Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: December 4, 2024

Purpose: To agree proposals following the statutory consultation

Content: Approved the following changes to the current delivery of Children’s Centre services that were consulted on:   •   Four centres will remain as core Family Hubs improving the join up with provision for those over 5; •   Five centres will be used by partners including Schools, Nursery Schools, Midwifery and Health Visiting to continue to meet with families and supporting on areas such as infant feeding; •   Nine centres to be used to expand childcare provision to support the expansion of free entitlement or used by services that supports children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND); •   Five Centres to remain as Children’s Centres; •   One Children’s Centre is registered as part of Glyndon Community Centre. It is proposed to remove the Children’s Centre but keep the community centre open as normal.   Approved the following enhancements to the proposal that have been developed following feedback from residents via the public consultation:   •   To explore the accessibility of the 56 alternative delivery locations suggested via the consultation and to incorporate these into future delivery where appropriate accessibility criteria are met; •   To work with partners including Health Visitors and Midwives to maintain a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach whereby if a family presents in need, they will be supported to get to the right place for help; •   To develop a communications strategy for the new Children’s Centre model, that will include both online and ‘off-line’ information and will include exploration of using parent volunteers to promote activities; •   To develop communications to more effectively promote the take up of the free entitlement to childcare with a particular focus on the expansion of the 30-hour offer; •   Subject to any further Government guidance regarding Family Hubs, to seek to utilise elements of the 25/26 Family Hubs funding to fund activities and provision that will support the needs raised in the consultation relating to speech, language and communication; •   To additionally support the Children’s Centre workforce through the transition through working with Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB) and Human Resources to complement and enhance the support already offered to the workforce through their employing organisations.   Delegated authority to the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Director of Resources and Director of Legal Service to agree any required contractual variations with current service providers.   Delegated authority to the Director of Regeneration, Skills and Enterprise in consultation with the Director of Finance, Director of Legal Service and Director of Children’s Services, to enter into concessionary rent lease arrangements for those sites impacted through the consultation (as set out in section 4.3) in order to enable partners to continue to deliver from sites.