Consultation on Reconfiguring Sefton’s Children’s Centres

Saving £900,000; reducing 10% for Phase 1, 25% for Phase 2, and 30% for Phase 3 whilst maintaining the best possible provision. Merging centres across 2 or 3 bases to reduce management and running costs

Decision type: Key

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Wards affected: (All Wards);

Financial: Yes;

Community Impact: Yes;

Decision due: 8 Dec 2011 by Cabinet

Lead member: Cllr. Ian Moncur, Cabinet Member - Adult Social Care and Health and Deputy Leader ian.moncur@sefton.gov.uk

Lead director: Peter Morgan

Department: Children's Services and Safeguarding

Contact: Olive Carey, Head of Service - Early Intervention & Prevention Email: olive.carey@sefton.gov.uk.

Consultation process

• Letters to partners
• Postcards to parents
• Web and paper response forms in place
• Use of local media and publications to publicise consultation
• Local consultation groups to inform and gather views

Consultees

Consultation will include the following groups:
• Local families who use the centre
• Children’s centre staff and their trade unions
• Advisory board members
• The wider community
• Local service providers located in and linked to children’s centres
• Schools, particularly those that share their site with a children’s centre
• Elected members
We will work with partners to ensure that we also consult with groups who do not currently use the centres and those who are seldom heard, these include:
• Young parents
• Families from minority ethnic groups
• Disabled parents
• Parents of disabled children / children with SEN
• Gypsies and Travellers
• People who have difficulty reading, writing or speaking English
• Parents on low income

Consultation Deadline Date: 31 October 2011

Decisions

Agenda items

List of background documents to be considered by decision maker

  • Sure Start Children’s Centres Statutory Guidance; Securing Sufficient Childcare –Statutory guidance;Sefton Childcare Sufficiency Assessment;Childcare Act 2006;Office for National Statistics(ONS);C4EO Child Poverty Theme Research;Sure Start Early years & Childcare grant guidance