Issue - meetings

Mr S J G Koowaree declared an interest in this item as his daughter is employed at a children’s centre.

1.         Mr Wilson introduced the report and summarised the number and nature of responses received to the consultation. Approximately 80% of respondents had objected to the original proposals, with key issues highlighted including transport and staffing. The revised changes now being recommended (set out in paragraph 6 (1) of the report) showed that the County Council had listened to and taken on board the views expressed by respondents.  Children’s centre managers were being encouraged to raise funds for their own centre and to develop relationships with others in their local community.  Mr Wilson explained that the next steps in shaping the future of children’s centres in Kent, once the Cabinet Member had formally taken the final decision on the changes, would be a staff restructure and a market review in 2014.

2.         In debate, Members made the following comments about children’s centres in their local areas and about the service generally:-

a)         several Members commended the consultation exercise and welcomed the opportunities it had brought to re-shape and improve the service.  They supported the proposed changes and looked forward to seeing a more effective, integrated service once the changes had been made;

b)         Mrs Whittle was commended by several Members for her outstanding work in driving the consultation and the time and effort she had spent in visiting as many of the children’s centres in Kent as possible;

c)         the system of children’s centre provision has become disjointed and needs reorganising.  The service lacks a brand, and public understanding of the services available at children’s centres needs to be increased; 

d)         the data gathered during the consultation about the pattern of use of centres will be useful for the future and needs to be kept up to date; 

e)         elected Members need to be fully engaged in future plans for centres as they are well placed to support and help shape the future of centres in their areas.  To do this they will need to have an active role in monitoring the service following the changes;

f)          although the need for savings is acknowledged, it seems counter-intuitive to try to make savings in children’s centres. Centres need to be part of the re-shaping of service delivery, to incorporate Troubled Families and Health partners and promote health issues.  The support and advice that mothers gain from visiting a children’s centre are invaluable. The speaker would be urging his local district advisory board to ensure that services meet the requirements of communities, especially those in areas of higher deprivation;

g)         the next speaker contested the previous speaker’s comments about savings and reducing services as ‘misleading’; the current issue is clearly a case of needing to do more with less and being more productive.  The consultation undertaken is a good example of the County Council seeking public views and then taking them on board.  Mrs Whittle had clearly spent much time in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55