Thousands oppose closing children and family centres
Thousands of people have signed an online petition opposing plans to reduce the number of children and family centres in West Sussex from 43 to 11.
The changes form part of a proposed redesign of the county council’s Early Help provision which it said aims to improve the services offered to the most vulnerable children and families, making sure they receive the help they need.
As a result the county’s 12 Find it Out youth advice centres would also be shut. A Labour petition launched by Labour councillors opposing the cuts has been signed by more than 7,000 people.
Meanwhile UNISON West Sussex, which represents the staff working in the children and family centres, called it an ‘unacceptable loss of a brilliant service’.
During a children and young people’s services scrutiny committee meeting last week, the plans were ‘broadly supported’, but councillors raised a number of questions and concerns.
Michael Jones (Lab, Southgate & Gossops Green) agreed there was a need for more support, particularly in areas of deprivation, but didn’t think the data published by the council did enough to back up the proposals for the centres.
He added: “It seems to me we need the children and family centres more than ever.”
Jacquie Russell, cabinet member for children and young people, told the meeting that the Early Help service – which supports around 4,000 children a year on Early Help plans – had continued throughout the pandemic when the centres were closed.
She added: “Requests for service uptake were at a record high and that is pretty strong evidence that the service does not need to remain in a building.”
The centres provide support to families with children aged five and under and deal with issues such as child development, school readiness, parenting skills, and health.
But sometimes a building offers more than just a place to go for help and advice.
Kirsty Lord (Lib Dem, Hassocks & Burgess Hill South) shared the story of a resident whose child has a rare brain disorder and was ‘rescued’ after walking into her local centre and pouring out her soul to one of the staff. She went on to meet ‘lifelong friends’ there.
Ms Lord herself described how, as a young mum new to the area, she went to a baby group at her local centre and ‘met friendly faces going through the same thing at the same time’.
The issue of mental health was raised by Ann Bridges (Con, Lancing), who said: “There is a need for parents and children to meet with other parents and children.”
One of the council’s concerns, though, is that the ‘centre-based’ approach did not necessarily reach those children and families most in need of help, which is a key point of the redesign.
Lucy Butler, executive director of children, young people and learning, said there had been an increase in the number of children and families using the Early Help services.
She added: “These changes follow an in-depth review but are also really an integral part of our modernisation and redesign across the whole of children’s social care. This new targeted model will be able to reach the most vulnerable children and families, will be able to really enable us to be much more community focused.”
The changes would save the council £1.95million but Ms Butler insisted that was not at the centre of the proposals.